CitySquare

Last month, we celebrated the news from Housing Forward that the All Neighbors Alliance has had on decreasing the number of homeless in Dallas. We want to share the proven approach that CitySquare and other partner organizations have developed to address the systematic, and also personal, issue of homelessness.   Phase 1 is conducted by our Street Outreach team. They are on the ground, establishing trust with those who live on the street. They build relationships, determine the challenges and needs of each individual and work on getting them to say yes to assistance and starting the process to be housed.    Phase 2 is conducted by our Housing Navigators. They help neighbors get an ID (sometimes lost during periods of homelessness, and necessary to qualify for housing), find an apartment, secure a lease and secure a voucher from HUD.   Phase 3 is conducted by our Case Management team. They are the key to improving long-term outcomes (6+ months in a home). Often, the shame of homelessness leads to the breakdown of key friend and family relationships. Case Managers encourage reconnection to a social network, which can be crucial to combatting loneliness. They also help secure regular medical and mental health services, as needed.

Recently, we shared the difficult news that between now and December, with a thoughtful, neighbor-centered plan, CitySquare will transition our vital programming to partner organizations. In the process we will support employees seeking new jobs. After we’ve transitioned the programs, the organization—the 501(c)3—will wind down. If you missed the full announcement, click here. https://lnkd.in/gWJjehMP The outpouring of support from the neighbors we work with and our community has been overwhelming. It speaks volumes about the Dallas community, and how we truly do lift each other up in our most difficult and most joyous times. Our neighbors still need you. Many of you have asked how you can help: • Give of your time… we still need volunteers to help us serve our neighbors effectively. We need 125 volunteers each week. Click here to learn more and sign up! https://lnkd.in/gteQD4v • Give of your treasure… we still need funds to help us transition our neighbors and programs to other community providers. Click here to make a gift today! https://lnkd.in/grC6iv2c #CitySquare #DallasTX #community #volunteersneeded #helpneeded #giveoftime #giveoftreasure #donatetoday

"All of our services onsite are still open," says CEO Annam Manthiram. "We still need volunteers and donations to run during this time of transition (until December 1st)." https://lnkd.in/gxwtiA54

"Our hope is that whoever comes onto the campus and takes on the building will (continue to) run the food pantry and resource center," says CEO Annam Manthiram. https://lnkd.in/g3J2xra9

"CitySquare will devote the rest of 2024 to transferring its many programs, which serve 27,000 people annually, to other neighborhood providers." Today's Dallas Morning News article covers our transition plans. https://lnkd.in/gv_PwaPA

CitySquare Update from our CEO, Annam Manthiram Between now and December, with a neighbor-centered plan, we will transition our vital programming to partner organizations. In the process we will support employees seeking new jobs. After that time, the 501(c)3 organization will wind down. CitySquare’s founding purpose was to end poverty and to connect our unhoused neighbors to housing and case management. The programs we transition will do that for as long as the community needs them. Our programs make a significant impact in our community. Our food pantry serves over 12,500+ neighbors, our housing case management and street outreach team serves almost 1,000 neighbors, and we help 2,341 neighbors navigate connections to health insurance and other vital resources. Why now? When I joined the organization at the end of last August, I knew it faced challenges. I believed I had at least three years to get the ship righted, but what I discovered was a much larger funding deficit than even the Board knew about, which didn’t give me the runway to build our brand and regain a solid base of support. We have made all of the right decisions to center our neighbors, including this one. Merging CitySquare programs with other, established programs makes the most financial and programmatic sense and will best serve the neighbors. I speak for myself, our Board, and my team when I say that’s why we’re here – for the neighbors. As many of you know, I am a neighbor myself, and I see my own struggles – and my subsequent resiliency and perseverance – in the people we serve. Together, with a community-wide effort, we can make this campus a flourishing, thriving center of partners, neighbors, staff and stakeholders, wrapping their arms around each other and our neighbors, lifting them out of poverty and homelessness. As we work through this transition our campus will remain open. Our goal is to ensure that our onsite programming continues. We will communicate any changes with partnerships or services as they occur.

Congrats to our Housing Operations Team! They have been nominated as a Finalist for D Magazine's CEO Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards in the category of Nonprofit Team of the Year (Midsize + Large + Mega) https://lnkd.in/gNikC-q6

We are continuing to celebrate the progress made by the All Neighbors Coalition here in Dallas to reduce homelessness. Housing Forward announced that our collaborative effort has resulted in the reduction of homelessness in Dallas and Collin counties for the 3rd year in a row, and the goal to further reduce street homelessness by 50% in the next 2 years.   It takes a community coalition to collectively address a community issue. This includes coordinating wait lists between agencies and communicating with the City of Dallas about their plans for encampment closures. It requires leadership from agencies that study homelessness and understand root causes and how to address universal and individual needs for the solution.   Stay tuned for more information, as we communicate about the approach we have developed at CitySquare to be part of this solution.

Explore opportunities to serve with CitySquare AmeriCorps. We have 37 host sites across DFW, like the one below! https://lnkd.in/dDrQWRbT

"My joy level was at an 11." Leaders of Foundry Commercial traveled around the country to do service projects in their location communities during their annual Serve Week. CitySquare was one of their stops. See if you can stop the clips from the Opportunity Center in this re-cap video.