CitySquare continues to need critical funds to aid in our response to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

 

Friends,

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Life as we all knew it changed in March 2020. I want to let you know our CitySquare team is encouraged and feeling hopeful thanks to your ongoing support.

 

Our community has generously supported CitySquare with monetary donations, in-kind donations, volunteer hours, gifts of food and coffee sent to our team, and notes and calls to let us know you are firmly committed to joining us in the work we’re doing to fight poverty. Thank you!

 

Because of you...

 

We are supplying healthy groceries through our Food Pantry via a modified drive-thru and walk-up model that minimizes risk. The walk-up option offers Food Pantry access for neighbors who rely on public transportation. 

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The Child Nutrition program delivers food all summer through our Afterschool Partners and the Mobile Food program, and supplies more than 21,000 meals each week! Eighty-nine percent of Dallas ISD students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, and we’re committed to helping address child nutrition needs. We provide breakfast and lunch to children Monday-Friday at our Afterschool Partners, and our Mobile Food team delivers food where the children live, removing transportation barriers. 

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Our Food Recovery program is working hard to reclaim food that otherwise would go to waste. It's estimated by The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) that as many as 6 billion pounds of food are wasted each month in the U.S. These meals are prepared and packaged at CitySquare, and distributed to our neighbors through the Food Pantry, to youth accessing our TRAC Drop-In Center, and to other non-profit partner sites, like the Bridge, the Stewpot, and the West Dallas Multipurpose Center.

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Those neighbors who need our support with housing, case management, emergency services, and transportation are being assisted by our Neighbor Support Services team, and for our youth aging out of foster care, through the Transition Resource Access Center (TRAC). There are currently more than 1,400 neighbors in these programs, and they are overcoming obstacles in “normal times,” so you can imagine how those are compounded during this crisis. Phone calls, grocery delivery, hot meals, and more are literally a lifeline. We continue to move new neighbors into permanent supportive housing so they have a safe place to shelter. Our case managers go above and beyond every day.

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Our Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) conduct outreach to our unsheltered neighbors. This unique program meets our neighbors where they are, such as in encampments, city parks, at airports, or under bridges and overpasses. This team's work is vital as they reach those neighbors who might not otherwise seek assistance. They compassionately build rapport and encourage these neighbors to participate in available programs, with an end goal of helping them move into housing.

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Please refer any friends, family, and neighbors experiencing economic distress to CitySquare. We have partnered with United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, the City of Dallas, Community Council of Greater Dallas, and private donors to launch the CitySquare Neighbor Financial Assistance Initiative (NFAI) to provide emergency funds through our Financial Empowerment program. The team is assisting neighbors who demonstrate a Covid-19 documented financial impact/loss and who need help paying rent/mortgage or utilities. 

 

Your donations to the Covid-19 Relief Fund allow us to provide neighbors with both the short- and long-term assistance they need to restore their lives. Monetary support is critical and most appreciated to ensure we can continue to deliver services to our impacted neighbors. 

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In-person volunteer opportunities are available, but limited, as we take every precaution to ensure the health and safety of our community. If you're interested in volunteering either on-site or remotely, please email volunteer@citysquare.org. 

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CitySquare’s commitment to our neighbors and our belief in community compels us to continue to serve. We are doing what we do best at CitySquare and we remain able to do this work because of your belief in community and your continued support. We are committed to serving and caring for our neighbors until they recover from the physical and economic toll of this crisis.

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Your friend in the fight,

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John Siburt
CitySquare President & CEO

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We remain committed to being open to serve our neighbors and continue to follow guidance from Dallas County Health & Human Services (DCHHS) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to ensure we can do so. Our team is focused on maintaining the health of our neighbors, staff, donors, and volunteers while also working on the front lines to meet increased demands for our services. In the event we are instructed by local health officials to cease operations, we will post an announcement here, as well as use all available channels to keep you informed.

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