The Limelight: Girls Inc Dallas

Every day, young girls in Dallas are faced with critical decisions that may dramatically affect the rest of their life. Girls Inc. equips girls to stand up to peer pressure and make the right choices, and they have been making this difference for over 40 years.

Girls Inc. provides a safe haven for approximately 800 girls, ages 6 to 18, from economically-challenged neighborhoods. Their four campuses located in West Dallas, South Dallas, North Oak Cliff, and Love Field provide quality after-school programming during the school year and all-day programming in the summer months. The Vision of Girls Inc. is to ensure girls graduate from high school equipped for success with personal effectiveness, academic, and career planning competencies.

69% of the girls' family incomes are less than $25,000 a year.
61% of the girls live with a single parent or neither parent.

The Mission of Girls Inc. is to inspire all girls to be Strong, Smart and Bold. Girls Inc empowers girls to take charge of their lives by offering effective programs focusing on:
· Career & Life Planning
· Self-Reliance & Life Skills
· Health & Sexuality
· Educational Enrichment
· Leadership & Community Action
· Sports & Adventure
· Arts & Cultural Heritage

How can you help?

There are many rewards to volunteering for Girls Inc. - whether as an activity specialist, a tutor, or a Friendship Connection Mentor. Girls Inc is also in need of Homework Tutors, Receptionists, and Translators. These are roles you can put your heart into, and most importantly, you will be making a positive difference in the life of a young girl.

No matter how you choose to volunteer, you will have the support of a staff committed to help make your volunteer experience a positive one. You can make a difference! Visit their website for application forms and further information on volunteering.

Girls Incorporated of Metropolitan Dallas

2040 Empire Central Drive

Dallas, TX 75235
(214) 654-4530
info@girlsincdallas.org

The Limelight - Frisco Cares

MISSION: to provide the highest quality, most cost-efficient health and wellness care to the underserved in our community

In 2005 the Frisco Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class #8 established the Frisco Cares Clinic to meet the growing need of acute healthcare for uninsured children in Collin County. In 2009, services were extended to adults in our community. The Clinic provides medical services, such as routine physical, acute illness visit, and vaccinations, at little cost to the uninsured population of Collin County. In 2010, it is estimated that 18% of Collin County children have limited access to healthcare as a result of being uninsured.

Frisco Cares is a member of the Local Independent Charities of America and is certified as one of the Best in America charities. As of 2008, the Clinic has treated over 1,000 uninsured children. The Clinic actively participates in and benefits from numerous fundraising and community events such as the Lochrann’s Irish Pub and Eatery Annual Charity Golf Tournament, Kids Helping Kids Car Wash, Clothe-A-Child, Frisco Community Parade, Merry Main Street, Macy’s Shop-for-a-Cause, and several public health and safety fairs in the surrounding communities.

Frisco Cares is in need of volunteers from all backgrounds.

• Medical (physician, nurse, nurse practioner, physician assistant, pharmacists)
• Referral network (physician, medication or lab services)
• Fundraising
• Grant Research/Writing
• Marketing
• Translators (Spanish/English)
• Administrative
• Setup/breakdown
• Hospitality
• Volunteer coordinators

Currently, the clinic is in dire need of epi-pens. If you have additional epi-pens in your practice that you can donate, please contact info@friscocares.org or 214-705-8200.

The Limelight - Jonathan's Place

For 15 years, Jonathan's Place has been caring for the Dallas area's youngest victims of abuse. Jonathan's Place provides this care through three programs.

The emergency shelter – the main program at Jonathan’s Place - provides specialized services and 24-hour residential care and is the only emergency shelter in Dallas County that provides residential services for children in crisis under the age of 10.

In the Foster & Adoptive Family Program, Jonathan's Place recruits potential foster and adoptive families, conducts comprehensive training and verifies the families as either foster or foster-to-adopt families. Jonathan's Place is the only organization in Dallas County and one of only a few organizations in the State of Texas that provides a continuum of care from crisis placement in an emergency shelter to placement with a foster family to, ultimately, adoption.

The Residential Therapeutic Program provides long-term residential care to girls age 10 - 17 that require a higher level of therapeutic care than the children in their shelter. This program is the only such program in Dallas County.

