Nourished

A place where anyone at all can find warmth, kindness, food and more

Story by Christina Hughes Babb

Late afternoon the day after New Year’s, pedestrians bundled in coats and scarves enter The New Room, a small construct next door to CiCi’s Pizza on Skillman Street near Royal Lane. Some 30 minutes later they leave with a bag of groceries, informational pamphlets on health care services and financial literacy classes and, in some cases, a Christmas toy or a few pieces of clothing.

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“It is proof that there are still people who care about you,” says 48-year-old Sally Guinn, a grandmother who has lived in a two-bedroom apartment with her sister and five children since losing her nursing assistant job. “You do have to want help, and you have to be respon- sible enough to get it, but these people are so kind, they just give you that hope.”

The New Room, home of the Feed Lake Highlands food distribution (as well as after-school programs for children and weekly worship services), is a satellite of Lake Highlands United Methodist and is located in an area known by police for its problems. No. 13 on the Dallas Police Department’s crime hotspots list, the Skillman-Royal area is home to about 10,000 people. About 70 percent of them live in the area’s lowrent apartment communities. Police have attributed most of the area’s crime to the population density.

That didn’t scare the associate pastor of Lake Highlands UMC, Pamela Clark, who first took Sunday services into those apartment communities in the mid-1990s. It was there, while delivering a sermon at the Sonora Palms Apartments, that she met Norman Madawo and Edgar Moyo, immigrants from Zimbabwe who today are spiritual leaders at The New Room.

During the Feed Lake Highlands food delivery days — a collaboration with the North Texas Food Bank and Crossroads Community Services — both the Rev. Clark and Madawo, along with other volunteers, can be found washing plates, stacking supplies or unclogging the toilet — whatever needs doing in the oldish building, they say.

Clark still laughs about that first meeting.

“These two guys came in, sat in the back. Afterwards I tried asking some questions — about their families and such. I was curious about what they were doing there. Turns out they were checking us out. They wanted to make sure we were doing things right before bringing their families. I guess we were, because they later brought their families.”

Madawo and Moyo were friends in Zimbabwe, where they practiced Catholicism, Madawo explains. In the United States the Catholic services were different, he says. During one Catholic mass, a fellow churchgoer pulled Madawo out of the communion line and asked him, in so many words, if he was sure he should be there, Madawo says.

“I guess this person thought that since I did not look like everyone else I was not Catholic. That isn’t really what bothered me. It was more an overall sense that it wasn’t what I was looking for, for my family,” he says, in perfect English but with a heavy Zimbabwean accent.

One must be careful when leading your family into a church, he explains, because a wrong move is like “throwing your family to the wolves.”

“There are so many places called churches that aren’t really churches,” he says.

Gradually Madawo, Moyo and their respective wives and children became essential members of the satellite church, welcoming new churchgoers, leading services and study groups and helping to found The New Room, Clark says.

“We work well together,” Clark says. She explains that each member of the church has certain gifts. Madawo is a community pastor (an un-ordained pastor serving under Clark’s direction) and certified lay speaker. Being male, he can relate to the male members of the church in a way she cannot, she says.

“I 100-percent thought I was going to sit there in the back row forever,” Madawo says with a laugh.

Clark says Madawo is the type of person who “cannot not help” when help evidently is needed.

Sally Guinn, the aforementioned outof-work grandmother, says she was having pizza at CiCi’s with her boyfriend — he cleans windows for a living, she says when they saw a pamphlet for a credit-counseling class at The New Room.

Guinn says she was injured in an accident, lost her job as a nursing assistant and has been living with various family members ever since. She took out loans in an effort to return to school for a nursing degree. But Guinn had committed to caring for her grandchildren, nieces and nephews in return for a place to live, and she soon realized school would have to wait. She was stuck with more debt, no degree and no job, she says.

So she and her boyfriend — they eventually plan to marry — attended the class. While there, Guinn learned about Feed Lake Highlands and signed up for the program.

“It was easy. I showed my proof of residency, filled out some paperwork, agreed to come at my assigned time.”

After picking up her first round of free groceries, she says, she began attending the Sunday worship service. “No. It is not required,” she says. “But I like it. I feel relaxed. I feel stronger when I come to the church.”

