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August 2022

Together We Ball TM

Project Unity is excited for the return of our annual Together We Ball – It’s Back! Join us on Sunday, August 28th at the historic Paul Quinn College as we celebrate Unity in the Community with youth, pastors, police and community leaders all playing a game of basketball!

Youth Skills & Drills Camp: 10:00 a.m. Project Unity’s Youth Skills & Drills Camp will be hosted by the Dallas Mavericks Academy. This camp is for rising students in 6th – 8th grades. Limited spots are available for community sign-up. One child per household, please. Registration closes Friday, August 19 at 5:00 p.m. Click here to register.

High School Exhibition Game: 1:00 p.m. Students from schools across Dallas are brought together as strangers to quickly bond and unite as a team to win the high school game! Students in grades 11th-12th represent schools such as Skyline, Forney, Jesuit, Lake Highlands, Highland Park and Mesquite to name a few. Everyone is invited out to cheer on the varsity talent that will be on display!
 
Courtside Community Activities: 2:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to enjoy the activities during the community hour including community resource tables by the Dallas Police, DISD Police, DART Police and Sheriff's Department. Job opportunity information will be available for some of these law enforcement departments. Face painting, balloon artists, autographs from police officers, photos with DPD Superheroes, Mavs ManiAACS and more to enjoy!
 
Pre-Game Activities: 3:00 p.m. Be in the stands for all the pre-game activities including the 3-Point Contest, Mavs entertainment and The Big Game Player Draft! A few spots are still available for the 3-Point Contest so click here to sign up today!

The Big Game: 4:00 p.m. We have waited 2 years for the return of The Big Game! Come out and cheer on officers representing Dallas, DISD, DART and Sheriff's Department. Joining them on the court are faith leaders representing St. Luke “Community” UMC, Golden Gate Baptist Church, Concord Church and community leaders from For Oak Cliff and Woodbine Development Corporation to name a few!

Social: Share your pre-game and event photos with us on social (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) by using #TogetherWeBall2022

Volunteers needed! Click here to sign up to volunteer for Together We Ball. A variety of opportunities are available!
Know a currently enrolled, full-time Paul Quinn College student? Share this flyer so they can enter for a chance to win a $1,000 scholarship during half-time of the Big Game!

Together We LearnTM

Together We Learn kicks off this fall. If your school is interested in bringing this lifesaving and informational program that supports SB30 to your campus, send an email to togetherwelearn@projectunity.net. Click here to learn more: Together We Learn | Traffic Stop Training for Dallas Youth
Click on the video recaps below from our partner schools:

TI Grant Announcement  

The TI Foundation recently made a two-year grant to Project Unity for programs that aim to remove racial divides in North Texas. Our programs focus on dialogue and trust-building between area law enforcement, youth and communities. The grant to Project Unity by the TI Foundation is part of its commitment to support programs that dismantle barriers to racial equity.

“As we continue to discuss ‘what more can we do?’, we maintain our focus on investing in programs that get to the heart of ensuring our communities are safer, more equitable places to live and work for all,” said Andy Smith, executive director of the TI Foundation and director of TI giving and volunteering. “ This recent grant to Project Unity is a great example of that strategy, and we are excited to support its programs that work to heal divides in our communities.”

Together We DineTM | Tuesday, August 30th

Take action this month and attend the virtual August Community Together We Dine, Tuesday, August 30th! Whether it will be your first time or your 5th time joining the conversation, attending a virtual Together We Dine is an actionable step to begin or continue your journey of having conversations on race and current events that affect us all. The event offers a safe, non-judgmental environment to learn about others and more about yourself. It is open to the community no matter where you are, virtually!

Does your company or organization want to incorporate Together We Dine as part of your DEI strategy? Contact Charlene to learn how you can host a private Dine event for your team today!

Registration is open through Monday, August 29 at 12 PM CST.
Register Here!
(Facilitators attending Shakespeare Dallas Together We Dine at Akin Gump office.)

Together We DineTM Facilitator Training!

Project Unity is hosting its next Together We Dine Facilitator Training via Zoom on Monday, August 29 (Part I) and Thursday, September 1 (Part 2). To become a facilitator, you must have participated in at least three Dine events - either in-person, virtual, or a combination of both, attend part 1 and part 2 training sessions (required), provide a resume or short bio and complete other training elements. If you are interested in joining this impactful and dedicated group of volunteers, please sign up by 5:00 PM on Monday, August 22nd.

Register Here!

The Zoom information will be sent to participants as a confirmation for the training after you sign up. Please view the details below:

TRAINING DATES: Monday, August 29 and Thursday, September 1
TIME: 6:00 - 7:30 PM and 6:15 - 7:45 PM respectively
WHERE: Via Zoom! You will be emailed the information after you sign up.

