Dear Spring Valley Family,
A few months ago, I instructed our staff to mark their calendars for a staff development day on October 18. The only information I shared was that they should wear comfortable shoes and be prepared for walking. On Wednesday, the long-awaited day arrived! Tony, Shea, Suzan, Shirley, Allison, John, and our newest staff member, Worship Leader Derrada Rubell-Asbell, carpooled to the Spring Valley DART station (of course) and headed south on the Orange Line. At Pearl Street/ Arts District, we switched to the Green Line. We departed the train at Fair Park for the Great State Fair of Texas! Pastor Rosedanny met us there, having designed and picked up new Spring Valley UMC t-shirts! If you'd like to purchase one, several of us will wear them on Sunday, November 12. You can sign up for yours, then!
The trip to the Fair was my way of showing appreciation for our great team; they are faithful in the areas they serve. They bring great passion, energy, and enthusiasm to the church's work. I appreciate every one of them and am fortunate to serve alongside them! I know you appreciate them as well. Several hours later, full of corny dogs and other treats, having sampled massage chairs, air purifiers, mini-vans at the car show, a magic show, and a petting zoo, it was time for us to return to the work of ministry.
After resting up and showering, I attended a meeting of several area business owners, housing association representatives, staff of the City Council, and even code enforcement and Dallas Police. For nearly an hour, we discussed issues related to individuals panhandling at the corner of Spring Valley and Coit Road. One possibility going forward is to create a Public Improvement District, a partnership between businesses and community groups who share the cost. The Lake Highlands PID (Public Improvement District) was mentioned as a great example of how this could benefit our community.
From their FAQ page, this is how the LHPID is described: "The primary goal of the LHPID is to enhance public safety services and provide aesthetically pleasing streetscapes within the district and along the Skillman corridor. While the non-profit board will decide how PID funds are allocated, specific examples of services may include security patrols, litter and graffiti management, pedestrian lighting, signage, landscape enhancements in public right-of-way areas and street medians, promotional communications, and grant funds."
Read more here: https://lhpid.org, and begin to imagine how this kind of emphasis would greatly benefit the area and another tangible way for Spring Valley UMC to partner with others. I hope it comes to fruition. In the meantime, you will see signs going up at the intersection of Coit and Spring Valley in a couple of weeks, encouraging people not to give cash or other items to people at traffic intersections. Instead, we should support charitable and non-profit organizations that offer more holistic and lasting solutions for those in need. The City of Dallas created www.dallashomelesssolitions.com as part of this effort, and of course, Spring Valley UMC has long supported the Network of Community Ministries.
I was grateful for our compassionate conversation about homelessness, drug use, and other challenges impacting our neighbors. After a morning of fun and team building with our staff, it was a good reminder of the ultimate work we are called to sharing the love of Jesus with a broken and hurting world.
Bless this neighborhood,
Pastor Frank