MLK Jr. Community Center

Celebrating Juneteenth at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (Event Recap)

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events ,

On Saturday, June 18, 2022, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, in collaboration with LIRA Group, hosted the MLK Juneteenth 3K Walk & Festival.

An estimated 750 people came out to enjoy the Juneteenth festivities. This year’s theme was “2022 Better Me, Better You” with a primary focus on the walk for “Freedom” and health and wellness. There were more than 280 registered participants in the Center’s first ever 3K freedom walk, which included local community members, community partners, and other supporters of the MLK Center. Attendees enjoyed a variety of vendors, live entertainment, and free activities for children.

Special guests included Dianne Gibson, Mistress of Ceremony; Event Co-Chair Betty Carter Hooey, MLK Advisory Board (District 15); Donniesha Johnson, Fitness Instructor; Leon Shaw, Singer; Event Chair Elaine Sacks, MLK Advisory Board (District 1); Jhayce Anderson, Youth Performer; and Emma Rodgers, Dallas Civil Rights Museum Curator. Breakfast was provided by DFW Voices. Lunch was sponsored by In-N-Out Burger. Music was provided by DJ Trikky and Jeff the DJ. 

Community Partners included the City of Dallas, LIRA Group, HELP, Reliant, Geico, Miles of Freedom, Chase Bank, Accident & Injury Chiropractic, Dallas Park and Recreation, In-N-Out Burger, Dairy Farmers of America, Humana, American Airlines, The Afiya Center, the Walls Project, Oasis Focus, Baylor Scott & White, Kroger, and DFW Voices.

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For more information about the MLK Juneteenth 3K Walk & Festival, please visit www.dallasmlkcenter.com/juneteenth.

MLK Grand Reopening Meet & Greet (Event Recap)

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events

On Saturday, June 11, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center hosted a Grand Reopening Meet and Greet event to showcase new programs and services available at the center. 

Guests had the opportunity to take a guided campus tour and network with our community partners.  Lunch was sponsored by Empowering the Masses, Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, and Williams Chicken.

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2022 MLK Black History Month Celebration (Event Recap)

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The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center’s 2022 Black History Month Celebration was a two-part event, a virtual celebration of unsung artist Arthello Beck, Jr., and a free drive-through giveaway for the community.

Arthello Beck, Jr. “Braiding Session”

The virtual event premiered on Friday, February 11, celebrating the life of artist Arthello Beck, Jr. and recognizing the efforts of the MLK Center’s community partners. The video is available to watch on YouTube.

Produced by Tailored Penguin Media Company, special contributors included the City of Dallas, Reliant, an NRG company, LIRA Group, Miles of Freedom, Foremost Family Health Center, Empowering the Masses, the South Dallas Cultural Center, Deborah Sutton, & Ms. Mae Beck.

Original artwork by Arthello Beck, Jr. will be displayed at the MLK Branch Library and the South Dallas Cultural Center through the month of February. 

Part two of the celebration was a free drive-through giveaway on Saturday, February 12, for 250 families to receive free food, hygiene supplies, cleaning products, and more. Care packages were provided to the homeless with blankets, socks, and hygiene products, along with a hot meal. Music was provided by DJ G Smoove. 

Our community partners include Reliant, an NRG company, LIRA Group, Miles of Freedom, H.E.L.P., Foremost Family Health Center, Empowering the Masses, First Choice Social Services, In the City For Good, Oasis Focus, and KBP Foods KFC.

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2021 MLK Winter Warm-Up

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On Saturday, December 18, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center hosted its annual Winter Warm-Up event, a community-based effort to provide new coats, hats, and gloves to 800 children in need.

Registered guests participated in the drive through to receive a free winter coat, a food box with fresh produce and dry goods, STEAM kits from the Dallas Public Library (MLK Branch), gloves from KIPP, laundry detergent and hand sanitizer from In the City For Good, and teddy bears and toys from White Rock United Methodist at Owenwood, in collaboration with Kelly Drake, MLK Advisory Board member. COVID Vaccinations were also available on-site, provided by Abundant Life AME Church and Foremost Family Health Center.

Additional sponsors included Carter’s House, Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter of Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Bob’s Steak and Chop House, Empowering the Masses, Enterprise Foundation, LIRA Group, Accident & Injury Chiropractic, Oncor, Peter & Dena Silberman, Terris Perkins, Jr., Hope.Encourage.Love.Protect. (HELP), Foremost Family Health Center, The Richards Group, Heroines of Jericho, Miles of Freedom, Star Medical Specialties, KIPP, Transportation Unlimited, In the City for Good, Bridgford Foods, Texas State Federation of Garden Clubs, Turner 12, Geico, Rose Wright, Doris Edmon, Crystal Tyler, Emma Rodgers, ABZ Solutions, Bimbo, and Dairy Farmers of America.

Special thanks to our volunteers who contributed their time and labor to make this event a success. We could not do it without you!

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Oasis Focus, Inc. and North Texas Food Bank host Mobile Food Giveaway at the MLK, Jr. Community Center

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On Wednesday, December 8, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center partnered with Oasis Focus, Inc. and the North Texas Food Bank to host a mobile food pantry for residents in the South Dallas area.

