DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
Taffet@DallasVoice.com
Dallas Hope Charities provided 1,911 nights of shelter to LGBTQ youth ages 18 to 24 in 2024, and the organization is looking for ways to multiply that by many times in 2025 and beyond.
Currently, DHC has about 190 youth on its waiting list, and that number is expected to grow. And since Promise House in Oak Cliff closed, DHC is the only program in Dallas devoted entirely to unhoused LGBTQ youth.
The Hope Center in East Dallas provides housing for up to a year, with eight clients filling it to capacity. But DHC doesn’t just provide housing. Employment and life skills training and mental health support help guide LGBTQ youth in the program from crisis to independent living.
To do that, DHC doesn’t work alone.
The community has been very supportive of Dallas Hope Charities,” said DHC CEO Tamika Perry.
Much support has come from the LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce. As an example, she said, chamber member Harmony Plumbing has given Hope House residents entry-level training positions with the opportunity for advancement.
Since 2018, Perry said, the house has hosted 89 youths. They’ve needed a variety of services, but all have taken life skills classes and benefited from case coordination services.
Working with Dallas College, DHC has helped some of its youth apply for financial aid to continue their education. One graduate from the program is now attending school at University of Colorado at Boulder on scholarships and financial aid.
“One of our youth is a chef,” Perry said. “He has his certification in wine pairing, which allows him to work at higher level restaurants.”
His experience, she explained, allowed him to volunteer at a celebrity chef event last week.
“He loved it,” she said. “He connected with celebrity chefs.”
She said DHC’s program instills in its young clients the idea that everything is a networking opportunity; any connection may lead to a job interview.
Building on the success of Hope House, DHC is planning Dallas Finally Home, the next phase of housing for its residents.
Finally Home helps its residents find affordable apartments. For the first three months, DHC will fully support the youth as they begin working and living independently. Through the next year, DHC gradually reduces the amount of support it provides until the clients are caring for themselves.
“They transition from full support to handling more financial responsibilities,” explained board member John Walls.
DHC started with four two-bedroom units used to house youth. Perry said she’s looking for apartments that her residents will be able to afford in safe neighborhoods.
“We’re going back to our roots,” Perry said. “Finding locations is a problem right now.”
Knowing what a tight budget youth renting their first apartment will be on, Perry said DHC’s life skills classes are more important than ever. She gave some examples beyond just how to open a bank account: “Central Market is very nice, but you might want to shop at Aldi,” she said.
All of this work is being done with a staff of five, but it couldn’t be done without all of the volunteers. Hundreds of hours of counseling were provided by Room for Change, and thousands of hours of time were donated in the form of mentoring, sitting at tables at events, collecting and donating personal hygiene items and in advocacy.
DHC is providing more than just a room for the night. Board chair Roscoe Compton-Kelly said, “Our goal is to provide temporary relief and create lasting pathways to independence and stability for LGBTQIA+ youth.”
Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Perry through the website DallasHopeCharities.org. And keep Oct. 6 open for the Legacy of Hope event.