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WILKINSON CENTERIMPACT REPORT2021-2022
Dear Friends, It is with great pride and appreciaon that I share this year’s Impact Report with you. With your support, our dedicated Wilkinson Center team posively aected nearly 10,000 lives in Fiscal Year 2021-2022. Together, we strengthened access to educaon, employment, workforce training, nancial literacy, and food security by connuing to break down barriers and provide Pathways to Success for the families we serve each day. As I reect on our 40th Anniversary, I want to honor our humble beginnings and the milestones we have achieved together over the years. Wilkinson Center’s founding began when an East Dallas pastor looked up from his church oce and saw hungry children digging in a dumpster for food. That pioneering pastor, Rev. Clayton Lewis, rallied his congregaon and answered his call to serve, feeding those hungry children and their families. From that act of leadership, a ripple eect occurred, leading to the creaon of Wilkinson Center, which connues to posively impact local families today. We must never forget to look up and see our neighbors in need; to act and to serve. This has remained at our core since 1982.We are reminded every day that we cannot forget to recognize steadfast supporters who help us carry forward our work and mission. Thank you for your nancial gis, your volunteering spirit, your prayers, and the me you took to share Wilkinson Center’s mission with others. You are a vital piece of our legacy. Gratefully, Anne Reeder Corley Execuve Director Leer from the Execuve Director1A leer fromTHE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Impact2 9,739 INDIVIDUALS SERVED1,590509Pantry2Gototal Pantry2Go clients servedhouseholds served8,7153,0912,748926831,621748,45827,686Food Pantrytotal Food Pantry clients servedhouseholds servedchildren servedseniors served total pounds of food distributedtotal pounds of healthy food distributed (dened by North Texas Food Bank guidelines)total pounds of food distributed to seniors through the People and Nutrion program480110$1549Financial Servicesindividuals parcipated in a nancial educaon courseindividuals parcipated in one-on-one nancial coaching servicesaverage increase in savings for clients in nancial coachingthanks to you,FEED • EDUCATE • EMPOWER • EMPLOY • STABILIZE1024578733776912245Workforce DevelopmentAdult Educaontotal students parcipang in Adult Educaonstudents enrolled in Adult Basic Educaon and GED coursesstudents aained their GED cercaonstudents enrolled in ESL coursesstudents enrolled in job training coursesIndividuals parcipated in career readiness/job searchindividuals in employment services and secured employment
Our History3Founded by Rev. Clayton Lewis as Munger Place Emergency Services Center. Serves 67 families in the rst month.First Back-To-School Shoe Drive, organized by volunteer Carlin Morris, provides 550 pairs of shoes and socks for East Dallas children.Wilkinson Center Auxiliary (renamed Friends of Wilkinson Center) established.With a generous legacy gift from the Wilkinson family, the organization’s name changes to Wilkinson Center, in honor of dedicated volunteer Ruby Wilkinson.Food pantry becomes a client choice model.Wilkinson Center becomes an independent nonprot. 1982 1985 1986 1996/97 2003A LEGACY OF Helping OthersEven as we celebrate our rich history and past, our focus is on the future. To reach clients in new ways and connue to bring support directly to the neighborhoods that need it most.
Pantry2Go mobile food truck launches, reaching new clients living in food deserts. 4Buckner Food Pantry location opens under the name Pleasant Grove Food Pantry and Poverty Prevention Center.Easteld College Pleasant Grove campus opens with Wilkinson Center programs offered on-site.Family Education Center (now Employment and Education Center) opens across the parking lot from the Food Pantry.Began offering virtual classes in Adult Education program.20082009 2013 2020 2021Our HistoryOUR MISSION CONTINUES!
