Lekevie Johnson and Paulo Dorsey jumped into OurCalling’s green van Friday morning to drive their route.
The team’s first stop was near the intersection of Medical District Drive and North Stemmons Freeway, where the city of Dallas Emergency Management and Crisis Response team was sweeping a homeless encampment under the freeway.
“It’s gonna freeze tonight. Do you want to come to a shelter tonight?” Dorsey said as he encountered people. “Are you ready to come with us?”
It had just started to rain. Darrell Hart Jr. was sitting across the freeway, watching the encampment being removed. Dorsey introduced himself to Hart Jr. and asked if he wanted to go to a shelter to stay warm and get a meal.
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Hart Jr. hugged a tall white trash bag filled with his belongings. He accepted the invitation and got in the vehicle.
As North Texas braces for potentially dangerous, wintry conditions and freezing temperatures this weekend, OurCalling staffers have been working around the clock to get as many people as possible to Fair Park’s Automobile Building, 3809 Grand Ave. The temporary shelter will house as many as 1,300 people.
The street outreach team at OurCalling, a nonprofit organization serving the homeless community, is out on the streets most weeks, helping people find solutions to get back on their feet.
But when inclement weather is expected, getting people off the streets becomes a matter of life or death, said Johnson, a street outreach manager with OurCalling.
“Second chance button”
Johnson, a veteran, said every scenario is different, and many factors in people’s lives can drive them onto the streets.
Whatever the reason they are living on the streets, it should not prevent them from accessing help, said Johnson.
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“It’s my heartbeat to hit that ‘second chance button,’ because I think we’re all one mistake away, one error away, one bad choice away from needing somebody else to give us a helping hand,” Johnson said.
“And so being in the position to do that, it’s just God’s grace,” he said.
Lekevie Johnson, a street outreach manager with OurCalling, speaks with Kendrian Yarbrough about the incoming winter storm Jan. 23, 2026 in Dallas. Yarbrough had been sleeping at a public walking trail and was unaware of any inclement weather.
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The next stop was to the Cottonwood Creek near Forest Lane. As the team drove to the location, a woman in her mid-50s was holding a sign asking for money at a red light.
Dorsey rolled down the window and asked her if she needed a place to stay warm.
The woman accepted the invitation and said she was there with her three children. Dorsey told her they were going to call for backup, and someone from OurCalling would come and get her family.
The light turned green, and cars behind honked. She said, “Thank you,” just before the van started moving.
From a transitional spot to solutions
Johnson said the work the team does is the first step toward moving from a transitional spot to a long-term solution. They don’t just “pick and drop off people.” Instead, they pick them up and walk with them.
Walking along the Cottonwood Creek trail, Johnson found Kendrian Yarbrough, a 27-year-old man from San Antonio.
Yarbrough said he was relieved to get help. He had no idea extreme weather was expected.
Yarbrough told The Dallas Morning News he lost his job around November and moved to Dallas to live with a friend, but things didn’t work out and he ended up living on the streets.
“I’m glad I’m seeing you,” Yarbrough said. “I was assuming it was just going to be cold. Thank you.”
The OurCalling team took down his name and other basic information as part of a questionnaire. The tracking system allows them to identify needs, determine the best ways to address the person’s issues and explore possible solutions.
Later in the afternoon, the OurCalling team told The News they were able to get Yarbrough a bus pass and send him to a program in his hometown, to be closer to his family.
It all starts with dignity, courtesy and respect, said Johnson. He said earning people’s respect and attention is key to the work they do. He always introduces himself first and then starts asking questions.
To honor people’s desires, Johnson said, if they don’t want to get into a shelter, they will respect that.
“We will be back tomorrow”
By the end of the route, three people agreed to be transported to the Fair Park shelter, and six more agreed to be picked up in the afternoon when the team was going back to do another round.
As temperatures continue to drop, dipping into the teens and single digits with bone-chilling wind chills, OurCalling’s outreach teams will be out from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday looking for people to come to the city’s inclement weather shelter.
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Wayne Walker, pastor and executive director of OurCalling, urged the community, if they see someone experiencing homelessness, and if it’s an emergency, to call 911. If not, he said to use the OurCalling app and report that location so his team can go there and bring the person to the shelter.
“We will be back tomorrow and some of them may change their mind,” Dorsey said. “We will be here for them with the hope that they say ‘yes.’”