Founded just last year, East Dallas’ version of the federally initiated Weed & Seed program has been making inroads in “weeding” out crime and “seeding” programs to improve the community.
Known locally as the Community Revitalization of East Dallas, the organization is involved in many aspects of our community: Helping crime victims, strengthening home security, establishing community gardens, improving the availability of low-cost health care and helping residents get to know ane another. All the work is done by volunteers, with the exception of executive director Evy Kay Ritzen.
The organization also has a number of new projects either already established or in the planning stages. One of those already underway is a safety project staffed by seven Americorps volunteers and funded by the Enterprise Foundation. The volunteers are going door to door asking questions about neighborhood and personal needs and getting residents involved in the future of their community.
Another new program is At-Risk-Kids, also known as ARK, an eight-week diversionary counseling program. Two pilot classes have been launched at Woodrow Wilson High School, with speciali emphasis on specialized therapeutic programs for chemical dependence, runaways and behavioral management for youths with specialized needs.The program consists of three phases: evaluation, therapy and follow-up.
“This summer we have yet another new program coming up that focuses on our neighborhood youth,” Ritzen says. “Drug Education for Youth, or DEFY, was developed by the Navy to utilize military role models in promoting positive life choices. Our twist on that is that we will also have law enforcement officers and neighborhood role models involved.” Thirty youths ages 9 to 12 will take part in the program, attending a week-long summer camp program at the Joint Military Base outside Fort Worth, and meeting throughout the rest of the year with their mentors.
“We also are negotiating with the University of Texas at Arlington to establish a Neighborhood Community Design Center,” Ritzen says, “where architecture students can come in and, with the supervision of architecture faculty, do design projects that are identified by the community as being a high priority, such as refurbishing older buildlings, adding landscaping and providing affordable housing.”
As if all that weren’t enough to keep Ritzen and her army of volunteers busy, Weed & Seed is about to start a project that will involve neighborhood congregations of all faiths in providing health care for low-income East Dallas residents who have no insurance or are underinsured. The project will recruit volunteer nurses from within congregations, with technical, educational and pastoral care support from Baylor and Parkland. Congregations will provide an office location, supplies, referrals, and pastoral leadership support.
Weed & Seed’s new community resource center at 1327 Peak St. still needs donations of office equipment and supplies. For more information on how you can help, or how Weed & Seed might make an impact on your neighborhood, call 757-SEED.
