PLACEHOLDER - UPDATE FOR 2024
The holiday season is upon us! This time of year, we remember that Jesus said yes more than he said no – and, thanks to our generous supporters, we are able to follow the same philosophy at Brother Bill’s Helping Hand. Our breadth of services has led to word-of-mouth referrals organically increasing our reach to 100 different zip codes across DFW, with some families driving up to an hour to receive the tools, resources, and, most importantly, hope that BBHH offers.
Next year, BBHH will celebrate its 80th year of service to our community. It’s a huge milestone, and we are so excited to join with our supporters to celebrate eight decades of our work bringing positive change to people’s lives. So, as we gear up to make 2024 our biggest year of impact yet, we would like to take a look back at some of the successes our neighbors have had along the way – thanks to your continued generosity!
Paula’s Story
Paula is just one neighbor whose life you have helped transform. She and her sister grew up in West Dallas, raised by their loving single mother. At one point in her 20s, Paula was between fast food jobs and raising three kids of her own when, out of curiosity, she made the decision to come into BBHH for the first time.
On that very first visit, Paula learned about Pathways, our eight-week job training program that teaches women the skills necessary to find and keep a job, including computer literacy, resume building, interview skills and time management. The course was starting the very next week – and she decided to give it a shot.
“At that time, I didn’t even have a resume, and I didn’t feel confident in interviews. But Pathways showed me, through information from our mentors and visits to different agencies – including many businesses owned by women – that there was so much more available to me than what I had grown up seeing.”
After completing Pathways, Paula immediately landed a part-time job as a community health worker. Through this position, she learned about Amerigroup, where she eventually got an offer as a full-time community outreach worker – a position she has loved and excelled in for 10 years now.
Paula recognizes the impact this evolution has had on her children, too. Her son recently told her he remembers back when she was looking through the newspaper for jobs, and that he’s so proud of her for where she is today. This was Paula’s reminder that kids are always looking – even when you don’t think they are. Now, she says she feels like a role model.
As a token of her gratitude for all that BBHH has done for her and her family, Paula accesses grants as an Amerigroup employee that she gives back to our organization.
“I’m so happy to be able to help an organization that helped me when I needed it the most. I made a great decision walking through those doors for the first time!”
Elizahbet’s Story
Like Paula, Elizahbet didn’t know what direction her life was heading in when she learned about BBHH’s Pathways program. After a heartbreaking miscarriage, she signed up feeling lost, broken, and in need of hope.
Just a few days into the Pathways curriculum, Elizahbet realized that her relationship with God needed tending to – so she prioritized picking back up with her faith first and foremost. She also started better managing her finances, thanks to guidance provided by her mentor.
In addition to taking concrete steps to improve her finances, Elizahbet also had the opportunity to discover what it was she truly wanted to do with her life, thanks to the free counseling services she received. She realized what she says she always kind of knew – that her favorite thing was helping people, and her true calling was to enter the social services field. Elizahbet was hired on as Front Office Coordinator for BBHH soon after graduating Pathways.
“Going back to the basics by tracking your spending and being aware of what’s coming in versus what’s going out, it really makes a difference. Pathways changed my mindset. It wasn’t just a class a few times a week, it really got into my heart”
Through Pathways, Elizahbet also made her first vision board – which she still keeps in her office today. When Elizahbet was offered a promotion to Social Services Manager at BBHH last November, she said she had finally achieved everything on that board.
Elizahbet felt the impact of your generosity back when she needed it most. And now, she sees it every day as a BBHH employee.
“I’ve gotten to see the larger impact [of your gifts] – for someone to come in and receive help with their nutrition or managing their blood pressure, and for them to realize that there’s an entire community behind them, it’s huge and so rewarding to see.”
Paula and Elizahbet are just two neighbors whose stories we wanted to share with you – there are countless others, from mothers living down the street from our facility in West Dallas to families who have driven miles and miles to receive the help and hope BBHH offers. There’s a reason our reach has spread so widely, and it’s not because we had some planned strategy to do so. It’s because, like Jesus, we say yes far more than we say no. And that’s only possible thanks to generous supporters like you!
As you plan your year-end charitable giving, will you choose to say yes to BBHH? Your generosity helps us minister to the Dallas community by ensuring the essentials of life, empowering through learning, and enriching relationships through faith, family, fitness, and finance!