Interfaith Family Services' $11M Expansion Means It Can Serve More Needy Families

Interfaith Family Services breaks ground Thursday on an $11.4 million expansion that will enable it to help 200 more poor families raise their living standards.The Family Empowerment Center is set to open in spring 2019 in two new buildings on Interfaith's main campus, which occupies a square block on Ross Ave. between Matilda St. and Hope St. in Dallas. A grant from the Rees-Jones Foundation helped the charity acquire part of the property for the expansion.The 20,000 square-foot facility will house child care and an adult education center offering training and tools for job hunting plus a boutique for professional clothing.Interfaith serves 75 homeless families annually with temporary housing, child care, employment counseling, financial classes and other services to guide them toward self sufficiency.The Family Empowerment Center will provide all of those services except housing, explained Interfaith success coach Veronica Lujan."We just started a pilot program about three months ago, and we have 15 families," Lujan said. "We're starting fresh to see what will work so when the new building comes we'll be on track."Interfaith has raised over $9 million and is working with a $1.2 million challenge grant from the Mabee Foundation to complete its capital campaign by April.For information, contact Debra Sheppard at dsheppard@interfaithdallas.org.  Continue reading...