What Does It Take To Be a Project Unity Facilitator?

The TWD facilitator is a volunteer who has a genuine interest in helping navigate conversations on race and race relations in a structured environment among participants. Facilitators must be non-judgmental, non-biased, and be able to separate personal thoughts, beliefs, political affiliations and opinions from the conversations they lead in the breakout room. Facilitators must be sincere about helping individuals along their journey of discussing race. Facilitators must be comfortable talking about race, be a good listener, exhibit confidentiality and be able to multitask when managing the various elements involved with the breakout room.

Time commitment is based on each individual's schedule, but volunteers are asked to facilitate 2-3 Dines per quarter at a minimum. Together We Dine events are held over the lunch hour and evenings. This role is fulfilling, rewarding and is an opportunity for volunteers to learn about themselves and others through listening and sharing.
We hope you enjoyed our Summer Listen & Learn Speaker Series. We are proud to have three incredible individuals who have made life-changing impacts on our history and communities. We appreciate them sharing their stories and allowing us to walk in their shoes. If you missed our speakers, Qubilah Shabazz, Ms. Opal Lee and Rev. Peter Johnson, you can listen to their stories now! Click here for more!

Big D Reads – The Accommodation &
September Together We Dine

Project Unity is pleased to partner with D Magazine and Communities Foundation along with a host of other partners on the 2022 Big D Reads event. The selected reading is The Accommodation written by Jim Schutze. Big D Reads is making 30K copies of the reprinted book available to the community.

Join Project Unity for these specific events:
Monday, September 12
5:30 – 7:30 PM
SMU McCord Auditorium
Save the date for September 12! Join Project Unity, The Dallas Foundation, and the Dallas Literary Festival for a conversation with faith leaders from diverse parishes on The Accommodation and their beliefs on the role of faith communities in shaping our city's future. Speakers include Richie Butler and a panel of faith leaders to be announced. Registration coming soon!

Thursday, September 29
5:30 – 7:30 PM
Highland Park United Methodist Church
Save the date for September 29! Plan to attend the September community Together We Dine with discussion on The Accommodation! Trained facilitators will guide discussions on topics related to the book. Registration coming soon!

For more information on the full list of events, visit https://www.bigdreads.org/events

Community Health Clinic Pilot


Project Unity is excited about our partnership with Catalyst Health Group as we introduce a pilot community clinic program located at St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church. The pilot clinic program will offer basic health care services to residents in the area including prescription and telehealth services. Project Unity’s Together We Dine facilitators hosted community conversations with Catalyst at St. Luke’s Community Event on Saturday, August 6, at Samuell Grand Recreation Center where they captured input from the individuals on their health care perceptions and needs.

Corporate Partner Highlight

The North Texas Conference has partnered with Project Unity to host Together We Dines at various United Methodist Churches as part of its Racial Task Force engagement opportunities. Since establishing our partnership in June 2022, we have hosted 5 Together We Dines with 10 church partners; 3 Dines are in the planning phase; and several other Dines are scheduling soon. Thanks so much to Andy Lewis for recognizing Project Unity as a partner to help the North Texas Conference along its racial reconciliation and healing journey. 
Together We Dine | North Texas Annual Conference

  Love Our Facilitators  

Facilitators are the heart and soul of our Together We Dine program. They volunteer their time multiple times a week helping to navigate safe conversations on race. They do this heart-felt work because it matters so much to each of them. Let us introduce you to them and learn why they volunteer.
Karen McCracken, facilitator since 2020

"Project Unity's mission aligns directly with my own as a disciple of Jesus Christ and with Project Unity I can broaden my reach and understanding beyond my majority white congregation. Also, volunteering is an excellent opportunity to give back to my community. My biggest take-away from facilitating is to be able to feel more comfortable with feeling uncomfortable which is something I believe all humanity can benefit for our common futures together. I have become a much better listener as well as learning skills for finding common ground that help to stay engaged with someone that I do not agree with on any subject."
Armel Crocker, facilitator since 2022

"I volunteer to help foster difficult conversations about race and inequity. I have learned more about myself as well as others. Being a facilitator has helped me navigate difficult conversations with congregations."

Community Corner!

 
Visiting Nurse Association - Volunteers Wanted! 
Volunteer with the VNA and make a difference by delivering meals to homebound seniors in Dallas County. 

If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to VNA directly, or click here to visit their website

Calendar of Upcoming Events


Keep up with Project Unity! Visit our calendar to find out where we are or who we are serving in the community. Click Here!
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