UPDATED: Dallas’ Help the Homeless Week is in full swing

by Larry James of Urban Daily

Our homeless friends and neighbors need your support and the support of your companies, congregations and neighborhoods.

As you are aware, homelessness continues to be a major challenge for our community. Fortunately, positive steps are being taken to end chronic homelessness in Dallas. Here’s a partial list of developments for which we can all give thanks this year:

* The new Homeless Assistance Center is under construction and will open in early 2008.

According to our last “point-in-time” census, the number of men, women and children forced to live in shelters and on our streets dropped for the second year in a row.

* Plans are underway for the development of permanent supportive housing for the poorest of our neighbors, including Central Dallas Ministries' own citywalk@akard project in Downtown Dallas.

* The Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance is stronger than ever and is working on our city’s ten year plan to end homelessness with a goal to end chronic homelessness by 2016.

But, we have much work remaining. So, I am writing to urge you to join us during "Help the Homeless Week"—November 11-17, 2007, as we turn a bright light on this terrible problem.

Click here to download a letter from our new mayor, Tom Leppert.

Click here to watch a video that Central Dallas Ministries' created that features the stories of some of our neighbors who currently live on the streets.

Click here to view an information sheet that I hope you will share with your friends, family and neighbors. As you will see, there will be several important activities during this special week.

Please pay particular attention to our "Help the Homeless WalkAThon" on Saturday, November 17 beginning at 3:00 p.m. Visit our website at http://www.helpthehomelessdallas.org/ to gather more details and to register for this special time of community focus and collaboration.

I hope that CDM's friends and investors will turn out in large numbers to support the homeless in our city.

I also urge you to consider supporting this initiative with a donation to the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance. Donations can be made here.

Thanks in advance for your support!

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UPDATE: Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert held a press conference Monday to make the major announcement of Dallas' Help the Homeless Week. As part of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance's $20 million campaign to raise private funds, four donors have already gotten the ball rolling with combined contributions of $3.5 million. Read here for more information.

Updated by Erin