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Author: United Way of Metropolitan Dallas

The Targeted Eviction Prevention Program

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on . Posted in News & Updates. No Comments on The Targeted Eviction Prevention Program

Earlier this year, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas launched an innovative new pilot program that seeks to address a long-standing problem. The Targeted Eviction Prevention Project (TEPP) provides comprehensive case management to families in Southern Dallas with the goal of empowering them to stay in their homes so their children can stay in their schools.

TEPP is an important part of our Homeless Prevention and Intervention Initiative, which provides a continuum of services to address the complex, income-related challenges that often result in homelessness. By ensuring local families can stay in their homes, TEPP supports our three focus areas—education, income and health—because a stable home enables kids to do well in school, adults to succeed at work and North Texans of all ages to stay physically and mentally healthy.

Since we launched TEPP in January, it has already had a profound impact on housing and education for the participating families. Read on to learn more about the program and how it is helping to prevent homelessness right here in North Texas.


An Innovative Approach to Preventing Homelessness

TEPP is a partnership with Child Poverty Action Lab, CitySquare, UpTogether, Dallas Independent School District, TR Hoover, Texas Women’s Foundation, Carter’s House, Harmony CDC and ForOakCliff.

Prior to launching the program, the TEPP partners identified five schools that experience a high percentage of mid-year student moves and are in communities with high eviction rates. The project is focusing on families with students at Billy Earl Dade Middle School, Joseph J. Rhoads Learning Center, Dr. Martin Luther King Learning Center, Elisha M. Pease Elementary School or J.N. Ervin Elementary School. These schools have reported that 33% to 46% of their students change schools or leave school altogether in the middle of an academic year.

Working together, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and our partners are providing resources to hundreds of families in these communities with a goal of preventing evictions. By working to keep families in their homes, TEPP aims to prevent mid-year student moves and encourage stability and continuity in children’s education.

“Creating housing stability for families is key to a student’s success in school,” said Ashley Brundage, executive director of housing stability and senior vice president of community impact at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. “Not only are evictions traumatic for mothers and children, but multiple moves are associated with lower school engagement, poor grades and high risk of dropping out of high school. By investing directly in a family’s need to maintain housing, we can influence the health, education and future income of a child.”

Be a Part of Our Housing Stability Work

Housing instability is a significant problem in North Texas, and it often leads to homelessness.

Studies show that nearly half of all Texans spend more than 30% of their income on housing, which means they are housing insecure. Meanwhile, the 2022 Point-in-Time Homeless Count found that more than 4,400 of our neighbors experience homelessness on any given night. One of the best ways we can prevent homelessness is by keeping people in their homes—and programs like TEPP are doing just that by creating housing stability and preventing evictions.

Ending homelessness is a goal that we can call work toward together. We invite you to join the movement to improve housing stability for all North Texans. Here are three easy ways to get involved:

  • Give: Donate to United Way Dallas to support housing stability and eviction prevention initiatives.
    Advocate: Call your representatives and tell them you support affordable housing throughout our community. And be sure to sign up for our Advocacy Alerts to receive information on our top policy priorities, such as affordable and equitable housing.
    Volunteer: We frequently host volunteer events that support housing stability and homelessness prevention. Fill out our general volunteer interest form, and we’ll let you know about upcoming programs that fit your interests.

Keeping Families in Their Homes

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on . Posted in Impact Stories.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dallas Rental Assistance Collaborative was an important aspect of our housing stability work. The initiative sought to prevent homelessness by providing rental and utility assistance to families who might otherwise face eviction. The financial assistance was a lifeline for many North Texans at a time when many of our neighbors had lost their income or missed work due to illness.

Watch the video to learn more about the impact of the Dallas Rental Assistance Collaborative.

Preventing Childhood Hunger

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on . Posted in Impact Stories.

