West Dallas Community Center

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Mission Statement: The mission of West Dallas Community Centers, Inc is Helping Youth Excel! We help youth of West Dallas to develop dignity, self-respect and to meet life's encounters with a positive attitude and manner. We also communicate to the youth that they are worth-while human-beings. We train youth to practice acceptable and new social skills, increased self worth that will enable them to become productive citizens of our society. West Dallas Community Centers, Inc ( WDCC ) has been in existence since 1932 ( 78 years ). We were one of the original Agencies funded by Community Chest presently known as United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. The agency was started by the following city fathers: R.L. Stemmons, Trammel Crow, Marvin D. Love, Clint Murchison III, and many other distinguished leaders. WDCC was originally named the West Dallas Social Center, established during the Great Depression at a time of extreme poverty. The Center started by serving the community with a once-a-week medical clinic sponsored by local physician volunteers. In 1934, the services were expanded to include family recreation and to provide moral support to families living in the community. In the early days, most of the programs were funded by local churches and service clubs like the Variety Club of North Texas. Eventually services were expanded into the public school system's Thomas Edison Middle School. We were very active in all aspects of Community life and recognized for our work with children and youth across the Nation. With the completion of the West Dallas Housing Authority project, there was actually space built for three on-site Community Centers. From this point forward, Agency programs began to strictly focus upon youth development, positive self-image, educational field trips, enrichment activities, arts and culture, rather than recreational and athletic activities. In 1975, the Agency moved its Administrative office from the Bataan Center to the new Dallas West ( Now called Lakewest ) Shopping Center. During the 1980's and 1990's, the Board Chairs included distinguished Chair persons such as Mr. Clint Murchison III, Mr. Roy Griffin, Texas State Senator Royce West, Atty. William Kim Wade, Texas State Representative Yvonne Davis and Ms. Bernice Washington, just to name a few. In 2008-2009, the Agency purchased the Dr. Chambers Community Clinic Building located at 3918 N. Hampton Road to use at the Agency's new Administrative and program site. Today's services include programming in drug prevention, truancy intervention, W.A.R on Illiteracy, parenting education, college preparatory services, Financial Literacy, mentoring, life skills and referrals to other community resources. West Dallas Community Centers, Inc ( WDCC ) is a private non-profit organization whose organizational structure currently consists of three ( 3 ) full service community centers, with one ( 1 ) located in the barrio, one ( 1 ) in the residential area and one ( 1 ) on Hampton in the heart of the Trinity River Project. We are also part of an exciting and unique collaborative program at the Jaycee Zaragoza Elementary School in East Dallas. At this site, we collaborate with the City of Dallas Park and Recreation as well as DISD to provide after-school educational and enrichment programs to more than 120 kids. WDCC has also been a pioneer in the development of substance abuse prevention and intervention programs for inner-city youth and their families. We are proud of our affiliation with the Department of State Health Services in the provision of the only Positive Directions site in serving West Dallas. Program Description Our program strives to improve the child's understanding of making healthy choices, despite their environment. Through job training, college preparation, exposure and opportunities, our children and youth acquire marketable experiences and skills thr