She brings her 11- and 10-year-old nephews. “They beg to come,” she says.

John Chappell is a freshman at Berkner High School who just joined The New Room youth group. When he and mom Denise show up to collect their January food, John immediately approaches community pastor Madawo, who is stacking items on a shelf, and offers to help.

“This place came along at the right time for us. It was a godsend,” Denise says. She recently left an “unhealthy relationship” and moved herself and John from Texarkana to the Beacon Hill Apartments.

“We were unanchored in this big old world, just me and John, and this is like a starting point for us, to get to know people.”

Despite being the only male and the only Berkner student in the youth group (the rest are Lake Highlands High School students) John, urged on by Denise, makes it a point to attend the twice-monthly teen gatherings, which offer social and spiritual activities.

Denise says her goal is to save money and buy a house.

Before Denise leaves, one of the ministry leaders, Jill Goad, hands her information about upcoming financial literacy classes offered at The New Room. Classes offered by Crossroads and other organizations are recommended but not mandated for Feed Lake Highlands clients. Topics include nutrition, parenting, home buying, managing emotions and a variety of others.

Denise Chappell promises to attend. Feed Lake Highlands runs smoothly, and recipients of the food seldom have to endure long lines or major inconveniences, but it doesn’t happen without dedicated volunteers. Gwen Crain, who is not a member of the church, volunteered after seeing something about The

New Room on the news, she says.

“It was months after I saw it, and I decided I wanted to help. I couldn’t remember the church associated with it, so I called Lake Highlands Presbyterian. Wrong church.”

But they knew she was looking for The New Room by way of Lake Highlands United Methodist.

Goad points out, citing Crain, that this is a community organization, not just a church effort. That the entire neighborhood suffers when people are hungry and that any member of the

Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, retirees, moms with children old enough to work they all have a role. Some interview new clients, others pick up, transport, sort and deliver the food. Katy Jensen, a LHUMC member and registered nurse, attends each Feed Lake Highlands distribution day and offers some type of health service. This time she is taking blood pressures.

“One man who was here a little while ago had very high blood pressure. He says he doesn’t have a doctor or insurance, so I gave him information on Healing Hands Ministries, where he can get help for free, right down the street. He didn’t know about it,” Jensen says.

The main goal, says Madawo, is to not let anyone who walks through those doors slip through the cracks. “Some of them have spent enough time feeling invisible,” he says. “Here, they will find love. They are wanted.”

THE SOLUTIONS SERIES Monthly in 2014, the Advocate will share a story about people in our neighborhood struggling with poverty, unemployment or other disadvantages, and we will examine efforts made to improve those difficult situations. We also will write about individuals and groups dedicated to making a difference. If you have a story to share, email chughes@advocatemag.com and write “solutions” in the subject line.

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Ages 2-6 yrs • AMS Affiliated

For nearly 30 years we have been giving children the opportunity to develop at their own pace in a safe and nurturing environment.

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7900 Lovers Lane, Dallas, TX 75225 214.363.9391 www.stchristophersmontessori.com

The Kessler School

Pre K – 6th Grade / 1215 Turner Ave, Dallas TX 75208 / 214-942-2220 / www. thekesserschool.com The Kessler School offers an innovative academic environment that gives students a solid foundation, confidence, and a love of learning. Located just minutes from downtown Dallas; The Kessler School’s mission is to “educate the whole child,” and provides an individualized approach to teaching – meeting the student where their needs are. Students are educated socially through community time, physically through daily PE, academically through a well-rounded curriculum, and spiritually through a fostering of awareness and individual growth.

Lakehill Preparatory School

Leading to Success. 2720 Hillside Dr., Dallas 75214 / 214.826.2931 / lakehillprep. org Kindergarten through Grade 12 - Lakehill Preparatory School takes the word preparatory in its name very seriously. Throughout a student’s academic career, Lakehill builds an educational program that achieves its goal of enabling graduates to attend the finest, most rigorous universities of choice. Lakehill combines a robust, college-preparatory curriculum with opportunities for personal growth, individual enrichment, and community involvement. From kindergarten through high school, every Lakehill student is encouraged to strive, challenged to succeed, and inspired to excel.