Joyce and Jane: A Legacy of Friendship & ServiceJoyce Shoop and Jane Porter rst met and became friends in their 8th/9th grade Sunday School class in Lile Rock, Arkansas. Over the decades, the two women stayed in touch during various moves, including Jane and husband Todd’s move to Houston and Joyce’s many moves with Air Force husband Neil. By the mid-1980’s, Joyce and Jane had both seled in the Dallas area. Joyce rst heard about Wilkinson Center in 1987 through her church. She quickly became a lead volunteer in the workforce development program, which led to Joyce joining Wilkinson Center’s Board of Directors. Joyce was eager to share her passion for Wilkinson Center with others and rounely invited Jane and Todd to the Center’s fundraising events. Todd, who passed away in 2012, could never resist a Silent Aucon and through these events, Jane learned more about Wilkinson Center’s programs. In 2006, the Chi Omega Alumni Associaon, of which Jane is an acve member, selected Wilkinson Cen-ter as a grant beneciary. Jane asked to be the beneciary liaison to Wilkinson, a role that led Jane to join Wilkinson Center’s Board the next year, which eventually led to Jane becoming the president of the Board of Directors. Once Joyce and Jane rered from their careers, they turned their aenon to the Food Pantry, volunteering together every Wednesday. Both coming from backgrounds of parents who volunteered, the women en-joyed connecng with clients each week. Their years at the Food Pantry deepened their strong friendship, as Wednesday morning volunteer shis oen turned into long lunches or shopping trips.Joyce and Jane both agree that their friendship has been an incredible blessing. A serendipitous meeng as girls has led to a lifelong bond that enriches all those around them, including Wilkinson Center. What a beauful legacy of friendship and service!Volunteering and FriendshipVolunteering & Friendship5Volunteering is leng people know that someone believes in them and thinks they can do it and that we are here to help them.– Joyce ShoopA LEGACY OF
6Client Story: Sandra Liliana BayonaSandra enrolled in Wilkinson Center’s English as a Second Language class with limited English speaking skills, but with a Master’s Degree in Educaon from Mexico. Her goal was to learn English and nd employment as a teacher near her children’s school in Garland. She was determined to succeed, and shortly aer she joined the class, Sandra became the most dedicated student. Her teacher noted that Sandra always interjected quesons during the lessons because she wanted to be certain that she was on the right track. At the beginning of almost every class, she brought up a sentence and asked, “is that the right way to say this?” Other students looked up to her! Because of her constant “hands-on” atude in the class, she quickly progressed in her learning, and her ability to communicate improved.Through the Working Families Success program, Sandra received intense employment services, and she started applying for Teaching Assistant posions. Sandra sll did not feel comfortable in job interviews due to her language barrier, but that did not stop her. Sandra aended mulple Working Families Success program’s employment workshops, including both virtual and in-person mock interviews, and received encouragement to get back into the educaon eld that she loved. In just a few months, Sandra found employment at Garland ISD as a Pre-K Teacher Assistant. She is connuing to improve her English skills and is studying for the State tests to gain her Teaching Degree. We have no doubt that Sandra will excel in any endeavor she sets her sights on!Client Story: Maria Jose MarrufoMaria Jose Marrufo is currently a Spanish high school equivalency teacher with Wilkinson Center. Maria started with Wilkinson Center as an English as a Second Language student. While in class, the Family Educaon Manager noced Maria had a teaching degree from her nave country of Mexico. Aer several meengs with the Family Educaon Center Manager, she was encouraged to apply for the Spanish high school equivalency teacher posion. She was inially hesitant, only wanng to focus on improving her English, but her husband encouraged her to get out of her comfort zone and apply for the posion. Maria was hired in 2014. In the eight years, she has worked as a teacher, over 300 students have received their GED. Maria states that she loves her job because she gets to help adults to achieve their goals.A LEGACY OF Client StoriesSuccess
