If you asked Dallas ISD elementary student Genesis T. how she rates the lemon-lime soda she learned to make at summer camp, she would say it’s a 10 out of 10.
On Wednesdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Genesis’ day is packed with activities like making her own soda at Resource Center South, where she often visits with her older sister.
“This is my first time at this summer camp, but I’ve been to this center multiple times to do sports, yoga, math, reading, and art. I really like it,” she said.
As part of the summer camp, chef instructors from Common Threads, a local non-profit organization, teach the importance of healthy eating while taking the kids on a “trip around the world.” Facts and figures about countries like Peru, Lebanon, and Mexico preface each cooking demonstration. Every Wednesday, kids get to follow a different recipe.
Although the camp only occurs weekly, Resource Center South manager, Tiphanie Sanders-Wright said it’s a blessing that parents are able to drop off their kids in a safe and familiar place where they can have fun.
“The whole concept of this place is centered around family. Anytime we have workshops for parents, we also have things for students to do. We want the whole family to enjoy and take advantage of our services,” she said.
A one-stop shop for families, the resource center’s offerings extend far beyond a summer camp.
Sanders-Wright said it supports families in the areas of healthy food and nutrition, mental health and counseling, job training, and safe streets and public spaces.
In South Dallas, where families may face food insecurity, the center’s in-house store, “Brother Bill’s Grocery Store,” is one way the center serves as a goldmine in the middle of a food desert.
Families can shop up to two times per month, and fresh deliveries are brought by Brother Bill’s Helping Hand volunteers every week. They also lend a hand by bagging groceries.
The store offers a variety of essentials, including frozen meals, fresh produce, basic cooking ingredients, seasonings, canned goods, meat, and staple items like milk, eggs, and cheese.
“The grocery store fulfills our priority in regards to accessing healthy food, giving families the option to come in and shop with dignity,” Sanders-Wright said. “Mostly all the parents here picking up their kids from camp are also shopping in our grocery store.”
Many Dallas ISD families depend on the center’s help.
A Dallas ISD parent whose daughter attended Joseph J. Rhoads Learning Center last year is a frequent visitor.
“It’s a great experience with a lot of different things to choose from, things the kids even like. My favorite item is ground beef because it’s expensive, but here it’s free and I can make hamburgers,” she said.“These items can last my daughter and me maybe two to three weeks.”
Sanders-Wright emphasizes the importance of the center’s resources, saying the aid it provides goes a long way to ensure students are successful in school.
“If a kid is in the classroom and feels hungry or doesn’t have access to healthy food, they won’t thrive in the classroom,” she said. “Access to our cooking nutrition classes and grocery shopping is very essential to students’ academic improvement.”
The resource center is located at:
4401 S. Second Ave.,
Dallas, TX 75210
(Bertrand Ave. Entrance)
