Thanksgiving Dinner for the Homeless on the Campus of DTS
This Thanksgiving, DTS is opening its facilities to host the annual Thanksgiving day meal for homeless men and women in the Dallas area put on by OurCalling.
OurCalling was founded in 2001 by DTS grad and adjunct professor Wayne Walker (M.A./CM, 2007) to address the spiritual needs of the homeless which often get overshadowed by the obvious physical and mental needs. In 2011 alone, they distributed over 10,000 blankets, counted over 15,000 personal interactions through meals, Bible studies, Life Skills classes and one-on-one mentoring.
This year’s Thanksgiving dinner is expected to draw 800 men, women, and children without homes from around the Dallas Ft. Worth metroplex. Individuals will be seated with host families in order to share a traditional thanksgiving meal together. OurCalling will be distributing coats and blankets for the winter, serving a traditional Thanksgiving meal, hosting a time of worship and enjoying the televised football games from 12 P.M. to 4 P.M. on Thursday, November 22, 2012.
If you are interested in helping OurCalling with this event, Mr. Walker says they need additional donations of blankets and coats, but more importantly, they need volunteers to serve, distribute resources, pray with and share the love of Christ with our homeless friends. To see a full list of volunteer opportunities, please visit the OurCalling Thankgiving page.
Letter of thanks from Wayne Walker
I want to send a personal note of thanks to the entire DTS staff for letting us use the campus to serve a Thanksgiving meal to the homeless. We had over 800 homeless guests and volunteers on the campus and it was a beautiful day. Guests waited in Cafe Koine for our hosts to seat them with families in the cafeteria.
Families throughout the metroplex hosted tables, many decorated with crystal and china. As the families sat around the table, empty chairs were filled with homeless guests. This not only provided a great opportunity for outreach, it also let the guests feel like a part of a family again. Many have not had a "family meal" in years and it was an emotional day for everyone involved. After the meal, guests were guided to the Campbell academic building to receive a coat and blanket. We had an amazing prayer team in room 102 to pray with individuals, then they joined in fellowship in Lamb Auditorium to watch the football games.
I specifically want to thank the facilities crew, event services, campus police, media services and Chef Adam Adkins of Cornucopia Catering for his help in the kitchen. During the day, each guest had multiple opportunities to sit, relax and share in great conversations about the Lord. The room setup, the food, and the cleanup helped provide blessed opportunities for conversation about Jesus. It was all worth while.
May God get all of the glory!
Take a few moments and look at some of these pictures of the event:
Facebook Album
Flickr StreamIf any of our homeless guests wander back onto the DTS campus, please greet them warmly. Offer to pray with them and invite them to visit the OurCalling cafe. We are less than a mile down the street at 500 South Haskell. They can request resources, eat a warm meal, wash their clothes, take a shower and sit in a Bible study, 12-step meeting or meet with a mentor. We do this every day to glorify God by leading homeless people to Christ and by making disciples on the street.
May you all have a blessed Holiday season,
Your brother in Christ,Wayne Walker
Executive Director and Pastor to the Homeless
OurCalling.org
