Community Service | Outreach Int'l | Network
Ministries
The NETWORK of Community
Ministries
Providing Short Term Assistance for Long Term
Independence
1114 Commerce
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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