How ’Bout Them Cowboys

Football season has officially started and The Salvation Army DFW could not be more excited to see America’s favorite football team, the Dallas Cowboys, in action.

Not only are the Cowboys doing good things on the field, but they are also doing great things off the field. The Salvation Army DFW is thankful to the Dallas Cowboys for supporting us.

In honor of October being National Hispanic month, last Tuesday, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and the Dallas Cowboys Youth Football Academy Coaching Staff conducted a football and cheerleading clinic for the children at The Salvation Army in Pleasant Grove.

The children were very excited to interact with coaches and cheerleaders. Looks like they had a lot of fun!

Did you know?

It’s that time again for a “Did you know?” blog post. This week, we will challenge you on what you may know or not know about Carr P. Collins. Let’s get started.

Who is Carr P. Collins?
The late Carr P. Collins, Sr. was a prominent Dallas civic leader, entrepreneur and philanthropist, as well as a lifetime friend and supporter of The Salvation Army, and a member of its Dallas County Advisory Board.


His vision… His vision of "the possible" placed him ahead of his time, and his talent for creating opportunities to help others and improve his community became a legacy of service passed on to succeeding generations of the Collins family.


Quick Fact-
Did you know that Mr. Collin’s daughter, Ruth Collins Sharp Altshuler; his son, James Collins; and his granddaughter serve on our Advisory Board?

Where is Carr P. located?
Find us at:5302 Harry Hines Blvd.
Carr P. Collins, The Salvation Army’s downtown emergency shelter offers many services to people in the Dallas community. Neil Phillips, Carr P. Collins Director of Operations, oversees the social services and Majors Robert and Charma Green are the officers that provide Christian ministry.

What do we have to offer?

Homeless Shelter
Shelter for men, women, and women with children. Hot meals are served, clothes provided and much more.

Emergency Family Service
The Salvation Army provides emergency assistance to help families through crisis situations.

Meals
Between 1,500 to 2,000 are served each day. We also serve sack lunches to help people while they are out looking for jobs during the day.

Life Skills
We help people learn to become more independent. Classes include parenting, nutrition, reading, writing, job interview skills and more.

ARC– Adult Rehabilitation Center
We offer a substance abuse program for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol.

Food Pantry
Our food pantry provides groceries to people in our community who are struggling with this most basic of needs.

Summer Heat Relief
Summer time in Dallas can get hot! C’mon in and enjoy an air conditioned sitting area. We will also assist in obtaining free electric fans, and utility assistance.

Home Sweet Home…
This great homeless prevention program helps those on the very urge of losing EVERYTHING to stay in their homes. We help families get stable plans for their future!

Christmas!
Need knows no season…

Okay, are you ready for a pop quiz?

Don't Miss this Sweet Deal!

To celebrate the start of the Dallas Cowboys football season, Sprinkles has created a limited-time “Blue Velvet” cupcake. 100% of each Blue Velvet cupcake purchase will be donated to The Salvation Army DFW Metroplex.

The sweet treats will be offered from September 11 – September 19 at Sprinkles (The Plaza at Preston Center), located at 4020 Villanova Drive, Dallas, TX 75225.

Before the “official” promotion starts, we went down to Sprinkles to see what makes these cupcakes so delicious...

We were greeted by Emily Antrainer, Sprinkles' store manager. who was excited to show off the limited-edition Cowboys Cupcake.

Antrainer said each day of the promotion one Blue Velvet cupcake will have a silver star hidden inside and will win: one-dozen Blue Velvet cupcakes, a “behind-the-scenes” tour of the new Cowboys Stadium for two, and a Dallas Cowboys ball cap and t-shirt.

The cupcake looked too delicious, so we immediately asked a customer if he would try one! Doug, from Dallas, said it was fantastic. When we explained the special promotion and that 100% of the proceeds go to The Salvation Army, he said, "Wow, three great teams: Cowboys, Sprinkles, and The Salvation Army!" Thank you Doug for being a taste tester.

After the taste-testing session, Antrainer took us behind Sprinkles' closed doors to see where the magic happens. Each day 1,000 cupcakes are made from scratch--everything is fresh. With the special Cowboys promotion, Antrainer hopes the number of cupcakes sold will double. Here are a couple of pictures of the cupcakes being made.





With 100% of the proceeds from the Blue Velvet cupcakes going to The Salvation Army, this will be a fabulous fundraiser. Buy cupcakes for your family, friends, and co-workers. Who can resist a blue velvet cupcake topped with rich cream cheese frosting? We found two girls who can't resist. Enjoy!


For more information about the Sweet Sweepstakes please click here.

Blog Spotlight... The Salvation Army Oak Cliff Community Center's After School Program!

A few blog posts back, we featured The Salvation Army’s Women’s Auxiliary giving away backpacks and school supplies to children in the DFW. It is hard to believe that school is back in session and we have no doubt the children are enjoying their new backpacks and supplies.

Once school starts many parents wonder where their children can go during after school hours. The Salvation Army offers great places for children to hang out after school. Throughout fall, we will highlight the different Salvation Army after school programs. This week on our blog, we will focus on The Salvation Army in Oak Cliff. The community center offers a wonderful after school program which emphasizes academic tutoring and music lessons.

Denisse Gaytan, The Salvation Army Oak Cliff After School Facilitator, said the program is exactly what parents in the Oak Cliff community need.

“The area where the children go to school is a highly targeted for crime,” Gaytan said. “We go to the schools and pick the children up, so parents do not have to worry about their child walking in dangerous neighborhoods.” Once the children arrive, they are given a healthy snack and spend time working on their homework. “We offer the best tutoring program,” Gaytan said. Many of the children’s parents only speak Spanish, which can be a challenge in helping their child with homework.

In addition to the tutoring, the children will soon be able to take music lessons. Captain Candee Elias, Salvation Army Oak Cliff officer, says the new music program will be a tremendous benefit to the after school participants. “When a child learns music, they learn also learn how to concentrate and focus better,” Elias said. “Through learning music, they will learn many additional skills as well."

The Salvation Army in Oak Cliff still has open enrollment. If you would like more information about their after school program, please call Denise Gaytan at 214- 941-5911.

Check out this video!