A South Dallas nonprofit that works with individuals transitioning out of Texas prisons aims to highlight the human side of incarceration. Trinity Restoration Ministries’ holiday gathering in a prison allowed children to celebrate Christmas with their fathers.
Texas
DHA, Housing Solutions for North Texas Launches Children First North Texas Mobility Program
Program provides resources to Housing Choice Voucher families with children to move to high opportunity areas
DALLAS, October 01, 2024–(BUSINESS WIRE)–DHA, Housing Solutions for North Texas announced today that it has launched a program called Children First North Texas that will expand housing choices for Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) families with children by increasing access to high-opportunity neighborhoods.
The program is funded by a grant awarded to DHA by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) based on HUD’s Community Choice Demonstration program that builds upon recent research that shows growing up in lower poverty neighborhoods improves children’s academic achievement, long-term chances of success and reduces intergenerational poverty. DHA is one of only seven public housing agencies (PHAs) awarded across the country.
Research conducted by Opportunity Insights, a research initiative at Harvard University shows that upward mobility is impacted by where children grow up. Moving within one’s metro area from a below-average to an above-average neighborhood in terms of upward mobility would increase the lifetime earnings of a child growing up in a low-income family by $200,000. (Chetty, R. (2021). Neighborhoods Matter. Opportunity Insights. https://opportunityinsights.org/neighborhoods/)
The Housing Choice Voucher program offers families with vouchers the opportunity to live in a neighborhood of their choice in a private market home. However, families often face barriers when trying to move into high-opportunity neighborhoods. So the program is designed not only to provide family support, but also addresses strategies to increase landlord participation in high-opportunity neighborhoods.
Benefits for families who qualify and opt-in to participate include:
-
Financial assistance for security deposits and other moving costs
-
A dedicated housing navigator to help them search and apply for housing
-
Post-move assistance to provide additional support after their move
There is limited availability of resources for this program. DHA will reach out to Housing Choice Voucher families who qualify directly with information on how to participate.
Participating landlords to who help families with housing in high opportunity areas may access the following benefits:
A high opportunity area is defined as a census tract that has a poverty rate of 10% or lower and the DHA Children First North Texas geographic coverage area includes the following North Texas counties: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Kaufman, Rockwall, and Tarrant.
Landlords interesting in learning more and signing up to participate can connect with the program by visiting: https://dhantx.com/landlords/children-first/.
In an effort to provide an efficient process for administering the program, DHA has developed an automated system and custom-built applications to effectively support families and landlords throughout their participation in the program. DHA will welcome the Inclusive Communities Project (ICP) to its team of dedicated Housing Navigators, bringing valuable expertise in mobility counseling. Additionally, Housing Connector will partner with DHA to engage property owners and further enhance housing choice and access for participating families.
Housing Connector is a nonprofit organization that increases access to housing by solving financial and resident challenges for property owners so they can open doors to more people in the community. Housing Connector also streamlines the housing search experience through its Zillow powered marketplace.
The Inclusive Communities Project is a nonprofit organization that helps low-income families achieve economic success by addressing the barriers to affordable housing in high opportunity areas that offer a clear path to good schools, safe neighborhoods, gainful employment, and healthy living environments.
“We appreciate HUD selecting DHA to implement this Mobility Grant program and we are excited to engage with our Housing Choice Voucher families and partner with the landlord community,” said Troy Broussard, president and chief executive officer for DHA. “This program will require a significant effort, so we are grateful to have experienced, dedicated partners in Housing Connector and the Inclusive Communities Project working alongside us to help ensure our families not only find housing in high opportunity areas, but successfully move there for the long-term,” he concluded.
