Hunt Consolidated, Inc. (Hunt) hosted Hunt Helpers Day on April 12 deploying close to 500 employees. This volunteer event, administered through Communities Foundation of Texas, supported 17 local Dallas nonprofits, including After8toEducate. Hunt employees assembled nearly 200 “Fannie packs” with a variety of hygiene items from toothpaste to shampoo for the homeless youth who will receive services at the Fannie C. Harris Youth Center.

“As we are bringing the Fannie C. Harris building back to life, we are honored to have Hunt Consolidated employees bringing back the Fannie pack,” stated Hillary Evans, After8toEducate executive director. “Providing these ‘Fannie packs’ will help contribute to a sense of normalcy and stability in the lives of unsheltered youth who may otherwise go without these necessities.” After8 is grateful to have been selected as a featured nonprofit to receive these donated hygiene items for homeless youth accessing this new center.

Illumin8 is an interior design thinking challenge supporting DISD unsheltered high school youth. Participants include 11 high school students from The Hockaday School and Thomas Jefferson High School. These students are informing designs for the "pod" style bedrooms and the library/flex space at the Fannie C. Harris Youth Center.

On April 4, Amanda Tower of  Wilson Associates  spoke about interior design and human-centered design. Students learned the steps of inspiration, ideation, and implementation in design and the intersection of interior design and design thinking.

The guest speaker at the following session was architect Craig Henry of  Looney Ricks Kiss , who showed students renderings of the residential services part of the Fannie C. Harris Youth Center and discussed design in the context of architecture. Using the design thinking process, students brainstormed ideas to make the bedrooms and library space into a safe, comfortable, inclusive, and welcoming space for the unsheltered youth who will visit the center.

The last April session featured Dr. Jill Pable, a researcher and professor at Florida State University. Her organization, Design Resources for Homelessness , offers information and research-informed guidance regarding the design and construction of facilities for people experiencing homelessness. Pable provided several examples of shelter spaces from around the country. She explained the importance of considering trauma when planning youth spaces and shared case studies revealing the significant impact of thoughtfully designed environments for those experiencing homelessness.

The Thomas Jefferson High School and The Hockaday School students also recently toured Promise House and the Fannie C. Harris Youth Center. This tour provided an opportunity to continue building empathy for those experiencing homelessness and brainstorm ideas for their Illumin8 projects.

At the culmination of the design thinking challenge, these students will have the opportunity to pitch their prototypes to a panel of Dallas area leaders at Illumin8 Pitch.

Interested in volunteering at the Drop-In Center at the Fannie C. Harris Youth Center? Please join CitySquare TRAC to learn about volunteer opportunities at the Drop-In Center.

The Drop-In Center at the Fannie C. Harris Youth Center will serve homeless youth ages 14-21 with immediate support services. These services will include access to showers, laundry facilities, meals, and clothing. Other social services offered include: reconnecting youth to education and providing housing stabilization support, employment resources and access to healthcare. The Drop-In Center services and programs will be operated and managed by  CitySquare .

Date:

Friday, May 10, 2019    

Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Location: CitySquare East Side - 4000 East Side Ave, Dallas, TX 75226

Please click here to RSVP

 

Date:

Date: Friday, May 14, 2019 

Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Location: CitySquare East Side - 4000 East Side Ave, Dallas, TX 75226

Please click here to RSVP 

Funding News

After8toEducate presents Illumin8 Pitch, a “Shark Tank” style event supporting unsheltered Dallas youth. This live pitch event is the culminating event of Illumin8, an interior design thinking challenge supporting unsheltered youth and the Fannie C. Harris Youth Center. Two teams made up of high school students from The Hockaday School and Thomas Jefferson High School will pitch their prototype followed by a short Q&A with the panel of judges.

If you are interested in sponsoring or donating towards the winning pitch, please email [email protected] . Every dollar will support fundraising for the residential services part of the Fannie C. Harris Youth Center, which will provide shelter and support services for unsheltered Dallas ISD students ages 14-21.

Community Happenings

Jorge Baldor, founder of After8toEducate, together with Carlos Gonzalez-Jaime pre sent The Latino Arts Project , a museum located in the Dallas Design District. This is a space "where the culture and the history of the art of particularly Latin America and the Americas can be shared with our own communities here and other communities...maybe for the first time" says founder Baldor. After8toEducate salutes Jorge for bringing the rich and beautiful history of the Latino culture to life through art. You can see the inaugural exhibition "Mexican Modern Sculpture, A Study of the Artists" starting May 5 at the grand opening event for The Latino Arts Project.

After8toEducate ("After8") is a first-of-its-kind, collaborative effort to support unsheltered youth enrolled in Dallas Independent School District high schools and provide immediate support services for homeless young adults ages 14-21. Powered through Social Venture Partners Dallas, After8 harnesses the strengths of Dallas ISD and nonprofit agencies Promise House and CitySquare.