News & Events

Curious about what's new at Family Gateway? Explore this section to find the latest news and updates on exciting things happening at Family Gateway.

Several special events are held each year benefiting Family Gateway. Take a moment to see how you might participate in upcoming events, or call us to explore your ideas for fundraising and awareness building.

Media Inquiries:
Contact Emily Santillan, sr. development officer, at 214-823-4500 x 107 or via email at esantillan@familygateway.org.

In the News

Baron and Blue Foundation Awards Grants to 19 Area Nonprofits

Family Gateway was pleased to recieve an award from the Baron and Blue Foundation supporting our mission.

"On behalf of the Baron and Blue Foundation, we are grateful to have the opportunity to support our nonprofit partners in their mission to assist homeless individuals and families in our community," said Lisa Blue Baron, the foundation's co-founder and president.

"In this difficult economy, these organizations are serving more clients than ever before despite the overall decrease in available funding, and it is our privilege to be a small part of the important work that they do."

Read entire story here >

Homeless Numbers Dip, but More Families Suffer

New statistics show that theoverall number of homeless people in America dropped slightly last year — although the number of homeless families rose 7 percent.

Read entire story here >


Rise in Female Homeless Veterans in Dallas
Watch this touching news story about our nation's heros returning home to new challenges.


Nation's Economic Collapse Triggers Rise in Homeless Families, report says

According to a recent study, record job losses and foreclosures helped push more than 170,000 families into homeless shelters in 2009, up nearly 30 percent since 2007 when the recession first gripped the nation, a government report released Wednesday shows.

While the total number of homeless people on any given night fell by 5 percent from 2008 to 2009, the number of homeless families increased for the second straight year, according to the 2009 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress prepared by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The report is the first comprehensive national homeless study to capture the full impact of the economic downturn. It shows how badly the recession has shaken the stability of families nationwide.

A recent study by the National Alliance to End Homelessness found that from 2007 to 2008, the number of families who move in with others, or who "double up," increased 8.5 percent. "So now I think what you're seeing is that those doubled-up families from 2007 and 2008 are starting to become homeless," said Nan Roman, president of the homelessness alliance.

Marquez said the problem of "doubling up" increased fivefold in 2009 alone. In overcrowded living conditions, children don't do as well in school and families lack privacy, which can lead to greater stress and health problems, she said. "These are things that concern us greatly," Marquez said.

It can take a year or more before a troubled family or individual becomes homeless, so the problem will likely worsen since the economy hasn't bounced back.

Read entire story here >

Boy Walks Across America to Raise Awareness for Homeless Children

Zach Bonner, 12, took a break from his 2,478 mile journey from Tampa, Florida to Los Angeles, California to spend time with homeless children at Family Gateway in Dallas. Zach's courageous journey will take 7 months, and build greater awareness about the epidemic of childhood and family homelessness in communities along his route.

Zach hosted a Build-a-Bear party for children at Family Gateway and also walked with children to the Dallas Public Library where he read them a story.

Enjoy local news coverage of Zach's inspiring visit and learn more about his journey below.

CBS News Video

WFAA News Video

Family Gateway Still Helping the Homeless
Dallas Morning News | Robert Miller

Even that iconic visionary Annette Strauss couldn't have foreseen the full extent of the homelessness challenge facing Dallas today.

As early as 1985, when she was mayor pro tem, she became concerned about the growing number of homeless families with children on our city's streets.
As a woman of action as well as vision and compassion, she set about raising funds from private sources to build a shelter where parents and children could be served as a family.

Family Gateway exists today because of her ability to motivate diverse groups to work for a common cause. Since its beginnings in 1986, Family Gateway has served more than 7,300 children and 3,800 families. The challenges keep mounting. We are, after all, in the midst of one of the deepest recessions since the Great Depression.

But Family Gateway has much to be proud of. "The key to Family Gateway's success," said Connie Boyd, its executive director, "are the programs in place designed to break the cycle of homelessness through education, counseling, food, housing, clothing, tutoring, medical care and social activities primarily focused on the children."

Read entire article here >


To find out more about Family Gateway, call us at 214.823.4500 or email info@familygateway.org.