Spillman joins RCD board

Derrick Spillman was elected to Resource Center Dallas’ board of directors position during the May 7 monthly meeting. Spillman is a business development sales executive with Marriott Hotels International. He is an executive committee member for the National Black Gay Men’s Advocacy Coalition and the executive director of the DFW Pride Movement Inc., a non-profit organization that exists to create a sense of unity and social support within the African-American LGBT community. DFW Pride Movement is the official 501(c)(3) non-profit entity of Black Pride in Dallas and is a member of the International Federation of Black Prides. Dallas Black Pride is hosted in early October in conjunction with the Prairie View/Grambling State University State Fair Football Classic.

Spillman was a founding member of the board of Dallas Black Pride, formed in 2002. He previously served as public relations director for the Legacy of Success Foundation, an organization designed to bring the LGBT community of color together through social activism and economic growth. Spillman also serves on the Community Advisory Board and partners on a variety of projects with United Black Ellument (U-BE), a Center program to reduce the HIV infection rate among young gay and bisexual African-American men.

“Derrick’s addition to the board of directors of Resource Center Dallas gives the board new, diverse experiences and insight into working with the communities we serve. I am excited about the talents he brings the center,” said Gregory Pynes, president of the center’s board of directors.
Members are elected to two-year terms and may be elected to a maximum of four consecutive terms.

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United Way awards RCD $320K

The United Way of Greater Dallas has awarded Resource Center Dallas $320,000 in support of the center’s nutrition and dental programs for people living with HIV/AIDS for 2012-2013. Specifically, $225,000 will go to the center’s dental program and $95,000 will go to the nutrition program.

Since 1989, the center has provided dental services for Dallas-area clients living with HIV/AIDS. Last year, the center served 1,155 clients. It is one of two sites in Dallas providing services including teeth cleaning and X-rays, cavity filling, crown and root canal work, and extractions. The center’s nutrition program for people living with HIV/AIDS was established in 1985. It includes a food pantry that distributes an average of seven tons of milk, meat, fresh vegetables and canned goods every week. In addition, volunteers at the center serve hot, nutritious lunches Monday through Friday to center clients. In 2011, the nutrition programs served over 1,900 clients and provided more than 30,000 pantry visits and 20,000 meals. The United Way monies will go towards the continued support of both programs.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition May 25, 2012.