OurCalling

I had the privilege of volunteering at OurCalling this Saturday morning, and it was a deeply impactful experience. It's easy to forget sometimes that what people need most is community. 🤝 - I met Joseph first, who just arrived from Chicago and is chasing his CDL dream. 🤝 - George, whose face shined as he spoke of his grandkids while waiting to be serviced. 🤝- Earl shared the story of SoupMobile; and its almost fall from grace… now commercialized work (that’s the sentiment I gathered from him); we also talked about his 3 sons. 🤝 - Then there was Sam, with his tangential remarks, varying flow of ideas; which reminded me of my cousin and the important advocacy work my aunt does with #NAMI. 🤝- and finally Billy; who, despite my casual #brewers hat, wood stained jeans, t-shirt, and no face 🙃💄, asked if I was a lawyer or doctor - I am not. My "Wisconsinite talk" must have thrown him off. 😂 Goes to show you how we're perceived. It struck me that despite their different paths, they all craved connection. We all need community. That's what Our Calling provides - a place where people can find support, resources, and community. 🫶🏾 Note: No photos 📷 today – my focus was on being present and helpful. Today was about genuine connection, not capturing content. My phone was secondary, used only to engage with people on their terms. Respecting their privacy and focusing on being present felt more important to me. 🫶🏾 — please see the beautiful work they do; witnessing their dedication to their values, as outlined in Ephesians 4:1-6, in action was truly inspiring.

Yesterday, OurCalling had the privilege of hosting the Honorable Scott Turner, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), for a meaningful visit and roundtable discussion with Dallas city leaders. During his time with us, Secretary Turner toured our facility, met with our leadership team, and engaged in collaborative conversations focused on innovative solutions to help individuals exit homelessness. Led by OurCalling’s CEO and Pastor, Wayne Walker, the roundtable brought together leaders from: 💚 Austin Street Center 💚 The Bridge 💚 The Stewpot 💚 Housing Forward 💚 Family Gateway 💚 Catholic Charities of Dallas 💚 Union Gospel Mission 💚 Cornerstone Baptist Ministries 💚 OurTechnology 💚 Men of Nehemiah 💚 The City of Dallas As a friend of OurCalling's for several years, we are deeply grateful for Secretary Turner’s heart for the Lord and his commitment to fostering meaningful collaboration between HUD, nonprofits, and Christian ministries in Dallas and beyond. As Wayne Walker shared, “The plight of those experiencing homelessness demands a strong, strategic, and innovative approach—one that Secretary Turner is uniquely qualified to lead. His personal conviction to ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ drives a bold and creative directive that will impact generations. We’re excited to share with him how OurCalling uses data analytics, artificial intelligence, and boots-on-the-ground relational equity to help individuals transition into long-term, healthy community.” We are inspired by Secretary Turner’s fresh perspective and dedication to solutions that go beyond housing alone—recognizing that true transformation requires a holistic, people-centered approach. 💚 #OurCalling #HomelessnessSolutions #HUD #DallasLeaders

Come work with a great team at OurCalling!

WOAH! 2025 is already off to an amazing start! We completed 188 placements off the streets in the month of January! Last year, our January placement number was 83 which means in one year we have over DOUBLED our January placement numbers. PRAISE GOD!

Due to the nature of living on the streets, our homeless friends experience early onset geriatric challenges and medical challenges. We are grateful that CNAs (certified nursing assistants) were able to join our Inclement Weather Shelter staff and provide help to our elderly and most vulnerable friends. The CNAs played a vital role in helping our friends in and out of cots, assisting with showers, and caring for wounds. Having care onsite is just a temporary solution to helping our homeless neighbors. That’s why we are building OurCommunity, which aims to provide permanent support for those most vulnerable. We can’t wait to share updates on this project with you! 💚

While many were put in dangerous situations due to winter storms and freezing temperatures last week, some of our General Managers and Cast Members gave their time and energy to bring warm meals and smiles to those in need.   In Dallas, we joined forces with OurCalling to donate pizzas to feed over 1,000 people at the temporary warming shelter at Dallas Fair Grounds. We are deeply proud of our Red Bird, Valley View, and Grand Prairie teams for volunteering their time to serve.   In Oklahoma City, our teams recently donated and served hot pizzas to 400 people at The Homeless Alliance warming shelter. Additionally, our team in Norman served pizzas to nearly 200 people at their local warming shelter.   It’s an honor to give back to the communities we belong to, and we are incredibly proud of our team members who have risen to the occasion, showing compassion and dedication to help those facing challenging times.

We have partnerships with groups all across the country (case workers, government agencies, the VA, rehabs, shelters, domestic violence centers etc). These partners reach out to us when they have new information, but since our guests live on the streets they don’t have an address to send mail to, and a lot of them don’t have cell phones, so how can a case worker find them? Well, they call us, ask us if we have seen them, and often times we have! In this particular case, an agency in Virginia called us in hopes that a man they’d been working with was staying at our shelter! Thankfully, he was! He is now on his way to Virginia and is off the street! God is good!!

Our Street Outreach teams are ramping up their efforts and traveling around Dallas to find our homeless friends and transport them to the Inclement Weather Shelter. Here's how you can help: download the 'OurCalling' app and report a homeless friend or encampment. Our Street Outreach team will receive the notification and visit them.

So grateful to everyone who has asked, "HOW CAN I HELP?" at the Inclement Weather Shelter! Click through for the answer! ❄️ Donate to OurCalling ❄️ Donate clothing resources ❄️ Volunteer ❄️ Pray OurCalling.org/cold has all the details!

⚠️ ATTENTION!⚠️ Cold weather is here and we are officially announcing the opening of a temporary inclement weather shelter! Starting TODAY at 2:00 pm. We will open the doors to begin intake at Fair Park's Grand Place Building, 3701 Grand Avenue. ❄️ If you are homeless and need shelter please head to this location ASAP to seek food and warmth! ❄️ If you want to volunteer at the shelter, visit ourcalling.org/cold! ❄️ If you want to donate resources, our most needed items include sweatpants, new socks, shoes, blankets, and body/wet wipes. All donations can be brought to OurCalling at 1702 S. Cesar Chavez Blvd. Mon-Sat 8:30 am – 4:00 pm