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Community Service | Outreach Int'l | Network Ministries
The NETWORK of Community Ministries
Providing Short Term Assistance
for Long Term Independence
741 S Sherman Street
Richardson, Texas
75081
(972) 234-8880
Mission Statement:
The purpose of The NETWORK is to
respond to human needs and to serve as an educational and
consciousness-raising agency concerning all issues which affect those in need
in our community.
Who We Are:
The NETWORK is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) community service center
supported by a coalition of churches, religious, civic, and social
organizations, businesses and individuals serving primarily the Richardson Independent School
District area.
What We Do:
The following represents our basic philosophy:
- We're here to be a bridge for people - to help
them over a difficult time
- We never do anything for our clients that they
can and should do for themselves
- We provide short term assistance for long
term independence
- Not being able to feed your kids or pay the
rent isn't a "problem", it is a symptom. Our job is to
find out what the problem is, what the client is doing to avoid this
problem in the future, and how we can work together with the client to
get the client back on their feet.
- We empower, not rescue
- We don't judge, but we do evaluate
Services We Provide:
- Food
- Clothing
- Limited financial assistance for:
- Rent and Utilities
- Prescriptions
- Bus Tickets
- Gasoline
- Referrals for:
- Doctors
- Dentists
- Car Repairs
- Counseling
- Shelter, and much more
How We're Funded:
85% of our funding comes from member organizations. The other 15% comes from
local businesses, individuals, fund raising events and private grants. We
accept no government funds and are not a United Way agency. There are no
"dues" or "membership fees." Each member organization sets
its own level of support.
How We Network with
Other Agencies:
We work with the Greater Dallas Community of Churches (G.D.C.C.) Hunger Task
Force, which is a group of over 25 agencies like The NETWORK who serve Dallas County. Through this group we share information
on trends and resources. We also network with the agencies and churches in
our immediate area to ensure that clients don't either fall through the
cracks or abuse our services..
The Origin of The
NETWORK:
The NETWORK was started in 1986 by what was then the Richardson Ministerial
Alliance (now Interfaith Alliance) as a response to the increasing number of
people coming to the churches for help. We started with 32 member
organizations - 22 were religious organizations and 10 were social, civic and
service groups.
The NETWORK Clinic:
The purpose of our Clinic is to meet the health care needs of children of
low-income working parents. The clinic serves families who cannot afford a
private doctor, are not on Medicaid, and cannot spend the day at Parkland Hospital. Children from birth to age
21, living in the Richardson
Independent School
District, are eligible for clinic services.
The Clinic does not provide the
following services:
- Vision and hearing screenings
- Gynecological care
- Pregnancy testing and prenatal care
- Treatment of sexually transmitted diseases
- Screening for Attention Deficit Disorder
- Drug abuse treatment
- Non-emergency dental care
Clinic hours are by appointment only.
Some Highlights:
- The NETWORK has assisted over 70,000 families
since 1986
- Over 300,000 pounds of food are distributed
each year
- More than 1,000 patients are seen annually by
The NETWORK's Clinic
- Over 300 volunteers are the heart of The
NETWORK
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