About DHA, Housing Solutions for North Texas
DHA, Housing Solutions for North Texas provides quality, affordable housing to low-income families and individuals through the effective and efficient administration of housing assistance programs. The agency aims to create opportunities for program participants to achieve self-sufficiency and economic independence. DHA provides housing opportunities to ~55,000 people through public housing developments and Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) programs. Our mission is to provide affordable, quality housing and access to supportive resources across North Texas. DHA is governed by its Board of Commissioners and administers housing programs funded and regulated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. DHA is an independent, local government entity that is separate from the Dallas City Housing/Community Services department, which is governed by the City of Dallas. For more information about DHA, please visit www.dhantx.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241001804001/en/
Contacts
Media Contact:
Jacqueline Chen Valencia
CONNECTIVE Agency
jacq@connectiveagency.com
Kelly Fox decided to throw a bit of chance into her children’s Christmas gifts this year by buying them all Powerball tickets.
“It was for fun,” Fox said. “Let’s see if we win.”
Her generosity could pay off, as the estimated jackpot is $1.7 billion. The cash option for the prize exceeds $781 million. But the Fox family doesn’t have the exclusive lockdown on playing the fantasy-rich Powerball, where the odds are 1 in about 292 million.
Fuel City on S. Riverfront in Dallas is dealing with the frenzy and the dreams. Jason Flores is working his first Powerball rush. The 17-year-old has been on the job for only four months.
“I actually had a customer come up here the other day. They bought $3,000 worth of Powerball,” Flores said. “And then we had another customer come up here the other day that bought 300. And then today we had a customer buy $100 worth.”
The teen cashier and stocker have to figure out how the customer wants the tickets: all on one ticket, separate, or another preference. As the transactions are occurring, dreams and promises fill the air.
“We’ve had a lot of people come in here and just be like that they’re going to buy their dream house, their dream car, and, you know, put half of it into a savings account,” he said. “Other people that want to just ball out and buy everything. And we always have some customers that have us, the cashiers, as a lucky charm.”
Flores said customers ask him and other workers to bless the tickets. That’s where multi-million dollar promises, he said, have been made to him. If the ticket holder became a winner and honored their word, the teen would become a millionaire.
“One said $10 million, $2 million, $5 million,” he said.
Flores, who simply holds the ticket up and declares it a winner, has not quit his day job for the promises, yet. Even he dreams of the change such currency could bring to his family’s life.
In the meantime, most of Fox’s children decided their winnings would go toward a trip. There was a vote for college. Church donations came up. It will be a family decision for sure, according to the mother of eight.
“It’s got my signature on every single one of them,” Fox said.
The last time Karley Alejo spent Christmas with her dad was when she was 3 years old.
Now 16, Alejo walked into the gym at the Sanders Estes Unit, trying to make eye contact with her father, Julian Alejo, who was wearing a white inmate uniform and a red Christmas hat.
Julian Alejo, 43, who is serving a 30-year sentence for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, was one of 27 inmates at the Sanders Estes Unit selected to participate in the Christmas with Dads event organized by Trinity Restoration Ministries on Dec.19. This south Dallas non-profit organization operates a faith-based reentry program for individuals transitioning out of Texas prisons.
For the first time since Sanders Estes Prison was established 36 years ago, its gym was transformed into a holiday village for inmates to celebrate Christmas with their children.
Julian Alejo, an inmate at the Sanders Estes Unit prison in Venus, talks with his 16-year-old daughter, Karley, during a Chirstmas with dads event Dec. 19, 2025.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
“This makes it more authentic and personal. Being able to open gifts and not having to just take them home and talk about them,” said Karley Alejo. “You get to actually be here, to make memories with your family here. It’s amazing.”
Inmates and volunteers pushed the gym equipment to the side to make room for four Christmas trees surrounded by presents, a red carpet, long tables set up with crafts, books, board games, a face-painting booth and food.
For a couple of hours, the gym was filled with laughter, shouts, prayers and the sound of children running around. Christmas music played in the background while children sat on their dads’ laps.
At one point, Santa showed up, and families took photos with him. The portraits were just like any family would take during the holidays. Still, the tall walls, tiny windows, and the wired patio, along with the surveillance cameras, were reminders of where the celebration was being held.
On two occasions, all the dads left the gym for the mandatory headcount before returning to be with their children.
Julian Alejo has been incarcerated for 12 years and dreamed of spending Christmas with his daughter. The night before the event, he couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t believe he was going to see her open a Christmas gift.