Spanish House

5740 Prospect Ave. & 4411 Skillman / 214-826-4410 / DallasSpanishHouse.com ics and community service.St. John’s goal for its students is to develop a love for learning, service to others, and leadership grounded in love, humility, and wisdom. Accredited by ISAS, SAES, and the Texas Education Agency.

Spanish House is a Spanish immersion school with two Lakewood locations for children ages 3 months - Kindergarten. We offer half-day and full-day programs, with extended care available from 7:30am - 6:00pm. We also offer after-school and Saturday classes for PK and elementary-aged students, both on- and offsite. Additionally, we have an adult Spanish program for beginning, intermediate and advanced students.

White Rock North School

9727 White Rock Trail Dallas / 214.348.7410 / WhiteRockNorthSchool.com

6 Weeks through 6th Grade. Our accelerated curriculum provides opportunity for intellectual and physical development in a loving and nurturing environment. Character-building and civic responsibility are stressed. Facilities include indoor swimming pool, skating rink, updated playground, and state-of-the-art technology lab. Kids Club on the Corner provides meaningful after-school experiences. Summer Camp offers field trips, swimming, and a balance of indoor and outdoor activities designed around fun-filled themes. Accredited by SACS. Call for a tour of the campus.

Woodrow Wilson High School

100 S. Glasgow Dallas 75214 / 972-502-4400 / woodrowwildcats.org A proven college preparation program and a true high school experience. Woodrow graduates attend, year after year, our state’s and country’s finest colleges including Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, TCU, Tech, West Point, Georgetown, Duke, North Carolina, Princeton and Yale, often with meaningful scholarships. With academic programs equaling the best private and magnet schools, Woodrow’s diverse student body also enjoys a traditional high school offering arts, music, dance, theater, math and science clubs, debate and writing competitions and a broad, inclusive and successful sports program, with cheerleaders and drill team. “It’s all at Woodrow and it works.”

Yorktown Education

5170 Village Creek Drive Plano, 75093 972-733-0800 YorktownEd.com Yorktown

CLAIRE’S CHRISTIAN DAY SCHOOL

8202 Boedeker Dr., / (214) 368-4047 / clairesdayschool.com At CCDS, we encourage a child’s sense of exploration and discovery in a loving, nurturing, and safe environment. We offer a parent’s day out program with a play-based curriculum fostering socialization, motor skill development, and an introduction to academics for children aged 4mo – 3yrs. Our preschool for children aged 3-5 further develops these skills, along with a more focused approach to pre-math and prereading. At CCDS, we have developed our own science, math, and reading enrichment classes to ensure kindergarten preparedness for every child. We make learning fun!

Highlander School

9120 Plano Rd. Dallas / 214.348.3220 / www.highlanderschool.com Founded in 1966, Highlander School offers an enriched curriculum in a positive, Christian-based environment. Small class sizes help teachers understand the individual learning styles of each student. Give us a call for more information.

ST. CHRISTOPHER’S MONTESSORI SCHOOL

7900 Lovers Ln. / 214.363.9391 stchristophersmontessori.com St. Christopher’s Montessori School has been serving families in the DFW area for over a quarter of a century. We are affiliated with the American Montessori Society and our teachers are certified Montessori instructors. Additionally our staff has obtained other complimentary educational degrees and certifications, including having a registered nurse on staff. Our bright and attractive environment, and highly qualified staff, ensures your child will grow and develop in an educationally sound, AMS certified loving program. Now Enrolling.

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

848 Harter Rd., Dallas 75218 / 214.328.9131 / stjohnsschool.org Founded in 1953, St. John’s is an independent, co-educational day school for Pre-K through Grade 8. With a tradition for academic excellence, St. John’s programs include a challenging curriculum in a Christian environment along with instruction in the visual and performing arts, Spanish, German, French, and opportunities for athlet-

Education is an independent, academically challenging school for grades 1-12. With a customized Do What You LoveTM curriculum, students are educated with higher standards at earlier ages. Education is personalized based on performance and not on age or grade levels. Yorktown graduates are in the top 1% of the country for SAT & ACT results and have a 100 percent college acceptance rate, with an average of $150,000 in college credit and scholarships. Enrolling first through 12th grade for the 2014-2015 school year.