Stock Up for SummerSummer is the most challenging season for childhood hunger. With schools closed during the summer months, thousands of children miss out on school-provided meals. Families turn to Wilkinson Center; and our Stock Up for Summer campaign aims to ll this gap. During our 40-year history, we have always been on the front lines of serving our community’s most food insecure populaons. For Wilkinson Center, just one hungry child is too many. Children currently comprise 32% of those Wilkinson Center feeds through our Food Pantry. Our annual Stock Up for Summer campaign ensures 2,000+ children have access to nutrious meals during the summer. This kids-centric program consists of food drives and distribuons, nancial support, and increased volunteerism to keep our Food Pantry shelves stocked to meet the increased summer demand. We want every kid to have the best summer ever, and we are grateful for all of our Stock Up for Summer supporters and volunteers. A special thanks to this year’s sponsors: Kroger, Atmos Energy, and Amazon + SNAP. Feeding kidsA LEGACY OF Stock Up for Summer7Success
Working Families Success ProgramWorking Families Success ProgramBreaking down barriers on the path to economic mobility and racial equity.Since 2017, Wilkinson Center has oered Working Families Success as a naonal, evidence-based approach to alleviate poverty by focusing on mulple services. It consists of three main components and when bundled, these services have proven highly eecve in moving clients from dependency to self-suciency. This increases the likelihood that clients will not only cycle out of poverty, but also sustain a new standard of living. The three components are: • Income Support: stabilizes households by providing food, rent, ulity, and transportaon assistance so clients can ease the stress of making ends meet and focus on long-range soluons that lead to a beer life. • Employment Services: provides employment services, Career Navigaon, Adult Basic Educaon, High School Equivalency, English as a Second Language, and Integrated Educaon & Training. • Financial Empowerment: provides classes or one-on-one coaching that deepens knowledge of budgeng, banking, and credit.A LEGACY OF 8• We believe in the value and worth of all people, and we are commied to our mission of serving every client with dignity and respect.• We connually seek to mirror the diversity of our sta, volunteers, and Board of Directors with that of the populaons we serve, with the goal of fostering a workforce that advocates for racial equity across all departments.• We work to idenfy and address inequies within our policies and programs.• We value varied backgrounds and perspecves and are commied to championing diversity in the greater community.At Wilkinson Center, diversity, inclusion, and racial sensivity are built into our culture and programs, allowing us to serve the broader community with a beer understanding of unique challenges and systemic barriers.Equity
FinancialsFinancials9ACTUAL REVENUE:$3,442,782ACTUAL EXPENSES:$3,241,679GOVERNMENT$1,259,155.9836.57%FOUNDATIONS721,353.0020.95%CORPORATIONS236,223.396.86%CHURCHES66,039.251.92%INDIVIDUALS506,031.3114.70%ORGANIZATIONS190,891.625.54%DALLAS COLLEGE80,000.002.32%FRIENDS, YOUNG FRIENDS & EVENTS282,557.678.21%OTHER (EARNED INCOME, INTEREST, ETC.)9,784.250.28%IN-KIND REVENUE90,745.992.64%
Board & LeadershipBoard & Leadership10Friends of Wilkinson CenterCurrent Leadership CouncilEllen EsteePresident Karrie Cato1st Vice PresidentDevelopment Shannon HanberryAshley WhiteSpirit of Taos Chairs Adrea Headrick2nd Vice PresidentService Lauren Miller3rd Vice PresidentMembership Katy LopezSecretaryKae Peck Treasurer Laura WilenskyHospitality Caitlin Morris HyaParliamentarianCurrent Board of DirectorsPresidentElizabeth L. WillisPricewaterhouseCoopersVice PresidentOJ DeSouzaSignature Baking CompanySecretaryKae SkipworthCommunity VolunteerTreasurerCheryl EskridgeK-Star Asset Management LLC Isela Aguilar Comerica Bank Jeanne Athos-AdlerBlue Skies Strategy Coaching Shane Campbell **Bank of America Dawn CorderoAT&T Ellen Estee*President, Friends of Wilkinson Center Chris GilkerIntegrity Funding / Revere Capital Lynn Romejko Jacobs, Ph.D.Southern Methodist University Claire Janssen*SMU FellowLola LoProfessional Consultant Nahemia LusanLusan Legacy Consultants Celene Marnez Horacio MorosCanyon Operang, LLC Maria PadillaBank of America Nelda Cain Pickens*David Grin Realtors Anne Reeder *Execuve Director Atul SethiEstrada Hinojosa & Co. Claudia E. VasquezMKV Real Estate, LLC Shania Wilhite * Ex ocio member ** Proxy: Maria Padilla
WilkinsonCenter.orgP.O. Box 720248Dallas, Texas 75372