“Even though I’ve been away from her for years, I still have to show her that I’m her dad, I love her, and I’m here for her, and I’m going to support her, and what she does,” Julian Alejo said. “I’m going to advise her wisely, and I’ve got to make sure I’m there for her.
‘It’s about the kids, not the adults’
For Karley Alejo, living all these years with her dad has shown her how incarceration affects families and how society sees the inmates.
“I just feel like a lot of the time, people believe that if you’re in prison, you did something awful, and you can’t change, and that nobody’s gonna forgive you, and you’re just here,” Karley Alejo said. “But a lot of the time, a lot of people don’t want that from themselves. They might have made a mistake when they were younger or older, but all the people here have families.”
Shagala Taylor, 50, decided to take Friday off from work to visit her brother, Larry Taylor, and bring his eight-year-old twins, Champion and Reagyn.
Larry Taylor, 43, who is serving a 45-year sentence for murder, was surprised by his son. The boy ran toward Larry Taylor to be picked up by ‘Daddy.’
After setting him down, Larry Taylor did the viral ‘floss dance’ with him. He gave his daughter and sister big hugs. Then, they sat down to wait for their turn to be called out for breakfast.
Larry Jr. Taylor, an inmate at the Sanders Estes Unit prison in Venus, plays with his eight-year-old twins, Champion and Reagyn, during a Chirstmas with dads event Dec. 19, 2025.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
“Sometimes people don’t understand because in their mindset, ‘Adults knew what they were doing,’ but at the end of the day, it’s not about the adult, it’s about the kids of the incarcerated individuals,” Shagala Taylor said. “You have to get out of that mindset and bring it down to the kids’ level, understanding how they’re feeling. Got to have empathy and sympathy. I wish there were more programs out here like this.”
Shagala Taylor added the regular visits are tough for the kids.
They last two hours, and there’s no physical contact. Sometimes there are crayons and books, but still, the kids get bored and don’t understand why there isn’t a playground or why “Daddy” can’t pick them up or sit them on his lap.
“At the end of the day, it’s about the kids. They didn’t have a choice to be part of it. Ground the adults but not the kids,” Shagala Taylor said.
Larry Taylor treasures the memories of wearing matching pajamas with his children before he was incarcerated in 2022. He hopes one day he and his children can do it again.
Following the example
Around 200 volunteers came together to create the one-of-a-kind event, the result of months of planning, said Richard “Chico” Smith, executive director of Trinity Restoration Ministries.
The congregation from Lakepointe Church in Rockwall provided approximately 60 volunteers and covered most of the event’s expenses. Volunteers from Templo Betania in Dallas also participated by helping with decorations, serving food and greeting the families.
“Jesus told us not to forget about the incarcerated,” said volunteer Carmen Vazquez, 52. “He set an example for us to serve everyone, especially those who need us the most.”
Lamar Simpson, an inmate at the Sanders Estes Unit prison in Venus, holds his sleeping two-year-old son, Jamari during a Chirstmas with dads event Dec. 19, 2025.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
With a radio in one hand and a sheet detailing the seating organization and event details, Robin Stephens, a 22-year-old program administrator at the prison, coordinated the event and ensured all guests and inmates followed the prison’s protocols.
Stephens saw the event as an opportunity for the inmates to feel hopeful and stay motivated.
Brodgrick Price, the senior warden at Sanders Estes in Venus, about 30 miles southwest of Dallas, approved the “Christmas with Dads” event to support the inmates’ rehabilitation. He had no budget for it, and that’s where the nonprofits and volunteers stepped in.
Price believes in providing inmates with the tools to be successful while incarcerated and, upon release, to rebuild their lives, “bringing people to change the thought process through a rehabilitative approach versus a punitive one,” Price said. “A lot of times, when somebody gets in trouble, people want to punish them, versus getting to the root cause of why the person is acting out.”
Price was amazed by how the gym was transformed into a holiday party for the children to celebrate Christmas.
Kevin Porter ties the shoelaces of his son, Levi, during a Chirstmas with dads event at the Sanders Estes Unit prison in Venus Dec. 19, 2025.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
“I am so glad I said yes to this because I can see a lot of lives are being touched,” Price said, adding that some of the inmates were serving 12-, 15- and even 45-year sentences. “For the kids to be able to come in here and sit with them and open a present in front of them, that touches me.”
