Fighting Homelessness

This ruling hits very close to home for Fighting Homelessness.

Through our prison ministry at Hutchins State Jail, we have witnessed firsthand how brutal the Texas summer heat can be inside an un-air conditioned prison.

This issue became so important to us that Fighting Homelessness obtained a grant towards air conditioning an entire faith-based dorm at Hutchins State Jail. The Dallas Leadership Foundation was also working with a separate funder toward the same goal. Together, with the warden’s approval, we were working to make air conditioning a reality in a dorm where our organizations minister on a regular basis.

Now, a federal court has ruled that extreme heat in Texas prisons without air conditioning violates the Eighth Amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishment and has ordered TDCJ to provide systemwide air conditioning by the end of 2029.

The findings are staggering. Nearly 90,000 incarcerated Texans were living without air conditioned housing. The Court found credible evidence of multiple deaths related to extreme heat, including individuals whose body temperatures reached 107.5 and 109.4 degrees.

For us, these are not simply statistics. We know these men. We sit with them. We pray with them. We hear their stories.

Accountability and consequences can coexist with humane treatment.

Human dignity should not disappear at the prison gate.

From homelessness to home.
A door unlocked.
A future ahead. ❤️

We were honored to have John Ocallahan, Director of Advocacy for Fighting Homelessness, present at the South Dallas Employment Project Advisory Council at Dallas College.

John shared a story that represents exactly why this work matters. Just days before the presentation, Fighting Homelessness helped move two 18 year old young people who had been experiencing homelessness into housing.

But housing is only the beginning.

Through partnerships with organizations like SDEP and our workforce partners, we can help young people move beyond crisis and toward education, workforce training, employment, and long term independence.

This is what collaboration looks like. One young person. One opportunity. One open door can change the trajectory of a life.

Thank you to South Dallas Employment Project and Dallas College for bringing organizations together that believe stability, dignity, and economic opportunity belong together.

And thank you, John, for representing Fighting Homelessness and sharing our work so beautifully.

One life can impact thousands of lives.

At Fighting Homelessness, we are thrilled to have been selected for the 5th Texas Supportive Housing Institute cohort, hosted by the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation to build key relationships and support the creation of affordable housing.

It’s only the second week and we’ve already learned so much about current developments for affordable housing, even taking a bus tour around Fort Worth to see housing developments underway! 🏗️🏘️

The Texas Supportive Housing Institute combines effective team building with key resources and tools for FH to better approach housing solutions. They share our ultimate goal of providing stability to those in our community and ending homelessness for good.

We are grateful for the opportunity to learn and can’t wait to use the tools they give us in the future.

What makes the Fighting Homelessness approach?

Well, there’s many things. At FH, we focus on independence, self-sustainability, and growth. We help our youth clients in obtaining drivers licenses so they can get jobs and find stable housing.
We send parents and older clients to financial or tech literacy courses so they can learn how to manage their finances and communicate in a new virtual world. 💵🤳
Most importantly, we are committed to creating affordable housing, whether that's through lobbying our state lawmakers, or creating housing all on our own. 🏡

When you donate to Fighting Homelessness, you're providing resources to those who need it most AND investing in a brighter future for all in our community. 🌟

Follow the link in our bio to donate and be part of the change!

So excited to kick off our 2026 to 2027 Youth Voices for Change Service Intensive with this incredible group of Jesuit juniors and seniors! 👨‍💼👨‍💼

These Men for Others will spend the year learning what it means to serve, advocate, listen, and lead by working directly alongside McKinney Vento students and families experiencing housing insecurity at W.T. White and Thomas Jefferson High Schools.

They are already getting to work. . . Their first projects will be planning our Thanksgiving canned food drive and helping host our Thanksgiving Day lunch, bringing together these families and our Fighting Homelessness family around one table. 🦃🍁

We are excited to watch these young men grow this year as they learn that advocacy is not just about understanding a problem. It is about knowing the people behind it, showing up, building relationships, and using your voice to help create change.

So grateful for these Men for Others and the year ahead. ❤️

Last Friday, Lisa Montes joined me for her first Faith-Based Dorm graduation at Hutchins State Jail.

Over the past four years, I have had the incredible opportunity to witness these men receive their certificates after completing a full year in the Faith-Based Dorm program. Every Monday, I have the privilege of spending time with my brothers, walking alongside them as they grow, heal, and transform into the men God created them to be.

What I never expected was how much they would transform me, too. My own connection with God continues to deepen as I learn to see Him more clearly in each of them — in their courage, their vulnerability, their faith, and their willingness to begin again.

There is something incredibly powerful about watching a man discover that his past does not have to define his future.

Congratulations to every graduate. I am so proud of my brothers and grateful to be a small part of their journey. ❤️🙏

On September 17th, support your community by giving through North Texas Giving Day!

Fighting Homelessness is a registered non-profit through NTXGD, meaning it is easier than ever to donate to our shared cause - ending homelessness. Your donation will mean the world to someone, whether it’s used to subsidize their rent or medication, to provide goods to a local high school food pantry, or to help them find a home. 🏡 🥪

At Fighting Homelessness, we know how crucial it is to support both those who are experiencing homelessness, and those that are vulnerable to homelessness. That’s why we’re also involved in legislative advocacy, prison ministries, and other preventative measures so we can ensure that while we’re working to end homelessness, we’re also keeping people from becoming homeless in the first place.

Early Giving is open already, so partner with us today to build the North Texas community we all deserve!

Head to northtexasgivingday.org and search for “Fighting Homelessness”, or use the QR code in this post to find our profile. Any amount counts 🩵

Communities Foundation of Texas communitiesfoundationoftexas

Today was my first day at the Texas Capitol working on our 2027 legislative agenda, and I left feeling very encouraged. 💫
We had a very positive response to our efforts around child support reform, as well as our proposal for a housing pilot for young adults ages 18–24 experiencing homelessness. We also discussed cleaning up previously passed legislation involving funds donated by Texans through DPS/TWC to help eligible young people obtain their driver’s licenses through approved driving schools.

A lot of work is ahead, but today was a strong start. Grateful for the conversations with legislative and policy staff from the offices of State Senator Royce West, Judith Zaffirini, Texas State Senator, Joan Huffman, Senator Pete Flores, Senator Nathan Johnson for Texas Attorney General, and Senator Bob Hall, and for their willingness to listen and engage on practical solutions that can create greater stability and independence for Texans. 💙❤️🤍

Meet Jose and Maria Rivera, a sibling duo who we love dearly and have assisted since November of 2023 when they joined us for our Thanksgiving celebration. At the time, they were struggling to find stable housing, and due to health issues, needed support to obtain medication and more thorough care. In one of our first successes with Jose and Maria, we were able to move them into a new apartment in 2025 - moving in furniture to make it a home and installing railings to support Maria's mobility. We also coordinated physical therapy treatment from HomeHealthcare for Maria so she could continue her mobility rehabilitation, and assisted Jose when he was diagnosed with lung cancer so he could make it to every appointment. We were there every step of the way, and we cherish the ability to make their lives better.

However, we knew better was always around the corner. In 2026, FH was able to move Jose and Maria into a house near to our founder, Lisa Marshall’s home. This house has a yard, garden, and furniture, and is close by to the support networks they need to continue building on their health and independence.

We thank Jose and Maria for their trust in our organization and in our program, the Dignity First Initiative. We also thank our youth volunteers who were absolutely vital to Jose and Maria's journey - carrying and assembling furniture, assisting them in applying for Medicaid, and bringing a youthful joy to the whole experience. At FH, we are dedicated to making new homes and new hopes for all our clients, and are thrilled to have done so for Jose and Maria Rivera. ❤️