The ZWHJCOC has several kinds of partners—those who offer services at Frazier House on a continuous basis, those who provide seasonal opportunities, and those who provide a specific service or learning opportunity such as Lunch & Learn classes.
Our Partners
Dallas Independent School District
The Dallas Independent School District sits in the heart of a large, diverse and dynamic region with a metropolitan population of 6.5 million people in the 12 counties in North Central Texas. Dallas ISD comprises 384 square miles and encompasses the cities of Dallas, Cockrell Hill, Seagoville, Addison, Wilmer, Hutchinsand parts of Carrollton, DeSoto, Duncanville, Farmers Branch, Garland, Highland Park, Lancaster, Mesquite, Balch Springs, and Combine. The district is the second-largest public school district in the state and the 16th-largest in the nation.
Innovation, tenacity, vision and equity are key drivers that have shaped Dallas ISD into one of the area’s most prominent and forward-looking school districts. Advances such as pay for performance, college and career education programs and public school choice—all of which began more than a decade ago—are taking the district to the next level.
Today, pay for performance has morphed into the Teacher and Principal Excellence Initiatives that attract and retain top-tier educators. A handful of early colleges has mushroomed into a collection of game-changing collegiate academies offering higher education options to all 9-12 students. And public school choice now exists as 100-plus specialty schools created in response to families calls for expanded academic opportunities for their children.
Our evolution is grounded in a strong focus on correcting historic injustices and ensuring that all students are served fairly. Dallas ISD is dismantling inequities through budget reallocations, unconscious bias training for staff, advocacy for digital access in underserved communities and increased diversity in our teacher ranks.
We are proud of our award-winning schools, outstanding teachers and staff, committed parents and volunteers who comprise the dedicated team that serves approximately 145,000 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, in 230 schools, served by 22,000 dedicated professionals.
Aspire to Learn
The July 2020 merger between the Aberg Center for Literacy and Literacy Instruction for Texas (LIFT) brought together 77 total years of literacy experience that has created lasting, positive impacts, not just for individual students, but for their families and the community at large.
The merger is the result of a long-term, board-led process that allowed both organizations to carefully explore how they could maximize their ability to combat low-literacy by combining forces, rather than working in parallel.
Based on the branding research and fact that both the Aberg Center for Literacy and LIFT are known for providing literacy services and classes to those seeking a way to a better life, the new organization’s name is Aspire. Importantly, both organizations also have reputations for going further than people expect to provide caring, compassionate, and empowering instruction for a lifetime of learning.
The programs they offer are English as a Second Language, GED Preparation, Adult Basic Education, Workforce Training, and Early Childhood Education & Family Literacy.
South Dallas Employment Project
The SDEP brings together businesses, government, educational institutions, workforce agencies, and nonprofit social enterprises to align and integrate resources focused on engaging employers from different industry sectors that have the largest unmet, non-duplicated job demand in Dallas, that also provide a living wage and career opportunities.
The South Dallas Employment Project (SDEP) provides both the framework and process to establish “Communities of Practice” that holistically serves opportunity populations; assisting these individuals to successfully reintegrate into South Dallas with the skills, competencies, knowledge and capabilities to live sustainable lives.
The South Dallas Employment Project is establishing SDEP Service Centers within apartment complexes and partner facilities throughout south Dallas. These centers enable the SDEP and our 200+ partners to provide direct services within the apartment complexes to apartment residences, as well as individuals and families living within close proximity to these service centers across Dallas.
WHAT IS AN SDEP SERVICE CENTER?
In every SDEP Service Center, families and individuals can receive assistance to (1) procure a drivers license, Social Security card, and/or birth certificate; (2) schedule telemedicine, telehealth, and Tele court appearances; (3) receive training, leading to industry recognized certificates and certifications from Dallas Community College; and (4) through the Metrix Learning System, utilized by the Texas Workforce Commission, sign up for employment assistance from their local workforce board, and access more than 8,000 training modules, that include digital literacy assistance. In addition, individuals and families can receive referrals to any of the SDEP’s 200+ organizational partners, who provide assistance with (1) training and employment, (2) housing, (3) transportation, (4) health wellness & recovery services, (5) community reintegration, (6) digital & financial literacy training, and (7) legal assistance.
Services:
Living Wage Employment, Housing, Transportation, Health Wellness & Recovery, Community Reintegration, Digital Access and Public Policy
Senior Source
The Senior Source, a collaborator of Elder Financial Safety Center, works to ensure that every older adult in Dallas and across the U.S. lives in a safe community with the financial resources to securely age with dignity. They bring various sessions and services to the ZWHJCOC such as utility assistance, will’s clinics, money smart classes, employment workshops and fraud prevention classes.
St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church
St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church has a long history of service to the community. The ZWHJCOC is an extension of the outreach programs at St. Luke, created under the direction of long-time pastor Dr. Zan Wesley Holmes, Jr. The center partners with St. Luke on various programs and services including mental health workshops. St. Luke also provides to the center speakers for Lunch & Learn sessions that have included will preparation, how to start a small business, public speaking and more.
L.V. Browne, CPA
Lakeesha Browne, CPA, is qualified with over 20 years of experience. L. V. Browne, CPA offers accounting, tax and advisory services.
Become a Partner
If you would like to partner with us, fill out the form below and one of our staff members will get back to you.
collaborators
Hiring events with partners such as Amazon and the U.S. Census helped to place more than 5,700 individuals in jobs since 2019.
Amazon
Amazon.com, Inc. is an American multinational technology company which focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It is one of the Big Five companies in the U.S. information technology industry, along with Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook. At the ZWHJCOC, Amazon hosts hiring events at Frazier House for entry level logistics positions. The ZWHJCOC is one of the first community organizations to partner with Amazon on this type of project.
Harvard Club of Dallas
The mission of Harvard Club of Dallas is to promote education, lifelong learning, and community service in North Texas and to foster fellowship among the Harvard community. They have collaborated with the ZWHJCOC to provide a paid intern to assist the center.
State Fair of Texas
Since its inception in 1886, the State Fair of Texas has celebrated all things Texan by promoting agriculture, education, and community involvement through quality entertainment in a family-friendly environment. The State Fair of Texas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with proceeds helping to preserve and improve our home, Fair Park; underwrite museums, community initiatives, and scholarship programs to support students throughout the Lone Star State pursuing higher education; and help improve State Fair operations. Visit BigTex.com for more information.
Foundation Communities
Foundation Communities sponsors free income tax assistance to taxpayers making less than $58,000 a year through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. IRS certified volunteers prepare and electronically file returns at various sites located throughout the metroplex at no charge to the client. Due to the pandemic, virtual filing is also available.
U.S. Census Bureau
The U.S. Census Bureau partnered with the ZWHJCOC to hire workers for the 2020 Census. Individuals were able to complete applications online at Frazier in addition to being interviewed, tested and trained. The Census Bureau is dedicated to providing current facts and figures about America’s people, places, and economy.