Frederick Pheiffer, 70, is an example of that rehabilitation. He was released four months ago after serving an 18-year sentence for murder.
Pheiffer graduated from the Trinity Ministries Restoration program and has been able to buy a car, get a job, and slowly reconnect with his family.
‘Those little things’
Adrian Casares was catching his breath after running behind his two sons. His 6-year-old wanted to kick the soccer ball, and his 3-year-old was trying to dribble a basketball.
Casares, 33, is serving a six-year sentence for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. As soon as he knew about the event, he signed up. He has had good conduct and earned ‘trusty level status.’ He’s now the barber of the officers.
Adrian Casares, an inmate at the Sanders Estes Unit prison in Venus, plays with his sons Ares and Atlas after a Chirstmas with dads event Dec. 19, 2025.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
His wife, Gracey Turner, 23, drove about two hours from Temple to bring the kids to spend the day with their dad. During the whole ride, kids kept asking, ‘When are we gonna see Daddy?’
In past holidays, Casares, his wife and their kids used to make a ‘Christmas crack,’ similar to a cracker jack, with peanuts, sugar, and other ingredients. Then watch movies and open gifts in the morning.
“That’s something I miss the most for sure, those little things,” Casares said. “ I’m just taking it step by step, trying to change everything about myself for my family, my kids.”
For Turner, the hardest thing about her husband being incarcerated is raising the children alone. The event allowed them to have a family holiday, like they used to. She said this will be a memory her kids will remember.
They made crafts, shot Polaroid photos and collected animal-shaped balloons and bags of gifts.
The celebration lasted only a few hours. By the end, the Christmas trees and hats were put away by the inmates, the tables had been cleared, and the gym returned to its usual function.
The dads returned to their cells.
“Radical Islamist terrorist groups are anti-American, and the infiltration of these dangerous individuals into Texas must be stopped,” said Texas A-G regarding terrorist org. CAIR.
Lifestyle5 minutes ago
The real ping pong champion — and hustler — who inspired ‘Marty Supreme’
Technology17 minutes ago
I re-created Google’s cute Gemini ad with my own kid’s stuffie, and I wish I hadn’t
World23 minutes ago
Pope Leo XIV delivers first Christmas message calling for end to violence in Middle East, Russia-Ukraine war
Politics29 minutes ago
Trump lists accomplishments, says ‘Radical Left Scum’ are ‘failing badly’ in Christmas message
Health35 minutes ago
Widely prescribed opioid shows minimal pain relief and higher heart risk, study finds
Florida1 year ago
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Connecticut2 years ago
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
Oregon2 years ago
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Virginia1 year ago
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Education2 years ago
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Politics29 minutes ago
Trump lists accomplishments, says ‘Radical Left Scum’ are ‘failing badly’ in Christmas message
World2 hours ago
Ukraine accepts demilitarised zone to end Russia war, but do DMZs work?
News2 hours ago
Into the void: how Trump killed international law
Politics13 hours ago
Nearly 20 states sue HHS over declaration to restrict gender transition treatment for minors
World14 hours ago
Europe defends its digital rules after US targets Breton with visa ban
-
Maine1 week agoElementary-aged student killed in school bus crash in southern Maine
-
New Mexico1 week agoFamily clarifies why they believe missing New Mexico man is dead
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a 47-year-old physicist and fusion scientist, shot and killed in his home in Brookline, Mass. | Fortune
-
Detroit, MI1 week ago‘Love being a pedo’: Metro Detroit doctor, attorney, therapist accused in web of child porn chats
-
Health1 week ago‘Aggressive’ new flu variant sweeps globe as doctors warn of severe symptoms
-
Culture1 week agoTry This Quiz and See How Much You Know About Jane Austen
-
World6 days agoPutin says Russia won’t launch new attacks on other countries ‘if you treat us with respect’
-
Education1 week agoVideo: How We Tested Earplugs for Sleeping