Through our food access programming and advocacy work, United Way seeks to ensure that every child in North Texas can access healthy meals during the summer and provides vital support for hard-working families that rely on federal nutrition programs during the school year. Part of this work involves helping local meal providers raise awareness, increase meal sites and more effectively address child hunger in our community.

View the video to learn more about the impact of this important initiative.

Sparking a Love of Reading

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on . Posted in Impact Stories.

Once Upon a Month™ delivers age-appropriate children’s books and accompanying parent guides each month to children ages 0 to 5. The engaging and colorful books make it easy and fun for parents and their kids to read together. The interactions stimulate curiosity, language development and learning skills, setting young children up to succeed in both school and life.

Watch the video to learn more about the impact of Once Upon a Month™, which is a partnership with The Boone Family Foundation and The Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy.

Creating Career Pathways

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on . Posted in Impact Stories.

Pathways to Work is a workforce development program supported by JPMorgan Chase & Co. The initiative gives hardworking North Texans the training necessary to secure middle-skill jobs in the high-demand sectors of IT or healthcare. Each year, Pathways to Work enables thousands of North Texans to access better-paying jobs, improve their income and achieve greater financial security.

Watch the video to learn more about the impact of Pathways to Work.

Home Visiting and Support

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on . Posted in Resources.

Sign Up

Contact one of our Texas Home Visiting partners to sign up:

ChildCareGroup – Born Learning Parent Engagement Program
Parent educators model positive parenting skills and teach parents about child development, milestones and activities to encourage growth

Dallas Independent School District HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters)
A three-year school readiness and parent involvement program that includes both learning and play

Metrocare – Flourishing Family
Offers home visiting for children from birth to three years, empowering parents to become their children’s first teacher.

Lumin Education
Offers home visiting for children from birth to three years, empowering parents to become their children’s first teacher

What’s available?

  • Free in-home visits from a nurse, a volunteer, a trained professional or an experienced parent
  • Home visitors answer questions, offer advice, provide support and teach parents how to prepare children for kindergarten

Who’s eligible?

  • Families in Dallas and Collin counties
  • Soon-to-be parents and those with children under 5

About the Program

The Texas Home Visiting program is funded by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services with matching funds from United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. The program enjoys the support of ChildCareGroup, Dallas ISD HIPPY, Family Compass and Lumin Education.

For more information, please contact Nailah Johnson, Senior Director, Texas Home Visiting Program & Maternal Health at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas

Free Tax Preparation

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on . Posted in Resources.

Tax time is an important financial moment, but many families miss the opportunity for a refund because they don’t file or make a mistake when they file. Our Free Tax Preparation program ensures working families can receive thousands of dollars each year from the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit to put toward savings and living expenses.

Benefits

  • Completely free
  • Safe, secure and led by volunteers who are IRS-certified tax preparers
  • Saves you money. Clients save an average of $350 in tax preparation and filing fees, plus get an average refund of $1,800 by claiming all their eligible tax credits and refunds. Last year, our volunteers helped 19,151 North Texas families receive a total of $15.2 million in refunds.

Documents Needed

  • Photo ID
  • Social Security or ITIN cards for you, your spouse and dependents
  • All W2 and 1099 forms to document income
  • Documentation of expenses paid for deductions
  • Health insurance documents (1095 A/B)
  • Checking/savings account number
  • Last year’s tax return

2026 Services Available

Free tax preparation services will begin opening in early February 2026. Please check individual organizations and websites for location details, operating hours and additional information.

Foundation Communities: Dallas County

During the tax season, IRS-certified volunteers offer free tax help to individuals and families who earn less than $67,000 a year. Clients can file current and previous year’s tax returns as well as non-resident returns and obtain ITIN renewals. Virtual and online services are also available through the Community Tax Centers.

