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August 2021

Message from Project Unity Founder, Richie Butler


Greetings!
 
As you know Project Unity cares greatly about our community. We continue to encourage everyone who is eligible and healthy to consider getting vaccinated. Resources are available for everyone to learn about the Covid-19 virus, vaccines, myths and facts. Please visit the CDC website for a wealth of information. Project Unity and our health care partner Catalyst Health Network are working together by offering vaccine clinics weekly. Share our vaccine clinic events with family, friends and co-workers. Together We can all help stop the spread and get back to a safer normal.

A Covid Story from C. Brooks:

As Project Unity continues to provide Covid vaccines to the community each week, we hear the real life stories from community members as to why they find it important to get vaccinated. Here is the story of C. Brooks who is vaccinated, but why she is making sure her niece is protected as well. We are happy to report that "K" has received her 2nd dose vaccine and is looking forward to school.
 
"My niece 'K' is 17 years old. My brother's wife passed from cancer when she was 3. My daughter is one year older than 'K' and he and I raised them as sisters. From my house to his house to grannies house, they were always together. On July 18 my brother, R. Brooks, was admitted to Claiborne County Hospital. His numbers were gradually getting better. He was only on a breathing machine. No ventilation. I'm a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines and on July 23, at 5 a.m. local, I received the call that my brother had coded, and through all efforts had succumbed to Covid-19 with pneumonia. I made my way back from California to Dallas via Las Vegas and I believe those were the hardest 4 hours of my entire life thus far. One of the last text messages I received from my brother was 'Please, please get my daughter vaccinated.' Today on July 24, I succeeded in fulfilling my brother's wishes with the help of you all - Project Unity. For that, I am forever grateful!"

Pictured (from L to R): "K", Mr. Williams and C. Brooks

TOGETHER WE VACCINATE:
COVID-19 Vaccine Events in the Community 

 

Project Unity is committed to the health, safety and well-being of our communities. Like many other organizations helping on the vaccine effort, we want us all to return to a sense of normalcy. So join us in educating and encouraging your family and friends to get vaccinated! We are pleased to offer the following community vaccine events.


Masks and ID required, registration suggested.


If you or a loved one needs a vaccine, please register where open. 1st doses are available at 2nd dose clinics in an effort to help serve the community.

Saturday, August 21 | 10AM - 1PM

2nd Dose – Pfizer Vaccine (Ages 12 and up)
Single Dose Johnson & Johnson are available

Frazier Court Townhomes Community Center
4846 Elsie Faye Heggins St., Dallas, TX 75210

REGISTER NOW!
Saturday, August 28 | 10AM - 1PM

2nd Dose – Pfizer Vaccine (Ages 12 and up)
Single Dose Johnson & Johnson are available

Williams Chicken
4875 Sunnyvale St., Dallas, TX 75216

REGISTER NOW!
Wednesday, September 1 | 4:30PM - 7PM

2nd Dose – Pfizer Vaccine (Ages 12 and up)
Single Dose Johnson & Johnson are available

Spanish Groves Apartments
1441 N. Jim Miller Rd., Dallas, TX 75217
Registration Opens Soon!

REGISTER NOW!
For a full listing of our vaccine clinics, please click here.

***VOLUNTEERS NEEDED***

We're in need of volunteers to support our vaccination events. If you can help, please email volunteers@projectunity.net with your name, email and phone number to coordinate. Clinical and administrative/general volunteer roles available.

Thank You Vaccine Volunteers!

 
Project Unity and our partner Catalyst Health Network could not fulfill our goal of providing vaccinations to the community without the help of our volunteers, collaboration partners and site hosts!

A special thank you to the volunteers from St. Luke "Community" United Methodist Church, Southern Methodist University Perkins School of Theology, The Concilio, Baylor Scott & White, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Dallas Police Department, DPD Community Affairs and all the individual volunteers who have given countless hours in the heat and rain to ensure the success of our vaccine clinics. Our site partners make it all possible. Special thank you to Mr. Williams, Founder and CEO of Williams Chicken, who is not only hosting vaccine events at his locations, but also providing complimentary meals and cash to help patrons with groceries and gas. 

If you would like to volunteer, send an email to volunteers@projectunity.net.

TOGETHER WE DINE

Registration Open for Virtual Event | August 24, 5:30PM

 

The community is invited to attend our upcoming virtual Together We Dine event on TUESDAY, AUGUST 24 from 5:30 – 7:00PM Central. Our Together We Dine virtual events offer the opportunity for participants to have safe conversations on race and relations, discuss their experiences and learn about the experiences of others. Conversations are guided by a facilitator.

REGISTER online today.
Registration closes Monday, August 23 at 3PM Central.

Register Now!

Project Unity Speaker Series: Listening & Learning

Join Project Unity as we launch our mini-speaker series "Listening & Learning" as a next step and action item opportunity stemming from our Together We Dine and Together We Can programs. The speaker series will run from September through November and will feature stories of individuals and authors alike who will share stories about their journey and examine the journeys of key figures in our history. Join us for one hour to Listen & Learn as we all continue our individual journeys around race, race relations, having courageous conversations and walking in someone else's shoes.
 
