{"id":136437,"date":"2026-01-24T13:25:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T13:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/136437\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T13:25:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T13:25:10","slug":"ourcalling-staffers-rush-to-get-people-off-the-streets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/136437\/","title":{"rendered":"OurCalling staffers rush to get people off the streets"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lekevie Johnson and Paulo Dorsey jumped into OurCalling\u2019s green van Friday morning to drive<\/a> their route. <\/p>\n

The team\u2019s 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<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s gonna freeze tonight. Do you want to come to a shelter tonight?\u201d Dorsey said as he encountered people. \u201cAre you ready to come with us?\u201d <\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

D-FW Weather Wise<\/p>\n

From snow to 100-degree heat, we’ve got you covered.<\/p>\n

By signing up, you agree to our\u00a0Terms of Service<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Hart Jr. hugged a tall white trash bag filled with his belongings. He accepted the invitation and got in the vehicle. <\/p>\n

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\u2019s Automobile Building, 3809 Grand Ave.<\/a> The temporary shelter will house as many as 1,300 people. <\/p>\n

The street outreach team at OurCalling<\/a>, a nonprofit organization serving the homeless community, is out on the streets most weeks, helping people find solutions to get back on their feet.<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

\u201cSecond chance button\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson, a veteran, said every scenario is different, and many factors in people\u2019s lives can drive them onto the streets. <\/p>\n

Whatever the reason they are living on the streets, it should not prevent them from accessing help, said Johnson. <\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my heartbeat to hit that \u2018second chance button,\u2019 because I think we\u2019re all one mistake away, one error away, one bad choice away from needing somebody else to give us a helping hand,\u201d Johnson said. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd so being in the position to do that, it\u2019s just God\u2019s grace,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\"Lekevie<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

The next stop was to the Cottonwood Creek near Forest Lane<\/a>. As the team drove to the location, a woman in her mid-50s was holding a sign asking for money at a red light. <\/p>\n

Dorsey rolled down the window and asked her if she needed a place to stay warm. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

The light turned green, and cars behind honked. She said, \u201cThank you,\u201d just before the van started moving. <\/p>\n

From a transitional spot to solutions <\/p>\n

Johnson said the work the team does is the first step toward moving from a transitional spot to a long-term solution. They don\u2019t just \u201cpick and drop off people.\u201d Instead, they pick them up and walk with them. <\/p>\n

Walking along the Cottonwood Creek trail, Johnson found Kendrian Yarbrough, a 27-year-old man from San Antonio. <\/p>\n

Yarbrough said he was relieved to get help. He had no idea extreme weather was expected. <\/p>\n

Yarbrough told The Dallas Morning News he lost his job around November and moved to Dallas to live with a friend, but things didn\u2019t work out and he ended up living on the streets. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad I\u2019m seeing you,\u201d Yarbrough said. \u201cI was assuming it was just going to be cold. Thank you.\u201d <\/p>\n

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\u2019s issues and explore possible solutions. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

It all starts with dignity, courtesy and respect, said Johnson. He said earning people\u2019s respect and attention is key to the work they do. He always introduces himself first and then starts asking questions. <\/p>\n

To honor people\u2019s desires, Johnson said, if they don\u2019t want to get into a shelter, they will respect that. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe will be back tomorrow\u201d<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

As temperatures continue to drop, dipping into the teens and single digits with bone-chilling wind chills, OurCalling\u2019s outreach teams will be out from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday looking for people to come to the city\u2019s inclement weather shelter. <\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\"Meteorologist<\/p>\n

Wayne Walker, pastor and executive director of OurCalling, urged the community, if they see someone experiencing homelessness, and if it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will be back tomorrow and some of them may change their mind,\u201d Dorsey said. \u201cWe will be here for them with the hope that they say \u2018yes.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lekevie Johnson and Paulo Dorsey jumped into OurCalling\u2019s green van Friday morning to drive their route. The team\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":136438,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[102,105,106,104,103,291,696,172,12398],"class_list":["post-136437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-city-council","tag-dallas-city-hall","tag-dallas-headlines","tag-dallas-news","tag-equity","tag-homelessness","tag-weather","tag-winter-storm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136437","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136437"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136437\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/136438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}