For Oak Cliff: Serving the 75216 Superblock
2020 was a difficult year that laid bare the systematic inequalities and the instability inherent to a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle plaguing the less privileged people in the United States. Many non-profits have found themselves at the forefront of helping people negatively impacted by the economic and health changes brought on by COVID-19. In response to the increasing need exhibited through both the type of help needed and the number of people who need help, non-profits also often find themselves facing the necessity to adapt and expand their services for their local communities.
It is in such an environment that For Oak Cliff, a non-profit that specifically focuses on serving the 75216 Superblock in Dallas, TX, decided to add a meal distribution program to help fill in the food necessity gap in their community. The challenge is daunting as the need is enormous. Roughly 90% of the population in the 75216 superblock is either of African-American or Hispanic heritage, and over 93% of people surveyed expressed the need for basic necessities such as food since the pandemic began.
With the assistance of the Dallas Coalition for Hunger Solutions (DCHS), For Oak Cliff worked closely with the North Texas Food Bank, Services of Hope, Hunger Busters, and Cafe Momentum to meet that need. $1,060,399 worth of food was received by For Oak Cliff and distributed to the families in 2020 alone. That is 826,080 meals made possible. But even with this coordinated effort, much more needs to be done. Logistical difficulties such as transportation delays and lack of cold storage mean that food needs to be distributed promptly after arrival, and there may be excessively long wait times for food to arrive. On top of these hardships, For Oak Cliff staff noticed that many of the people in line for food may also have underlying health issues. For instance, one woman revealed her disabilities brought on by kidney issues, making the wait and uncertainty even more excruciating.
To address these problems that are brought to light by the pandemic, For Oak Cliff has acquired a new building and hopes to build out its food program with a fully functional kitchen and multiple cold storages. The vision is to create a space where people in the Superblock can obtain hot meals and learn how to cook in addition to being a food distribution site. For Oak Cliff is glad to announce that with the help of its partners the project has so far raised $100,000 in funding, but that is only halfway toward their goal. They hope to continue the momentum to build better lives for residents in the community and to build on their mission to end systemic oppression in the Superblock of South Oak Cliff in Dallas.
To learn more about For Oak Cliff and how to help its meal distribution program, visit http://foroakcliff.org/donate/.
Author: Zane Peng
3/12/2021
