What One Group Can Accomplish
BridgeBuilders mission is about restoration, the kind that only unfolds when people show up hands ready and hearts open–a posture exemplified by Park Place Dealerships.
Through their Park Place Cares program, volunteers showed up to serve; where a single day’s work became a lasting impact! Their first effort was repainting the parking lot lines for our apartment residents. This seemingly small detail bears great importance as clean, safe parking areas communicate dignity and care in communities where those qualities aren’t guaranteed. Furthermore, Park Place handling this project saved us the cost of hiring a crew–allowing our resources to support critical programs for our neighbors.
This effort would have been enough, but they weren’t finished. Behind our South Dallas Community Market sat a plain concrete slab, faded and forgotten. But with teamwork, vision, and fresh paint Park Place turned it into something purposeful: a basketball court for our kids. This is the first court in walking distance within the Ideal neighborhood, giving local students a place to play after school, on weekends, and while their parents shop at our free grocery store.
Content to keep raising the bar, Park Place also packed weekend meal kits for our Food for Kids program. Each kit includes four meals that nourish and support students in our programs over the weekend when after-school meals aren’t available. These meal kits fight food insecurity in a quiet but powerful way–and volunteers packing them with care is a helpful endeavor.
The attraction of this brand of volunteerism is not the work, but the spirit in which it’s offered. From first handshakes to final clean-up, the Park Place team brought enthusiasm, warmth, and a deep sense of purpose. They didn’t volunteer–they connected, served, and treated their work as part of something bigger than themselves.
We’re so encouraged by this new relationship with Park Place. Their values: excellence, generosity, and a genuine love for people align resoundingly with what we’re building in South Dallas. We’re excited for what’s ahead!
To everyone at Park Place: thank you. You’ve helped make our neighborhood safer, brighter, and more joyful, and we’re grateful for your partnership and friendship.
CBS News reported on this work, and their story is well worth the read here:
Small community improvements elevate youth opportunities in southern Dallas