It was a drive though event serving 250 families with free produce and dry goods from the North Texas Food Bank, hygiene and cleaning supplies donated by Sir Kendricks Smile for Autism, and other donated items from Oasis Focus, Inc. and The Concilio. 

To learn more about Oasis Focus, Inc. please visit their website at https://www.oasisfocus.org. 

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The MLK Fresh Produce Distribution Center Reopens at the MLK, Jr. Community Center

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On Tuesday, December 7, the MLK Fresh Produce Distribution Center reopened at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center after closing due to the ongoing pandemic. 

The new distribution hours will be every Tuesday starting at 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. or while supplies last. There are no income or zip code restrictions to receive goods.

Food distribution will also take place every Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Park South YMCA, located at 2500 Romine Avenue, Dallas, TX 75215. 

If you have any questions or are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact Cinthia Mendoza at Cinthia@milesoffreedom.org.

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2021 MLK Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway

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On Saturday, November 20, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center hosted its annual Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway to provide complete Thanksgiving meals to families in need. 

Over 500 guests participated in a drive-through event to receive bags filled with stuffing mix, vegetables, bread, desserts, and more, along with a turkey or whole chicken, and a ham for a complete holiday meal.

This year’s sponsors included LIRA Group, Dallas Fire Department, Transportation Unlimited, Terris Perkins, Jr., Abundant Life AME, Bimbo, Boss Fight Entertainment, Empowering the Masses, Foremost Family Health Center, Oak Street Health, Miles of Freedom, Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., The Original Bob’s Steak and Chop House, Brian Eberstein, Kappa Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., the Giving Tree Ministries, First Choice Social Services, Ellen’s Kitchen, Hope Encourage Love Protect (H.E.L.P.), Ben E. Keith, Storks Nest Fund of Dallas, The Richards Group, Enterprise Foundation, and the Highland Park Police Department.

Our gracious volunteers included St. Luke United Methodist Church, Refulgent Star, Diva Girls Rock, Kappa Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., H.E.L.P., Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., MLK Community Courts, Foremost Family Health Center, The Richards Group, and Team MVP.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center also partnered with Miles of Freedom and the Botham Jean Foundation at the Park South YMCA to provide free turkeys and Thanksgiving trimmings to 500 families in need.

Thank you to our partners, sponsors, and volunteers- we could not do it without you!

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Happy Halloween From Your Friends at the MLK, Jr. Community Center

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On Thursday, October 28, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center hosted its Annual Treat the Building event, a Halloween celebration for the children of the MLK ChildCareGroup.

Staff members from each organization on campus dressed up in costumes to give candy to the children as they walked through the core building.

After the event was over, and as a special treat to the community, we also gave away free nachos and drinks.

Thank you to all of our tenants and to LIRA Group who donated their time and resources to make this a successful event!

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Reliant Teams Up With City Of Dallas To Help Vulnerable Residents Stay Cool This Summer With Beat The Heat Program

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WHAT: Summer months in Dallas are known for bringing sweltering heat to our city, and many residents are still looking for ways to stay cool in their homes. This Thursday, July 22, Reliant is partnering with the City of Dallas to improve living conditions for residents of South Dallas and Fair Park who are facing Texas’ devastating summer heat.

With Reliant’s support, the City of Dallas’ MLK, Jr. Community Center and West Dallas Multipurpose Center, will assist over 200 families throughout the summer with combination portable AC and coolers to beat the heat safely in their homes. Residents can call West Dallas Multipurpose Center at 214-670-6341 or MLK Jr. Community Center at 214-670-8418 to apply for a portable A/C unit.

Many low-income homeowners are not able to control the temperature in their home, impacting their health while summer temperatures rise. This is Reliant’s 12th consecutive year launching its “Beat the Heat” program in partnership with the City of Dallas. The program provides resources for Dallas-area vulnerable residents to stay cool and receive financial assistance for their electricity bills during the hottest days of summer.

Community Assistance by Reliant Energy

Across Texas, Reliant has provided more than $12 million to help Texans who need assistance with electricity costs through the CARE (Community Assistance by Reliant Energy) program since 2002. Anyone who needs help paying their electricity bill this summer can call 2-1-1 within Texas or visit 211texas.org. Reliant customers can also contact us 24/7 through a number of convenient ways, including at 1-866-222-7100, via online chat, or on the Reliant app.

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*Registration @ MLK is now closed for the portable A/C units.

MLK Back to School Festival

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The MLK Back to School Festival is a “one-stop-shop” for parents and students preparing for the new school year. On Friday, August 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., families can come to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (2922 MLK Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75215) and receive free school supplies, backpacks, uniforms, shoes, and more. There will also be vendors, a children’s play area, free food, and snow cones.

This event is open to all families with children in grades Pre-K to 12. Parents must provide a photo ID and children must be present to receive supplies. There are no zip code restrictions or income requirements to receive supplies.

When: Friday, August 16, 2019, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Where: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, located at 2922 MLK Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75215. 

Who: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center hosts this annual event. This year’s sponsors include the City of Dallas, Miles of Freedom, Carter’s House, Capital One, Reliant Energy, Turning Paiges, and Panda Cares. If you are interested in becoming a vendor or sponsor, please call 214-670-8418 or visit www.dallasmlkcenter.com/back-to-school.