Take a Virtual Tour of the facility: http://www.jpkids.org/index.php?n=2

How can I help?
· Direct care volunteer
Assist staff working directly with the children. Duties include anything from assisting with meals to reading a book to playing games to helping with homework to getting the kids ready for bed.
· Coordinate "special outings" for the children
Plan a picnic, movie night or a trip to McDonald's. You plan the entire event, and the staff will bring the kids and help wherever you need them.
· Coordinate donation drives
· Help sort and organize donations
· Assist with office tasks
· Help with various tasks during the holiday season

Jonathan’s Place encourages both groups and individuals to volunteer.

Contact: Sarah Boyea, Volunteer Coordinator - (972) 303-5303 x235

Every year, hundreds of children call Jonathan's Place home. Each one of those children receive not only special services and a safe place to stay, but they also receive clothes, shoes, toys, books, games and so much more. Everything they receive at Jonathan's Place, they get to take with them when they move to a more permanent living arrangement. Please visit their Amazon.com wish list for items the kids want and things the organization needs to make their stay better. Or, if you prefer, you can make a cash donation online.

Life has not been good for these youngsters, and Jonathan’s Place is trying to make it better. With your help, every child that walks through their doors will walk out a happier, safer child.

The Limelight: Trinity River Mission

Trinity River Mission is a volunteer-based community learning center that promotes literacy, encourages academic success and develops effective life skills among disadvantaged youth in West Dallas, in the belief that education connects us to life’s possibilities.

TRM began in the early 1960s as an outreach ministry of Lovers Lane United Methodist Church to help in the relocation of Native Americans from Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. In 1988, TRM became an independent 501(c)(3) organization.

TRM’s focus is to promote literacy, augment academic skills, and develop educational success among children, youth, and families, with the understanding that language proficiency and educational achievement opens doors to satisfying jobs and productive futures. TRM serves all children without regard to race or ethnicity.


Trinity River Mission offers educational programs to help build the foundation necessary to support and encourage high school graduation and post-secondary studies. The core programs that TRM offers are:
· Homework help
· Math Tutoring
· Kids Café
· Tutor Power Hour
· Reading Buddies
· Believe & Achieve Scholarship Program
· Computer Lab

Family Connection is a new TRM program that rewards families for giving back to their community, improving themselves through education, and supporting the development of educational success in their children and future generations. The idea of Family Connection truly began with the parents of the students of TRM in February 2005. Many parents expressed a strong desire to give back to TRM for the services and goods received. They no longer wanted to receive free handouts, but merely wanted to earn them, set a good example for their children, and to increase parental involvement.

All families who have children enrolled in TRM’s educational programs are welcome to participate in Family Connection. Families complete a minimum of 60 volunteer hours per year. Each member of the family can earn volunteer hours through a variety of volunteer and educational opportunities offered at TRM or in the local community. For the most part, parents can easily earn volunteer hours by taking ESL and/or GED classes, volunteering in their children’s school, attending PTA and parent conference meetings, and, of course, volunteering their time at TRM. Families who meet minimum volunteer hour requirements receive school supplies and/or school uniforms in August for each child before the school year begins. In early December, each family receives Christmas gifts such as toys, clothing, shoes, and personal and household needs which TRM ensures are equitable among all families. During a festive Christmas gathering held at TRM, families receive their gifts, have their gifts wrapped by volunteers, and have the opportunity to safely meet and personally thank the donors who adopted them.

How to Help

-One-on-one tutoring and homework help
-Adopt a Family or Student for Christmas
-Volunteer to help with the Christmas festivities

The Limelight: Les Femmes Du Monde

Today, the Limelight is certainly on Les Femmes du Monde. Les Femmes du Monde is a non-profit in Dallas that first came to be on June 14th in 1961. The organization was founded by 20 Dallas women who were and are incredibly involved and concerned with many facets of worldly issues which both directly and indirectly affect our country and community. Today, Les Femmes du Monde continues to bring brilliant and lively women in the community together. The organizations beneficiaries are the World Affairs Council of Dallas-Fort Worth and the Children's Medical Center of Dallas.

The organization hosts a mélange of events, meetings, and functions throughout the year which help to raise money towards these dedicated causes while allowing members and attendees to discuss the very conflicts and problems that initially brought them together.

For a listing of upcoming events and information on membership, visit lesfemmesdumonde.org.