Walk-in locations will open starting February 1:

  • Concord Church
  • Fretz Park Library
  • North Dallas Shared Ministries
  • Hampton- Illinois Library

By appointment only starting February 15:

  • MLK Community Center

For updated information and service locations, or to sign up for text alerts, visit www.dallastaxcenters.org or text TAXCENTERS to 833-939-1387.
Interested in volunteering to support free tax services? Learn more.

Catholic Charities Dallas: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance for Collin County

Catholic Charities of Dallas will operate two VITA sites in Plano. Both sites will be open by appointment only.

Schimelpfenig Library
5024 Custer Road
Plano, Texas 75023
Dates of Operation: February 1 to April 12

St. Mark the Evangelist- Smyth Pastoral Center
1100 West 15th Street
Plano, Texas 75075
Dates of Operation: February 3 to April 15

Schedule
  • Mondays – 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (St. Mark the Evangelist – Smyth Pastoral Center)
  • Tuesdays –  5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (St. Mark the Evangelist – Smyth Pastoral Center)
  • Wednesdays –  5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Schimelpfenig Library)
  • Thursdays – 10:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m. (St. Mark the Evangelist – Smyth Pastoral Center)
  • Saturdays –  9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Schimelpfenig Library)

Additional Dallas Area Free Tax Prep Services

Additional Online Free Tax Prep Services

  • MyFreeTaxes: MyFreeTaxes by United Way is a free, online-only tax filing program that assists people as theyfile their federal and state taxes. Available in English and Spanish to anyone with a household income of $79,000 or less. Mobile-friendly with a helpline and email support from IRS-trained specialists.
  • IRS Direct File: Free electronic tax filing program available directly from the IRS for taxpayers whose income is less than $79,000. Supports taxpayers claiming the standard deduction, and supports these tax credits: child tax credit, earned income tax credit and credit for other dependents.

Volunteer Opportunities

Are you interested in volunteering to support financial stability in North Texas? Community tax centers rely on volunteers to provide free tax preparation services and ensure quality, error-free tax returns for the clients they serve.

Volunteer opportunities include:

  • Tax preparation: Volunteers work directly with clients to assist them in preparing and filing their tax returns accurately, ensuring that they claim all eligible credits and deductions.
  • Quality review: Volunteers meticulously review tax returns for accuracy and completeness, preventing errors and addressing any potential issues before submission.
  • Intake: Intake volunteers welcome clients, gather essential information, and ensure a smooth and organized process for the entire tax preparation journey.
  • Translation services: For non-English speaking clients, translation volunteers provide crucial language support, ensuring effective communication and understanding. Sixty percent of our clientele base is Spanish speaking.

To become a volunteer, you will need to complete three certification tests: Ethics and Intake, Quality Review and IRS Advanced Tax Law certification. To ensure that volunteers are well-prepared for their roles, we offer comprehensive training and onboarding classes. Our training programs provide a flexible approach, accommodating volunteers’ schedules and lifestyles. Training takes place in both classroom settings, available in-person and virtually, with various timing options, including:

  • Two-day courses
  • Three-day courses (morning and afternoon sessions on weekdays)
  • Saturday courses (morning and afternoon sessions)

Contact Johnathan Hale, Senior Program Volunteer Coordinator at Foundation Communities (Johnathan.Hale@foundcom.org) for more information and to sign up for volunteer training.

Sign Up for Free Children’s Books

Written by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on . Posted in Resources.

Sign Up

To sign up for Once Upon a Month, visit the Ferst Readers website.

What’s included?

  • One free, age-appropriate children’s book every month for a year
  • Parent guides in English and Spanish

Who’s eligible?

  • Children from birth to age 5
  • Children living in Dallas, Collin, Kaufman or Rockwall County
  • English and Spanish readers

Our Partners

Once Upon a Month™ was created by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, The Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy and The Boone Family Foundation. The program enjoys support from these key partners: Communities Foundation of Texas, Department of Family and Protective Services—Prevention and Early Intervention, Dallas Independent School District, Hudson Foundation and Hillcrest Foundation.