Community Impact

AT A GLANCE: COMMUNITY CENTER IMPACT

The Forest Theater Project Awarded TREC’s Inaugural Dallas Catalyst Grant

This is an exciting time for South Dallas!

The Real Estate Council (TREC) announced last fall that the Forest Theater Project - a collaboration between CitySquare, Cornerstone Baptist Church, and St. Philip’s School & Community Center - is the recipient of its inaugural Dallas Catalyst Project Grant, a three-year, $1 million TREC Foundation initiative to revitalize a Dallas neighborhood. The project was one of forty submitted for consideration by more than 150 nonprofits and includes pro-bono professional services.

Through this concerted effort, the iconic Forest Theater, once a destination for film and culture in South Dallas, will undergo renovation, along with the adjacent retail space along Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. Exterior improvements will also be made to Cornerstone Baptist Church and an innovative communal space installed using the canopy of the 1-45 bridge.

“Our hope is that this project will truly serve as a catalyst for transformation,” says Perot Family Headmaster, Dr. Terry J. Flowers, who noted that TREC has a solid history of supporting projects in the southern sector. “Along with the GrowSouth initiative, the Forest Theater Project not only represents a new era of neighborhood, economic, and even cultural revitalization of the South Dallas/Fair Park community we love and serve, but is a prime example of the strength of community collaboration.”

College Pursuits Transforming the Lives of Community Center Alumni

There is an expectation of St. Philip’s students to graduate from high school and attend college. It is ingrained in them beginning in Early Childhood. For our students, it is never a question of “IF I’ll attend college” but “WHERE will I attend college?” It is exciting to see this culture and expectation of excellence in the lives of those we serve through the Community Center, as well.

Dominique Childress and DeCamryn Levy are shining examples of the impact St. Philip’s is making on the lives of children and youth through the numerous educational, social, and athletic programs offered through the Community Center.

Dominique grew up a block from St. Philip’s, where he and his siblings spent much of their time after school and during the summer. He participated in many Community Center activities, including athletics, mentoring, and even the college bound program. Dominique graduated from Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet at Townview High School a few years ago and is presently a senior Criminal Justice major at Prairie View A&M University, where he made the Dean’s List this past fall.

Dominique is a firstgeneration college bound student. He will graduate this fall with plans of becoming a Juvenile Gang Officer, ultimately working his way up to become a Homicide Detective. “I’m a member of the Criminal Justice Club at Prairie View and play on the intramural football and basketball teams,” shares Dominique, who many find to be kind and gregarious. He is also a hard worker. “I’ve been able to keep good grades while working and pursuing school.”

DeCamryn, a freshman at Texas College and the youngest of three children, is also the first in his family to attend college. He attended Madison High School in South Dallas where he played football, and then Wilmer Hutchins High School where he graduated last year. “St. Philip’s has been my anchor and reason for attending college,” he explains. “At St. Philip’s, I was always encouraged to seek a higher education because it would afford me the opportunity to have a better life.”

Whenever DeCamryn comes home, he finds the time to stop by St. Philip’s to visit or volunteer. He is very appreciative of Community Center Director, Lasheryl Walker, and other staff who have been supportive of his college pursuits, even equipping him with much needed items for school. “St. Philip’s hasn’t forgotten about me,” says DeCamryn, who is majoring in Business. He looks forward to the day when he is a successful entrepreneur so he can give back to the South Dallas community and ministry that has poured so much into him. “St. Philip’s remembered me during the Christmas Store, and I always get a phone call or text to see how I’m doing. I look forward to remembering St. Philip’s in big ways when I am a business owner.”

“St. Philip’s has been my anchor and reason for attending college. At St. Philip’s, I was always encouraged to seek a higher education because it would afford me the opportunity to have a better life.” St. Philip's Alum, DeCamryn Levy