06/10/2026
Thank you to everyone who donated to help us purchase the housewares and food supplies for our client who got to move into her apartment yesterday.
The first photo shows one of her creative “houses” she lived in while stuck outside. She is disabled and receives Social Security disability income, but it wasn’t enough to rent an apartment.
Sometimes we wonder if our clients will survive until they get housed. We can see them decline physically and mentally.
We also see their strength, courage and hope.
There are others from her camp about whom she cares and who are still stuck outside, so she had mixed feelings about getting a place. We think of it as “survivor’s guilt.” She was happy but concerned for them. We kept telling her we will keep working on their cases.
All of clothes this neighbor had in trash bags were wet and smelled of mildew. She was self conscious about that. Still that is what she had.
With the donations we purchased her some laundry soap, dryer sheets and a laundry basket with wheels. Her apartment doesn’t have washer and dryer hook-ups, but there is a laundry room.
We just couldn’t bear to have her move in and get cleaned up and have to put on the same clothes. So, after getting her moved in, we went to one of our storage units and got some warm ups and a couple of tshirts and underwear, socks and two bras, which we hope will fit. When we got back to her apartment she had already showered and was just in a towel. We were thankful for our winter supplies and our storage that we do have.
We really don’t have room to store clothing.
Every time we move someone in, the issue of clothing comes up. We will take her tomorrow (Thursday) to a clothing pantry (Grand Prairie Food and Clothing Coop) to see if they have some fresh clothes she can wear. We are so thankful for their operation. If you have clothing and shoes to donate, please consider taking them there…
Grand Prairie Food And Clothing Co-Op
118 NE 4th St.
Grand Prairie, TX 75050
When we took her shopping for her housewares and food supplies she wasn’t feeling well. So we didn’t get to finish the food shopping. She has enough food for a few days. We will have to take her back to get more food once she’s feeling better.
She uses a walker and has no transportation. Her apartment is in Irving and she is on the bus line. She’ll need to learn to use the bus. She can do it.
We share this information to make the point that housing alone doesn’t end homelessness. Our friends need continued support to survive and function in their housing.
Thankfully, the housing program she’s in (not Section 8, but rather a HUD permanent supportive housing program for people who have been proven to be disabled and experiencing homelessness over time) provides post-lease case management.
There are limits to post-lease case management so we stay in the background to fill those gaps.
We have so many people and organizations to thank for helping this neighbor survive her unsheltered homeless experience and to exit homelessness with supportive services, including…
- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the funds and infrastructure for Permanent Supportive Housing programs.
- Housing Forward NTX for hosting the Dallas and Collin County homeless response system. Your dedication continues to save and improve lives. We don’t know how much longer this friend would have lasted outside. They are also providing a table and two chairs, a couch and a bed.
- Parkland Health for your HOMES medical program for the homeless. Thank you for coming to Grand Prairie! You, too, are saving lives!
- Social Security Administration, especially the Grand Prairie Office, for processing her SSI disability application and setting her up with income and healthcare that will help her stay housed.
- Metrocare Services for providing mental healthcare for her. She knows going to Metrocare helps her. We are thankful they have a Grand Prairie clinic.
- Under 1 Roof, especially Waiters, for navigating her through the housing and leasing process.
- The County Housing Authority, especially Ms. Derby, for your conscientious work to process all the paper work and for your funding of the apartment.
- ASD, especially Jakel Lloyd, for setting her up with post-lease case management and for being there during her move-in. Your presence was reassuring.
- The Texas Department of Public Safety Office on Bagdad Rd in Grand Prairie for helping us with setting up quick turn around appointments for IDs. They have to have the IDs to get housing.
- Loh and the Loh Foundation for the funding for our laptops which we use to document unsheltered homelessness in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
- Meg Trihus, aka “Super Meg,” a GPHOO case manager, for helping with the move-in. We didn’t finish until 9:30 pm.
- Matthew Road Baptist Church which serves as our mailing address for our Dallas County clients. The ability to receive mail for our clients is a critical part of our process.
- All of the churches who hosted Overnight Warming Stations. She didn’t go every time because she was anxious, but she did go and it helped.
- All of the donors who send general funds that enable us to purchase necessary things like birth certificates and IDs and help with gas so we can transport clients to get those things and move in.
- All of the donors who sent funds to help us move her in and purchase housewares, including a microwave, pots and pans, dishes, silverware, towels, cleaning supplies, a shower curtain, food supplies and more.
NOTE: We don’t have space to store housewares or food. Logistically it is easiest for us to go purchase these supplies on move-in day, which costs $750-$800. We received enough donations to get her moved in as set up.
- All of the volunteers who helped to cook, pack and deliver meals for this client and all our clients. Those meals give them hope and energy to keep going.
- The Lord for moving people to help and for working behind the scenes to help our neighbors survive and thrive.
We do need more volunteers to help with things like preparing meals and delivering meals to the camps and spots and even bringing post-housing boxes of food periodically. We also need help transporting people to appointments. Please pray about helping and if you have any questions, please put them in the comments.
