The Interfaith Council of Thanks-Giving Square & The Texas Jewish Arts Association are collaborating with the Dallas Arboretum for their first exhibition called, 'The Artistry of Faith & Culture'; which will display items for Shabbat and Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Holi, and Christmas all inside the DeGolyer estate home on the grounds of the Dallas Arboretum, November 10 thru December 31, 2022. 

Over the last nine months, the Thanks-Giving Foundation has been in collaboration and conversation with representatives from ACTNOW and the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law at Stanford University to deepen our effectiveness with our neighbors in Dallas. The Thanks-Giving Foundation is elevating Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision of the “World House” through conversations curated in “People’s Commissions.” These People’s Commissions are set to create equitable community change by convening, listening, and offering feedback through a qualitative research approach to clearly define the change needed for the neighbors/neighborhood for themselves, elected officials, and charitable communities. As Kyle Ogden and Andy Stoker have been imagining the myriad of outcomes from their initial needs assessments in the community, they are discovering community leaders and non-profit partners engaged in neighborhoods with support and assistance. So, the Thanks-Giving Foundation intends to engage in uniting these conversations for us all to work toward Dr. King’s ultimate vision of “Beloved Community" for our Beloved Dallas!
 
In the first months of the Beloved Dallas work, a partnership formed with the Child Poverty Action Lab (CPAL) and the Thanks-Giving Foundation (TTGF)! One aspect of this partnership that emerged is that CPAL and TTGF want to assist organizations in finding their footing by interviewing engaged members of their communities to discern how those goals are being realized in the neighbors themselves. Each session will be audio recorded, which would also become part of a broader collection of conversations under CPAL's effort to engage neighbors and, the best news, CPAL will then provide access to audio and text data through Cortico's technology/platform for their use to hone their goals and objectives. The even better news: Dr. Rachel Tache is our CPAL representative! Rachel is new to Dallas and has a passion for equitable community transformation. Dr. Tache says this about the collaboration of CPAL AND TTGF: "Small group dialogues have the potential to illuminate diverse perspectives and foster new connections. These focused conversations also allow us to cultivate meaningful insights that uncover barriers and bridges to effective programming and resourcing in Dallas. Cortico provides a tool for organizing and interpreting personal narratives, bolstering our capacity to identify shared goals and drive responsive action. We're excited that the Thanks-Giving Foundation is similarly committed to understanding community strengths and needs firsthand -- centering and uplifting lived experience locally is common to our work."

Rachel and Andy have engaged fifteen (15) non-profit organizations and out of those, eight (8) are interested in moving forward with the Beloved Dallas work. Each organization is building a listening/discussion guide for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. Rachel and Andy will be hosting a monthly Zoom Session to give updates and invite new people into the conversation about this work. The November Zoom Session will be Wednesday, November 16, at 5 p.m. (click the underline to copy Zoom credentials for your calendar). 

    

 

 

FIFTH ANNUAL INTERFAITH THANKSGIVING SERVICE, Thursday, November 17th
 

If you have suggestions or comments, please contact tgs@thanksgiving.org.