In Vickery Meadow, Community Success Isn’t Measured in Square Footage

Most neighborhoods in Dallas are known for the style of home that makes up the neighborhood. Hollywood Heights, for instance, is known for its Tudor and Craftsman style homes while Junius Heights has Prairie style homes with the loveliest of porches. But what about those neighborhoods without single-family home architecture as a signature; Those that have a solid concentration of apartments and condominiums, what unifies them as a neighborhood? In Vickery Meadow, the answer is people.

Bounded by Northwest Highway, Royal Lane, Central Expressway, and Park Lane, Vickery Meadow is considered one of the areas with the greatest density in Dallas. Home to 40,000 people, Vickery Meadow residents are not only new to Dallas, but many overwhelmingly are new to this country. Approximately 56 different languages are spoken here, according to studies by the City of Dallas. But just like any traditional neighborhood with homes tucked behind tree-lined streets, residents of Vickery Meadow want what we all want — for their children to be safe, to do well in school, and have options and freedom for their lives.

That is where the Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation (VMYDF) enters the story. Their mission “aims to make Vickery Meadow a great community and to help its children reach their full potential,” according to their website.

“This community is two-and-a-half square miles… a lot of the immigrants and refugees that work with resettlement agencies in Dallas primarily house them in this community because of how diverse it is,” said Melanie Rivera-Burgos, community engagement coordinator for the VMYDF. “By placing them here, it’s easier to find community with other people who have the same cultural identity as them so it’s easier to adjust to life here in the U.S.”

Focusing on Students and the Community

When the Youth Development Foundation was created in 2007, the organization’s leadership worked with the principals of the local schools to see how best they could support Vickery Meadow students. Working out of Sam Tasby Middle School, the organizers realized that programs existed to help struggling students, so they changed their focus to students who were excelling academically. The result was the creation of the EAGLE Scholars program, which focuses on Vickery Meadow students beginning in seventh grade who have the goal of graduating from college.

The program is working as designed. There are currently 69 members of the EAGLE Scholars program attending college while 46 former members have already graduated with their degrees, Rivera-Burgos said. 

A game-changer of sorts happened two years ago when the VMYDF moved out of their office at the middle school and moved into their own building, the Success Center, in the middle of the Vickery Meadow neighborhood. While the focus is still on helping Vickery Meadow students, the foundation is taking a broader approach to supporting neighborhood residents.

“We’re trying very hard to operate as a base for the community where people can come. Even if we can’t help them with something they’re specifically looking for or need help with, we have created a network of non-profits, resources and organizations where we can redirect them to someone who can provide support,” she said.

As a result, the residents of Vickery Meadow have responded by helping to support the VMYDF and in turn, each other, like you would find in any traditional neighborhood.

Community Garden Ties the Neighborhood Together

Two years ago members of the scholar program wanted to learn about landscape architecture. The SWA Group, a firm of landscape architects, helped the students design and create the community garden which is located next to the Success Center.

“We’re not an entity that does this alone,” said Janet Morrison-Lane, executive director of VMYDF. Grow North Texas donated all the fruit trees that will be in the garden.

When the VMYDF put out a call for volunteers to build the community garden the scholars designed two years ago, they got all the help they needed. 

“I love giving back to programs that have poured in to me,” said Reneishia Jimmerson, a 2015 graduate of EAGLE Scholar program. “We learned about entrepreneurship and what life would be like after high school and college. They made sure I was successful. I’m grateful for programs like this.”

Tomasa, who has a son in the program, was there to help as well. She is grateful for the VMYDF.

“It helps him to keep studying,” Tomasa said. “I want my son to study and go to college so he can get a career and do what he wants. They’ve helped us help our children. They have some very beneficial classes for us. It’s helped a great deal.”

With a 10,000 square foot building, Morrison-Lane said they are now reaching out to families with preschool age children to help parents learn how to help their children find success in the classroom.

“Our goal is to be the educational hub in the center of Vickery Meadow,” Morrison-Lane said. The other goal is to ensure that the neighborhood gets what it needs so its residents can be successful as they transition to a new country.

To ensure that happens, the Vickery Community Action Team was created and meets at the Success Center quarterly. The team is composed of school officials, non-profit organizations, and community members, she said. “We are making decisions for our community. It’s really collaborative. It’s fabulous,” Morrison-Lane said.

“We are this amazing, diverse community. It is a beautiful representation of our United States of America,” she said. “There are 30 plus languages and cultures, this is a great segment of the U.S. They want what’s best for their families.”

Make no mistake, Vickery Meadow is a neighborhood. Their goals, dreams and sense of community are the same as traditional neighborhoods. The difference is they can voice those dreams in more than 30 different languages.

If you would like your neighborhood spotlighted or have events of interest happening in your neighborhood please contact Mimi Perez at [email protected]. I’d love to learn and write about your neighborhood.