Dallas Uniforms for Needy Children (DUNK)

The DUNK Project seeks to provide new and gently-used school uniforms, coats, shoes, and other necessities to lower income elementary school students in the Dallas Independent School District. The uniform policy has become a hardship on many families who cannot afford to purchase additional sets of clothing for their children during the course of the year. Some students have even stapled paper collars to t-shirts to meet the dress code so they can stay in school!

City Park Elementary School

Located just south of downtown Dallas, City Park Elementary School of the Dallas ISD serves the downtown-area homeless shelters and therefore has a high turnover of students during the school year. The majority of the children are Hispanic and many are still learning English. The staff is faced with unusual challenges in serving the students.

In 1999, the Club established the Altrusa Store incentive program at the school, where students use tickets earned for good behavior and academic achievements to purchase school supplies, books, and other goodies.

In 2002, the Club received a grant from Altrusa International to start the Sunshine Room at the school, a clothes closet stocked with various clothing items and toiletries.

Each May, the Club hosts Social Skills Saturday to help the fifth- and sixth-graders learn etiquette and manners. The event features a motivational speaker who talks to the children about staying in school and a speaker on etiquette and table-manners. Club members act as waitresses, serving the children a catered, plated meal.

Literacy

As the international service focus, literacy is a center point of the Club’s community service. This year the Club will host a social mixer between the Juliette Fowler Home and Refugee Services of North Texas, bringing people new to the country together with older generations for an opportunity to practice conversational English.

The Club will also build its first ABC Book Box, a service project of the international organization. ABC stands for Altrusa Book Collection. Working with local troops of the Boys Scouts of America, the hand-made book boxes will be distributed throughout the community, providing a collection point for recycling of gently-used books.

SPCA Pet-O-Meals

The SPCA is the focus of the Club’s holiday giving efforts. Club members stuff holiday gift bags to be distributed to pet-owner beneficiaries of the Visiting Nurse’s Association’s Meals-On-Wheels program.

Make a Difference Day at Vogel Alcove

This year Vogel Alcove will be the center of Altrusa Dallas’ Make a Difference Day project. The Club plans to renovate the staff lounge to improve the work environment for the staff members and volunteers.

Letot Center

Letot is a part of the Juvenile Services Division of Dallas County and is a temporary facility for runaway adolescents. The Club serves the center by providing Saturday parties for the residents. During the visits, members interact with the residents by listening, talking, and learning. In addition to the parties, the Club has donated money to the center to help with specific needs such as art supplies, a VCR, library books, and educational videotapes.

Our Friends’ Place

This agency has two facilities, a group home for minor girls (ages 12 to 17) and a Transitional Living Center for young adult women (ages 18 to 23); both offer a safe haven from abuse and neglect. Altrusa Dallas’ work with this organization includes mentoring, life-skill training and providing supplies for both the girls and the homes.

Refugee Services of North Texas

The Sock It To Me project seeks to assist Refugee Services of North Texas in providing clothes, undergarments, toiletries, and general living necessities to refugees new to America.

Scottish Rite Hospital

Scottish Rite Hospital will be the center of Altrusa Dallas’ attention throughout the Club year with an on-going drive to supply used magazines to the hospital for patients and families. Also, the Club will sponsor and decorate a Christmas tree for the holidays.

ASTRA

ASTRA is the middle and senior high school branch of Altrusa, encouraging young people to get involved in community service at an early age. Altrusa Dallas continues its work with the Marsh Middle School ASTRA program and is striving to start a new ASTRA Club at W.T. White High School this year.

Susan G. Komen Dallas Race for the Cure®

Club members participate each year in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Race for the Cure® either by walking themselves or by sponsoring another Club or ASTRA member to walk on their behalf.