you are at the
Outreach page
Click on one of these titles to jump to that topic:
| For the Love
of the Lake/Adopt-A-Shoreline The Austin Street Centre sandwich night The Ferguson Road Initiative |
Maggie's
House Parish Hall availability |
For the Love of the Lake/Adopt-A-Shoreline
For the Love of the Lake (FTLOTL, often pronounced "flottle") is a volunteer conservancy organization devoted to improving and sustaining the condition of White Rock Lake and the surrounding park as an "urban oasis". It is recognized nationwide as a model of volunteer conservancy action.
In addition to their other work, the group is the coordinating organization within the Adopt-A-Shoreline (AAS) program of the Dallas Park and Recreation Department, in which volunteer groups clean debris from their "adopted" sections of the lake shoreline and surrounding park area.
The work of their AAS program is principally performed through the Second Saturday Shoreline Spruceup (SSSS) sessions, conducted (not surprisingly) on the second Saturday of each month. The Good Samaritan AAS team fields from 3 to 6 persons during each session. Their section is between Winsted Drive and the lake shoreline, from Garland Road to the abandoned railway trestle on Winsted. Claude Tew is the captain of the Good Samaritan AAS team.
The church also sponsored the placement of a bench with bicycle rack adjacent to Winsted Drive, overlooking the White Rock Spillway.
Volunteers report to the FTLOTL office at the Casa Linda Shopping Center, Garland and Buckner, north corner, at about 8:00 am on the second Saturday to log in and get trash bags, protective gloves, etc.
The church supports many other FTLOTL activities throughout the year.
Carla Kerr is the Good Samaritan liaison to For the Love of the Lake.
The For the Love of the Lake Web site can be reached by clicking here:
(Use the back button on your browser to get back here.)
The Austin Street Centre sandwich night
The Austin Street Centre operates an overnight shelter for the homeless just east of downtown Dallas. The overnight census is typically 350 to 400 persons. Each night of the month, two or more organizations (primarily churches) provide an evening meal for the residents. Each resident receives two sandwiches (and usually a third at "second helpings"), a piece of fruit (donated by local grocery wholesalers), a hard boiled egg, two cookies, and a drink. Good Samaritan is one of the support organizations for the second Saturday of each month. The church members typically generate 400 to 450 nourishing and tasty sandwiches and contribute numerous bottles of soft drinks, deliver them to the Centre, and, working with the other organizations scheduled for that same night, serve them to the residents.
The Austin Street Centre Web site can be reached by clicking here:
(Use the back button on your browser to get back here.)
Kelly Moore ramrods this program at Good Samaritan.
Kelly has prepared a very informative handbook, "Sandwich Night 101", for those interested in participating in the sandwich night activity. If you would like a copy, call or e-mail Kelly.
You can reach Kelly by phone at 214-357-1524, or e-mail her by clicking here:
The Ferguson Road Initiative (FRI) is a grassroots organization dedicated to the complete restoration and revitalization of the lower Ferguson Road corridor—Ferguson Road and the surrounding area (as far as the railroad track on the northwest side) from I-30 to Buckner Boulevard— encompassing 20,000 residents as well as numerous businesses, faith communities and schools. Their mission is "to transform the Ferguson Road corridor into a safe, beautiful, prosperous and proud community". They will do this by inspiring hope through collaboration and developing and implementing a shared community vision.
FRI is achieving its mission through the creation of 6 Task Forces; Beautification, Public Safety, Education, Capital Improvements, Faith Outreach, and Economic Development. In 2000, FRI became a federally recognized Department of Justice Weed and Seed site. The resulting grant provides federal dollars to "weed" out crime and to "seed" the community with social, health and other human service type programs.
Good Samaritan is a key partner church of the Ferguson Road Initiative.
To learn more about FRI, contact their website by clicking here:
(Use the back button on your browser to get back here.)
Maggie's House (officially, Magdalen House) is a non-medical recovery center in East Dallas offering women a temporary place to live while withdrawing from alcohol dependency. Residents receive free room and board. During their 10-14 day stay, the women are educated on the nature of alcoholism and introduced to a 12-step recovery program. Recovering alcoholics hold 12-step meetings at Maggie's on a daily basis. Funding for Maggie's comes mainly from individual donations. Good Samaritan's involvement consists primarily of meeting the immediate needs of the residents for such things as socks, soap, shampoo & conditioner, food, and "wish list" items. A collection box is set up in the parish hall for deposit of needed items for Maggie's House.
Denise Pruitt is the Good Samaritan liaison to Maggie's House. You can contact Denise by phone at 972-272-6919, or e-mail her by clicking here:
The church makes its Parish Hall available throughout the year for the meetings of various civic, social, and charitable organizations. No charge is made for the use of the Hall, although most users make a donation to the church. For information on using the Parish Hall or the church grounds (for either church members or external organizations), contact Bibi Tew at 214-327-8694 or e-mail her by clicking here: