6 minute read
Community Impact
AT A GLANCE: COMMUNITY CENTER IMPACT
St. Philip’s Forms Neighborhood Association
St. Philip’s School and Community Center has hosted monthly community meetings for several years, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2018 that the decision was made to apply for formal Neighborhood Association status. “Formalizing our status as a neighborhood association allows for residents to have a stronger voice in future neighborhood development efforts,” says Becky Madole, St. Philip’s Senior Community Development Advisor.
LaSheryl Walker, Director of Community Outreach for St. Philip’s and a resident of the neighborhood, was named Association President. Under Mrs. Walker’s leadership, the Association hopes to inspire community involvement and give residents a voice on issues regarding local government.
Because development in this neighborhood is imminent, forming the Association could not have come at a better time in the life of this community. The following initiatives are at the top of the agenda for the Association:
• An equitable development planning process that ensures the community’s vision for the neighborhood is upheld
• Leadership development for neighborhood association officers
• Regular community updates and feedback sessions
The Neighborhood Association is further evidence of St. Philip’s on-going leadership and advocacy initiatives for the community, and its members are living proof that
“If it is to be, it’s up to me.”
Operation Save a Life
On December 6th, community members were invited to interact with Dallas Fire Fighters and receive information to keep their family safe from a fire or carbon monoxide tragedy. Sparky the Dog was in attendance, as well coloring stations, aprons, balloons, and fire engines. During the event Kidde donated fire alarms and carbon Monoxide detectors to the Dallas community. Additioanlly, those in attendance could register for a free fire alarm and carbon monoxide detector for the Dallas Fire Department to install for FREE!!!
St. Philip’s, A Flower in South Dallas’ Food Desert
Over the years, St. Philip’s has implemented several programs to help combat the challenge of its location in one of our city’s most notorious food desert communities. These programs include an aquaponics garden, Our Community Pantry, Meals on Wheels Depot, and Kids Café.
In 2013, St. Philip’s established an aquaponics garden, which evolved from an open plot of land that residents managed and harvested. Gwendolyn Barjon, a member of St. Philip’s faculty and Director of Innovation, describes how the garden works, “Aquaponics refers to the combined system of hydroponics (no soil plant growth) and aquaculture (fish raising). In this system, the fish provide the organic nutrient base for the plants, and in a symbiotic relationship, the plants filter the water for the fish.”
St. Philip’s students and neighborhood children are instrumental in the upkeep and maintenance of the garden and also participate in harvesting. The produce from the garden helps supply Our Community Pantry, and is used by students for garden-to-table food prep and learning opportunities.
Our Community Pantry, established with the North Texas Food Bank four years ago, will transition to full operations under St. Philip’s beginning in the summer of 2019. Because of its success, the pantry will be the model for similar pantries in food desert neighborhoods across the Metroplex. The Community Pantry currently serves approximately 600 households.
St. Philip’s Kid’s Café program is a federal food program that provides over 200 low-income children with a free meal three times each week. Kid’s Café also offers health and
nutrition training. Through these vital programs, St. Philip’s is meeting the immediate needs of its vulnerable neighbors, while working towards transforming the community from a food desert into a food oasis.
EXTREME Summer Program Stretched St. Philip’s Summer Scholars
St. Philip’s School and Community Center’s annual S.T.E.A.M. inspired summer program was a tremendous success due to an incredible staff and support from the following partners and sponsors:
Together, we engaged over 160 children, ages 2 to 12, in fun and vigorous curriculum-based arts, athletic, and educational classes to keep their minds and imaginations nimble over the vulnerable summer months.
AmeriCorps Big Thought Brighter Bites North Texas Food Bank Rees-Jones Foundation SMU State Fair of Texas Texas Instruments Wells Fargo
Campaign Update
Over the last four years, the pledges and commitments of dozens of our partners and friends have helped St. Philip’s reach extraordinary milestones through the We Believe Campaign. We are excited to announce the most recent milestone reached and exceeded at the upcoming Destiny Awards Luncheon on Friday, March 1, 2019. Not only have we secured important aspects of the St. Philip’s story and culture, our friends have deeply invested in our students and community of families served, positioning St. Philip’s to dream and putting 7th and 8th grade within our reach!
Below are just a few examples of what has happened because so many of YOU BELIEVE!
We Asked to Sustain It, You Believed
Tuition Assistance
15 new family funds established to increase financial assistance to low and moderate income families
Before/After School Care
New fund established to ensure the ongoing offering at no cost to community families
We Asked to Invest in It, You Believed
Increase staffing resources
Funding to add an Early Childhood Director, Five (5) Early Childhood Teaching Assistants, Math and Reading Specialists, and Certified Language and Dyslexia Specialist
Technology - Improve Equipment
New smart screens in 90% of classrooms, 1-1 Chromebooks for middle school, iPad carts for lower school, updated Tech Lab, improved and improving infrastructure
Update Curriculum
Funded new math and science curriculum and instruction support that has significantly improved student outcome and closed gaps in key learning areas
Improve Facilities
Renovated and named Doherty Family Fieldhouse and renovated and named Landin Family Literacy Library
We Dreamed It! Keep Believing With Us!
In 2020, St. Philip’s plans to open a new Performing and Fine Arts Pavilion that will house a cafetorium, art gallery, and classrooms dedicated to arts instruction. Additionally, St. Philip’s will renovate the old cafeteria into a larger library and transform the entry of the campus into a true Welcome Center to create greater campus security for our children and families. The goal for this exciting capital project is $9,500,000.
We are grateful to the Snyder Family for their lead gift of $1,000,000 to name the new Snyder Family Commons. We are honored to have Mary McDermott Cook gift $100,000 to name the McDermott Family Community Showcase Gallery. In the coming weeks and months, our campaign cabinet and friends will continue to work to respond to the growing needs of the school, the community, and all the children and families we serve.
We Achieve because YOU Believe!!
Take Care and Be Blessed,
Benaye Y. Rogers Chief Philanthropy Officer/Campaign Director
"Arts Wing" (Dance, Music, Theater, Art) Larger Cafeteria and Library Community Kitchen