Zion Lutheran School

6121 E. Lovers Ln. Dallas / 214.363.1630 / ziondallas. org Toddler care thru 8th Grade. Serving Dallas for over 58 years offering a quality education in a Christ-centered learning environment. Degreed educators minister to the academic, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of students and their families. Before and after school programs, Extended Care, Parents Day Out, athletics, fine arts, integrated technology, Spanish, outdoor education, Accelerated Reader, advanced math placement, and student government. Accredited by National Lutheran School & Texas District Accreditation Commissions and TANS. Contact Principal Jeff Thorman.

Anglican

ALL SAINTS DALLAS / 2733 Oak Lawn / 972.755.3505

Radical Inclusivity, Profound Transformation. Come and See!

9:00 & 11:00 am Sunday Services. www.allsaintschurchdallas.org

Baptist

LAKESIDE BAPTIST / 9150 Garland Rd / 214.324.1425

Worship — 8:30 am Classic & 11:00 am Contemporary

Pastor Jeff Donnell / www.lbcdallas.com

PARK CITIES BAPTIST CHURCH / 3933 Northwest Pky / pcbc.org

All services & Bible Study 9:15 & 10:45. Trad. & Blended (Sanctuary),

Contemporary (Great Hall), Amigos de Dios (Gym) / 214.860.1500

PRESTONWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH / “A Church to Call Home”

Sundays: Bible Fellowship (all ages) 9:15 am /Service Time 11:00 am

12123 Hillcrest Road / 972.820.5000 / prestonwood.org

WILSHIRE BAPTIST / 4316 Abrams / 214.452.3100

Pastor George A. Mason Ph.D. / Worship 8:30 & 11:00 am

Bible Study 9:40 am / www.wilshirebc.org

Bible Churches

NORTH HIGHLANDS BIBLE CHURCH / www.nhbc.net / 9626 Church Rd.

Sunday: LifeQuest (all ages) 9:00 am / Worship 10:30 am

Student Ministry: Wednesday & Sunday 7:00 pm / 214.348.9697

Disciples Of Christ

EAST DALLAS CHRISTIAN CHURCH / 629 N. Peak Street / 214.824.8185

Sunday School 9:30 am / THE TABLE Worship Gathering 9:30 am

Worship 8:30 & 10:50 am / Rev. Deborah Morgan / www.edcc.org

HIGHLANDS CHRISTIAN CHURCH (Lake Highlands) 9949 McCree Rd. 214-348-2805 / www.highlandschristianchurch.com

Sundays: School 9:45 am / Worship 11:00 am / Rev. Paul Carpenter

Lutheran

CENTRAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, ELCA / 1000 Easton Road

Sunday School for all ages 9:00 am / Worship Service 10:30 am

Pastor Rich Pounds / CentralLutheran.org / 214.327.2222

FIRST UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH / 6202 E Mockingbird Ln.

Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am / Call for class schedule. 214.821.5929 / www.dallaslutheran.org

Methodist

LAKE HIGHLANDS UMC / 9015 Plano Rd. / 214.348.6600 / lhumc.com

Sunday Morning: 9:30 am Sunday School / 10:30 am Coffee

Worship: 8:30 am & 10:50 am Traditional / 10:50 am Contemporary

WHITE ROCK UNITED METHODIST / www.wrumc.org

1450 Oldgate Lane / 214.324.3661

Sunday Worship 10:50 am / Rev. George Fisk

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

LAKE HIGHLANDS CHURCH / 9919 McCree / 214.348.0460

Sundays: Classes 9:30, Coffee 10:25, Assembly 10:45 Home groups meet on weeknights. / lakehighlandschurch.org

Presbyterian

LAKE HIGHLANDS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH / 214.348.2133

8525 Audelia Road at NW Hwy. / www.lhpres.org

9:00 am Contemporary, 9:55 am Christian Ed., 11:00 am Traditional

Unity

UNITY OF DALLAS / A Positive Path For Spiritual Living

6525 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX 75230 / 972.233.7106 / UnityDallas.org

Sunday services: 9:00 am & 11:00 am