“You can make a difference if you start with a small group,” Donna Squibb says, “and that’s what we’re trying to do – start in our own backyard.”
Squibb’s backyard is Ridgewood Park, a neighborhood just behind Dan D. Rogers Elementary, which draws children from East Dallas/Lakewood and the southern portion of Lake Highlands/Merriman Park.
“We just felt that with the shape our City is in, well, we have the same problems here, and we felt like we could make a difference.”
Squibb and others in her neighborhood, particularly members of Ridgewood Park United Methodist Church and Pastor Gene Wisdom, have decided that instead of complaining about their less-fortunate neighbors or wishing they’d simply move away, they’re going to help out.
The group is working with Wilshire Baptist Church on Abrams Road and the school’s assistant principal, Lucy Livingston, to develop programs for afterschool tutoring for children living in nearby apartment complexes.
“We feel like we are on the border of an elementary school we had no interaction with,” Squibb says. “But when we got to looking at the City as a whole, and then our neighborhood, we figured, hey, we can do something starting right here.”
The church already operates Mothers’ Day Out and preschool classes, Squibb says, but they are pay-as-you-go propositions. The church’s and neighborhood’s emphasis now is to help children whose parents either don’t have the time or interest to ensure their children do well in school.
“Our basic goal is to help our community through these elementary school children,” Squibb says.
Originally, members of the church planned to develop programs on their own, but after canvassing the neighborhood for ideas, they discovered Wilshire Baptist had the same idea – so why not join forces?
“They (Wilshire) have their programs in operation, but they need volunteers,” Squibb says. “Normally, our biggest weakness (as a church) has been getting volunteers for projects, but we’ve had great response here.”
Plans haven’t been finalized yet, Squibb says, but a task force – led by Cathy Ratliff – hopes to continue expanding its Vacation Bible School program specifically to include apartment children, organize a neighborhood baseball/softball game and picnic, and initiate a mentoring program for parents.
“We find that a lot of the parents in the apartment complexes are single parents. Many don’t have phones or they work, so they can’t always spend enough time with their children. We hope to train volunteers and help the parents learn how to do these things.”
All in all, it’s a pretty laudable effort that – if carried out in neighborhoods throughout this area – would over time make a big difference in crime, property values and general satisfaction.
“When you watch TV all night,” Donna Squibb says, “you get kind of depressed, what with all the bad news. So it feels good to be involved and making a difference.”
“Now when I wake up in the morning, I feel like I can do something – even if it’s something little – about our problems.”
Amen.
And Now, The News
After talking with Donna Squibb about her frustration with TV news, I thought I’d pay a little more attention to the news that night, just to see if she was correct.
I shouldn’t have doubted her.
I watched Channel 8 at 10 p.m. May 13. Here were the top stories, in order of presentation (I didn’t leave any out, either):
1. “Condom rapist” found guilty.
2. Fort Worth gunman who killed three, including a 10-year-old carrying his child, is convicted.
3. Area pastor charged with indecency with a child.
4. Eighteen students injured by gunfire in Mexican school riot.
5. Concealed handgun measure considered by Texas Senate.
6. School funding plan debated; Republicans accuse Gov. Richards of “lacking leadership.”
7. Federal deficit reduction plan linked to Clinton tax increase.
8. Star Wars defense program killed by Administration.
9. And finally, a much-touted, multi-part, “Special Report: Teen Sex, Say Yes, Say No.”
Mercifully, about 10 to 12 minutes into the broadcast, it was time for a commercial and then the weather. Rather than complaining about content, I guess I should be happy the Branch Davidians weren’t mentioned.