To register for this virtual speaker series, email charlene@projectunity.net. Zoom information will be sent prior to the event.
Tuesday, September 21 | 5:30 - 6:30 PM
"Nightmare at the Lorraine Motel"
Featured Speaker - Contributing Author, Dr. Fred Jones
This book is a collaboration of different authors looking at Dr. Martin Luther King from the perspective of not so much the "Dream", but the "Nightmare of America" from the thought process of Dr. King's last night on earth, April 3rd. Dr. Jones writes a chapter on Politics that looks at the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 which was Dr. King's first entrance into the mainstream fight of the Civil Rights movement.
Churning Chaos into Political Power, he examines the togetherness of the people to band together in spite of overwhelming odds and successfully alter the course of Birmingham policies which were oppressive. Yet in spite of the short-term win, the people were unable to secure the victory of being able to sit in the front of the bus due to not being able to vote.
To purchase your copy of Nightmare at the Lorraine Motel ahead of the event, email Dr. Jones at  fjonesdesoto@gmail.com.

North Texas Giving Day | September 23, 2021

 
On Thursday, September 23, 2021, Project Unity is participating in Communities Foundation of Texas' North Texas Giving Day, a one-day online giving extravaganza for our whole region. 

Please keep Project Unity in mind as you make your gifts to support community organizations. The work we do is important to our communities, and we need your help to continue the good works of strengthening race relations, improving community relationships with law enforcement and addressing the health and wellness needs of the community.
 
Schedule your early donation between now and September 22 and Project Unity becomes eligible for bonus funds! Want to wait until the Big Day? Great! Plan to make your gift on Thursday, September 23. Your gift will help support our programs and events:

What unites us is greater than what divides us!

Schedule Your Donation!

Project Unity & SMU Perkins School of Theology

 

Project Unity hosted seminary students from SMU's Perkins School of Theology over 3-days of listening, learning and community service. As part of the seminary engagement weekend, students participated in a lunch and learn about Project Unity and a Together We Dine among their peers on Friday. On Saturday, students volunteered at the Together We Vaccinate clinic at For Oak Cliff where they helped vaccine participants complete their forms, directed traffic and parking, distributed goodie bags and other administrative areas. They concluded their weekend by attending church service with Pastor Richie Butler at St. Luke "Community" United Methodist Church.

"Thanks for a wonderful weekend experience from Friday through Sunday in worship.  We were blessed by all we learned and all of the people who you helped us to serve through vaccinations."

Tracy Anne Allred, Assistant Dean of Student Life, Director of Community Engagement - Perkins School of Theology | SMU

Congratulations to Dr. Brian Williams!

Project Unity wishes Dr. Brian Williams a heartfelt congratulations on being selected as one of six health professionals for the Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellows Program. Dr. Williams is a surgeon, speaker and activist. He has been a friend and supporter of Project Unity since 2017 as a Year of Unity Ambassador and as of recent, an ambassador for Together We Can.
He has also spoken at events, participated in several Together We Dines, and served as an advisor on health, diversity, equity and inclusion. He was instrumental in the medical care of our DPD officers who were ambushed downtown on July 7, 2016 and openly shared his views on issues of race and unity as we all struggled with that tragedy. Congratulations Dr. Williams... "Oh The Places You Will (continue to) Go!"

Featuring Our Facilitators


Facilitators are the heart and soul of our Together We Dine program. They volunteer their time 2-3 times a week helping to navigate safe conversations on race. They do this heart-felt work because it matters so much to each of them. Let us introduce you to them and learn why they volunteer.
  • Jessica Lewis, Attorney, facilitator since 2020
    I volunteer my time as a facilitator first and foremost because of my faith. I believe that I’m called to pursue justice, truth, forgiveness, and healing as I strive to love others as Christ did. Through facilitating with TWD, I seek to help break down historical divisions between neighbors so that we can see each other as people created in the image of God with life stories to tell instead of a stereotype or ideology to be dismissed or dismantled, respectively. My biggest takeaway from this service opportunity is how diverse and interesting those life stories are and how much we miss when we assume we know the extent of someone’s story or struggles based on their appearance.  This experience has further opened my eyes to the work that needs to be done in order for us to “dwell together in unity.
  • Mandrell Drakes, Dallas Police Department, facilitator since 2018
    I volunteer as a TWD facilitator because it gives me an opportunity to hear what others have to say about an issue that I believe should often be a topic of conversation, but isn't and I am allowed to be educated in various areas of race relation while also having the ability to educate others as well. The biggest takeaway that I have learned is that there seem to be a lot more people that don't look like me that feel very similar to the way I feel about racism! That speaks volumes to me. Being a facilitator has helped my journey & learnings on race relations by having the ability to ask and be asked uncomfortable questions while at the same time having the ability AND responsibility to respond to questions asked of me as a BLACK MAN and represent my culture in a way that I believe represents it well.

Project Unity's Annual Together We Ball!

 
During this time of the year, we would be preparing for our annual Together We Ball event. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, we are holding off another year of hosting our high-energy, interactive, crowd-pleasing, talent showcase of pastors, police and community leaders. While we will miss this year's event, we continue to support our law enforcement friends who give their all to righteously protect and serve our communities. Save the date for August 2022! We hope to see your face in the place! In the meantime, stay safe!
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