History of Wilkinson Center

  

 

After seeing a child dig in a dumpster for food, Reverend Clayton Lewis (then pastor of Munger Place United Methodist Church) resolved that should never happen in Dallas.  In 1982, he began programs to assist families with food and clothing.  The East Dallas Cooperative Parish was formed to provide the churches with resources to become outposts of service for their neighborhoods in need.

From those humble beginnings, Wilkinson Center (then the Munger Place Emergency Services Center) was formed.  In 1985, when volunteer Ruby Wilkinson passed away and her family gave the Center a generous gift, the name was changed to Wilkinson Center.

Today, Wilkinson Center is a dynamic service provider for families struggling to escape poverty, providing services throughout nine zip codes in east and southeast Dallas including Pleasant Grove.

Through partnerships on a local, state, and national level, we provide multi-generational educational programs for adults and children in combination with personal case management and a safety net of food and emergency support services. Families remain stabilized while they learn new skills and set goals to become self-sufficient.

Wilkinson Center utilizes a holistic approach to poverty intervention, designed to empower individuals and families to break the cycle. Our vision is to eliminate generational poverty by addressing our clients’ most significant issues: basic human necessities (food, clothing, shelter), education and employment.

We look toward the future with hope, but remain ready and aware that the need for our services in Dallas will continue to shift and grow. Wilkinson Center will evolve to meet the challenges of poverty while keeping the same commitment to dignity and self-respect as we have since 1982.