Tamika Perry, CEO of Dallas Hope Charities
DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
Taffet@DallasVoice.com
Dallas Hope Charities is celebrating its 10th anniversary with new board leadership and a call to expand its life-saving housing programs for LGBTQ+ young adults. The new board will be led by John Walls as board chair, with Jesse Garcia as vice chair.
“For ten years, our primary mission has been providing the safety and stability of a home,” said Tamika Perry, CEO of Dallas Hope Charities. “Our housing initiatives — including Hope Street, Hope Center and Finally Home — are designed to connect the puzzle pieces that end homelessness and hopelessness for LGBTQIA+ young adults.
“While our new board brings the strategic expertise to lead these programs, our donors remain the missing piece,” she added. “Their support turns beds into safe havens, housing into healing and programs into pathways forward.”
Hope Center provides a safe shelter environment for LGBTQ+ youth 18-24 years old for up to one year. During that time, residents obtain skills needed to successfully live self-sufficiently. The program includes guided coaching and life skills as well as healthcare and mental health resources through community partnerships.
In 2020, DHC launched Collective Hope Coalition, an initiative aimed at eliminating suicide among LGBTQ+ community in the Dallas area.
According to the Williams Institute, 17 percent of LGBTQ+ people lived in poverty in 2021, compared to 12 percent of the general population. And 13 percent of LGBTQ+ adults didn’t have enough to eat, compared to 8 percent of non-LGBTQ+ people.
Hopeful Discussions is a DHC initiative that seeks to make North Texas more equitable for all by increasing community understanding of LGBTQ+ concepts and issues. Trained workshop facilitators create “brave spaces” where community members can contextualize LGBTQ+ identities and history, discussing ways to break harmful habits and review best practices to better support LGBTQ+ individuals.
Walls, the new chair of the DHC board, is founder and head of communications and marketing at JWPR, LLC, and a senior communications executive with a distinguished career at Neiman Marcus Group and Hilton. His expertise in strategic storytelling and his history of advocacy with Dallas CASA and Team DC will guide DHC’s narrative as the organization expands the reach of its housing programs.
“Stepping into the role of chair during our 10th year of providing LGBTQIA affirming housing is a profound honor,” Walls said. “For more than a decade, Dallas Hope Charities has shown that housing isn’t just about providing a roof, it’s the foundation of safety, dignity and possibility.
“In 2026, we’re focused on closing the gaps that still exist for our clients, expanding our services to help more youths in need,” Walls said. “With the support of our community and donors, we know that we can help every young person who walks through our doors find a place to truly belong.”
Garcia is an executive commercial real estate consultant at JLL and a faculty member at Texas Woman’s University. He brings expertise in workplace strategy and change management, ensuring DHC’s organizational structure is optimized for long-term growth.