May 3, 2011.
Dallas, TX. More than 1,000 children in Fair Park of South Dallas sleep on floors, many without electricity, and with little food. A recent "Poverty in Dallas" tour of by the Greater Dallas Justice Revival (GDJR) church leaders throughout South Dallas revealed miles after miles of poverty. "Poverty worse than the infamous ninth ward of New Orleans" says Rev. Don Parish of True Lee Missionary Baptist Church, one of the tours host.
The Dallas Morning News affirmed that statement in a special report today, by reporter Kim Horner. 58 percent of residents in the Fair Park area lacked a high school education compared with 40 percent of Lower Ninth Ward residents. 62 percent of South Dallas adults had not jobs, compared to 59 percent in the Lower Ninth Ward. 33 percent of South Dallas families lived below the poverty line, about the same as in the Lower Ninth Ward. The three hour tour took the church leaders through the communities of Fair Park, Jubilee Community, and South Oak Cliff.
"We were all left in tears seeing the plight of small children without beds, without food, without hope." said Cassie Boren, an Episcopal leader.
Hunger, a major force which impacts the area children physically and emotionally, also brings its devastation on the local children educationally. Ninety nine percent of the local area children are considered low income and need food assistance. One group providing groceries for nearly 4000 families a month is the Rev. S.M. Wright Foundation. "When we hosted special speakers at 40 inner city schools last year, we noticed children running to the cafeteria." said Randy Skinner, director of the Greater Dallas Justice Revival. His group, through special donations has provided nearly 500 blankets for families receiving help from the S.M. Wright Foundation.
"When we asked why the students were running, we were shocked to discover the answer," explained Skinner. Nearly 80% of all DISD schools students are eligible for lunch assistance, and the school lunch program is the primary food source for many of the students. "Studies show that when children are fed healthy meals, test scores increase." said Skinner.
This realization led Skinner to develop FEED 3, a program that provides backpacks filled with food for children on weekends, supplemental groceries for needy families, and the construction of industrial kitchens to provide hot nutritional after school meals. Former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert asked Skinner to head a task force to end hunger by 2012 in partnership with the Texas Hunger Initiative. At a Fair Park location on the "Dallas Poverty Tour" Pastor Wright, a humble quiet man, let the scene of small children sleeping on floors with rodents, no electricity, and sheets serving as doors and windows, speak for itself. "I witnessed firsthand children sleeping on the floor with just a sheet. It was horrible." he tells reporter Horner. "I told myself, 'I've got to do something about this. I've got to make it a priority.'"
To see Kim Horner's report with Dallas Morning News click here.
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