When the COVID-19 pandemic upended lives and livelihoods, attorney Mark Melton found himself unexpectedly answering thousands of questions about eviction law—and discovered just how broken the system really was. In this episode, George talks with Mark about the origins of the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center, the legal myths we cling to, and why ensuring due process for all renters is both a legal and moral imperative. They also explore the intersection of law, poverty, politics, and personal values—whether grounded in faith or not.
Mark Melton is a Dallas-based tax attorney and founder of the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center, a nonprofit organization that provides legal representation to tenants facing eviction.
George pays a visit to Restorative Farms where he meets with co-founder Brad Boa. He tours the farm and learns how this Community Farm is working to address the issues of food access by growing food and creating jobs for the community. Later, co-founder Owen Lynch joins George online and tells the origin story of Restorative Farms.
In South Dallas where a population of people has to leave their community to get access to healthy food, Restorative Farms works to support systematically underdeveloped communities. The farm's focus is on food sustainability but is also creating a network of local farmers who are working their land in an environmentally responsible manner. The farm provides job opportunities and fresh food, ingrains a pride of ownership, and fosters collaboration.
This episode is the fourth in the new series “More than Food for Thought: Community-Based Solutions to Hunger in South Dallas."
Read MoreGeorge pays a visit to the West Dallas Multipurpose Center where he tours the grounds, meets with Center Manager Ashley Hutto, and learns how the city of Dallas is addressing the issues of food access and insecurity.
In a part of the city where access to grocery stores and fresh produce is limited, the Center offers emergency food assistance, bilingual SNAP application support, a teaching kitchen, a Neighbors' Community Garden, and more. Follow along as George and Ashley explore the importance of seeking out sustainable and long-term solutions to hunger that arise from the community and maintain the dignity and independence of its members.
This episode is the third in the new series “More than Food for Thought: Community-Based Solutions to Hunger in South Dallas.”
This episode is the second in the new series “More than Food for Thought: Community-Based Solutions to Hunger in South Dallas.” In it, George introduces us to 4DWN’s Sunday Service and its leaders.
4DWN is a skate park, an organization, and a service-driven community that meets the needs of hundreds of kids and families each week. It creates upward mobility opportunities, and through its “Sunday Service” distributes with the help of its volunteers thousands of pounds of nutritious food—eliminating waste and feeding bodies, minds, and souls throughout this area food desert. It’s good for people, and good for the planet.
4DWN “is a metaphor, right? About four wheels down and rolling. It’s a sort of celebration of movement…all moving forward together.” - Rob Cahill
Read MoreThis episode is the first in the new series “More Than Food for Thought: Community-Based Solutions to Hunger in South Dallas.”
In it, George introduces us to Joey Darwin, Executive Director of Bridge Builders and the group’s South Dallas Community Market. Together, they explore what a grocery store would look like if the neighbors who shop there got to say what they needed and wanted.
In partnership with Brother Bill’s Helping Hand, that’s exactly what this market does; it offers nutritious food chosen by clients right in the community of South Dallas.
BridgeBuilders engages, equips, and empowers individuals, families, and communities in South Dallas.
Read MoreLiz Theoharis is the co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign. She has a new book titled “Always With Us”, a reference to Jesus’ controversial quote: the poor you have with you always. Hear what she has to say about that quote, and what a life committed to eradicating poverty looks like.
Read MoreJason Coker is the national director of a program called Together We Hope, which is a rural development coalition that addresses poverty, especially in rural areas. He discusses (you guessed it) poverty in rural America: the history, the cause and how at the end of the day, it is political.
Read MoreThe name “Bonton Farms” is derivative of its location: a neighborhood nicknamed “bomb-town” because of the extreme racial terrorism it experienced in the mid 20th century. Daron Babcock is the executive director of the remarkable urban garden built in and for this community along the Trinity River.
Read MoreJeremy Everett has devoted his life to the causes of hunger and poverty. Listen to him explain why he was called to this work and what it really means to fix the systemic problems that lead to poverty.
Read MoreRabbi David Gruber of Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance has a transformative policy to end homelessness, and it begins with a home.
Read MoreAlan Cohen—president and CEO of Child Poverty Action Lab—has a goal to cut child poverty in Dallas by 50% in twenty years. Hear the plan, the data and the steps you can take to help.
Read MoreMichael Horne is the President and CEO of the Parkland Foundation at Parkland Hospital, a public hospital specializing in the belief that no one should be left out of care.
Read MoreCraig Antico, once the guy collecting your medical debt, is now the one erasing it. Hear his story, along with an exciting announcement from our parent organization, Faith Commons!
Read MoreMichael W. Waters is a pastor, author and activist leader in the Black community. He speaks with George about the need for confederate monuments to come down, his work on the Poor People’s Campaign, and the racial and economic injustices in Dallas.
Read MoreJoin us on a deep-dive into the complexities and systems that lead families to being food insecure.
"It's not that one family experiences poverty, another family experiences hunger, and another lack of health insurance. It's always the same family experiencing the result of all our broken systems at once." -JE
We can't isolate these issues. They are intermingled with each other. Today, we learn more about that, and how ensuring access to food can help with everything else.
Read MoreJeremy Everett has devoted his life to the causes of hunger and poverty. Listen to him explain why he was called to this work and what it really means to fix the systemic problems that lead to poverty.
Read MoreGeorge Mason and Larry James from CitySquare talk about how faith leads people to address poverty and into a relationship with the poor.
James shares with us some surprising statistics about the impact that being housed can have on a person’s life: “87% of the homeless people on the streets today can largely stabilize on their own if they had permanent supportive housing.” His organization, CitySquare, takes the housing first approach and has seen remarkable transformations in the community.
Read MoreAre Christians doing enough to support those on the margins? Tony Campolo and George Mason continue their discussion, with the focus on Christian advocacy for the poor.
Read MoreLongtime friends and colleagues George Mason and Larry James talk about the perceptions and realities of homelessness and the importance of community involvement in finding a solution.
Read MoreWatch this fascinating conversation between George Mason and CCDA - Christian Community Development AssociationPresident Noel Castellanos and the interconnection between immigration, faith and the Biblical calling to love our neighbors.
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