Dallas Church Helps Homeless - Garners Support After Receipt of Safety Violation Citations

2008-12-13 20:55:22 (GMT) (WiredPRNews.com - Dallas, News)

South Dallas church receives help from community after being cited for safety violations in trying to provide shelter for homeless members.

Wired PR News.com – A church in South Dallas received an outpouring of community support on Friday after receiving citations for safety violations. As reported by the Dallas Morning News, Dallas International Street Church, which provides temporary shelter for the homeless, received the citations after Fire Officials responded to an anonymous complaint. Since then, individuals and work crews have shown up at the premises, fixing items required to pass inspection. The church’s pastor, Reverend Karen Estes Dudley, was quoted as remarking, “People are coming out of the woodwork to come help us.”

The church provided shelter for over 130 individuals in one week because of recent freezing weather conditions and a reported increase in the number of individuals sleeping on the streets. Leroy Smith, one of the church’s members, was quoted by the Dallas Morning News to state, “This place is very important. It gave people some hope that people really cared about them… We need this place.”

As noted in the report, the church is located in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas.