Donation Aids Metro Relief’s Mission to Feed the Homeless

Metro Relief, a vital support organization for the homeless in Dallas, recently received a generous donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This contribution will provide supplies for over 20,000 meals, enabling Metro Relief to feed the homeless in the Dallas area for more than a year.

Located in an unassuming strip mall in The Colony, Metro Relief works hard to rescue the ever-growing population of homeless people throughout Dallas. Founded in 2011 by Austin Bonds, this mobile-first ministry serves at least 2,000 homeless people every year. Partnered with local municipalities and law enforcement, they search for and locate dispossessed individuals.

The national homeless count is at an all-time high. In the Dallas area, up to 10,000 people live homeless, sleeping on the ground, on benches, and in cars, vulnerable to the elements and crime. Thousands of fellow human beings without beds or essentials wander among us with empty bellies and no place to call home, desperate for hope and healing.

Each week, Metro Relief’s staff and volunteers take resource buses to homeless encampments with food, clean water, socks, hygiene kits, and prayer. But that isn’t all; case managers use the mobile fleet to provide deeper assistance for hundreds of the homeless they call “friends.”

“Homelessness is a complex issue; there’s no one answer. Some are there due to domestic violence, missing persons, incarceration, immigration challenges, or various traumas and mental health issues. Fifteen percent of them are veterans, and 42% are in foster care. We relentlessly look for the homeless in alleyways, behind dumpsters, in the woods, to take them to safe ground and get them to the next step,” says Director for Development Bryan Doyle.

Doyle, who has worked with Metro Relief for a year and a half, is not new to humanitarian efforts. Originally from northern England, he’s lived in Texas for 17 years, doing international service projects with college volunteers for a decade. After years of being away several months out of the year, he and his family decided he should “slow it down and use his skills in a more local context.” His experience in humanitarian work and refugee engagement led him to Metro Relief to serve the homeless and build relationships with individuals and organizations to create a network of allies.

Allen Harris, Communications Director for The Church of Jesus Christ in Frisco, connected with Metro Relief years ago. Serving on the City Council in The Colony back when Metro Relief expanded from being a food pantry into the rescue and engagement organization they are now, Harris once sat in a dunk tank for them during a fundraising carnival. Once he “got his feet wet,” Harris was touched by the positive impact that Metro Relief has on the community and was moved to support their efforts.

In response to the recent donation, Doyle stated, “This is an extraordinary injection into the poor and the homeless in our community. It’s a remarkable investment, and we feel humbled and grateful. Thank you for championing us and being an advocate for us. We hope this will be a long-term journey together. Thank you for changing lives; it really is transformative.”

Meeting the temporal needs of the lost sheep among us is only a part of the rescue effort. It takes compassion, time, boots on the ground, and helping hands to make a lasting difference.

“Our caseworkers go out, determined to find a pathway for each one. It is a very bespoke, tailored approach. Food, service, provision of hygiene, but also getting them IDs, getting them into detox, reaching out to their families—whatever the next thing that needs to be done to help them,” Doyle says.

Metro Relief serves up to 400 homeless people per week, and there is always a need for volunteers and donations to keep this worthy mission alive.

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved. Donations of hygiene kits, water bottles, and other supplies are always welcome. Volunteers are encouraged to schedule a few weeks in advance to participate on a Friday or Saturday from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM when they travel by bus to an encampment and feed the homeless. There are 13 seats available on the Outreach Bus. Come as an individual, a family, a company, a church, or a youth group, and make a difference to those who need it most. Find more opportunities to serve Metro Relief on JustServe.org.