The Events That Made All Dallas Residents Feel Like Neighbors
Texas is known for a few key things: great food, intense state pride, and friendly neighbors. Here in Dallas-Fort Worth, even though it’s bigger and busier than it used to be, the explosive population growth hasn’t erased that can-do, neighborly spirit. Here are some of the more recent times when DFW residents were at their best and really came together.
The Big Tornadoes
Living in Texas means that tornadoes are an unfortunate fact of life. In fact, there have been so many tornadoes in North Texas that it’s impossible to choose just one which brought neighbors together. From the F3 tornado that devastated Downtown Fort Worth in 2000 to the tornadoes in Garland and Rowlett the day after Christmas 2015, individuals and local companies have always stepped up to help residents find shelter and rebuild.
Dallas-Fort Worth is a geographically large place, and it’s only a matter of time until the next tornado strikes somewhere in the Metroplex. But you can be sure that whenever it happens, residents will help each other.
Hurricane Harvey
Even though Hurricane Harvey was a catastrophic disaster that affected Houston and the Gulf Coast area, it still moved DFW residents to open their hearts and wallets. LeAnn Taylor, a registered nurse for a local home health agency, was part of a coordinated effort to deliver supplies by helicopter to hurricane victims in Houston. Nurses as well as physical and occupational therapists collected medical supplies for Taylor and other nurses making the trip.
LeAnn Taylor told Neighborhoods.com:
“We would work all day seeing clients here in DFW, then I’d immediately get on that helicopter to go down there to deliver supplies and take care of people in the shelters. Those were long days for sure, but it was so important to try to help however we could. We’re Texans: helping each other is what we do.”
Also, busloads of people were brought up from the Houston area and housed in shelters throughout the Metroplex. Agencies like the Red Cross were providing temporary housing until people could get back on their feet. Some people went back to the Houston area, but many found new permanent homes in DFW.
Refugees Coming into the State
In 2016, thousands of refugees arrived in Texas, fleeing countries such as Syria and Iraq. Refugees from more than 28 countries settled in the U.S., with the largest number landing in Dallas-Fort Worth. Also, thousands of unaccompanied children arrived in Texas, many of whom were from poverty-stricken or violent countries like Guatemala and Honduras. While the government decided how to handle the humanitarian crisis, individuals stepped up to provide temporary shelter for these children.
Foster care advocate Sarah Beth Hurley of Roanoke was one of many North Texans who stepped in to provide temporary care for these unaccompanied minors.
“While I know there are a bunch of children here at home that also need help, children are children and they all deserve a safe place. It’s so crazy opening your home and having strangers show up. I had two boys from Eritrea [that I took in] and the first night they were with me, they washed their clothes in the bathtub because they didn’t know about washing machines. It was so good to expose my kids to stories from other children who came from such hard places. We’re so privileged here and often we don’t even know it.”
On another front of the immigration issue, a large group of lawyers in DFW came out to assist immigrants, pro bono, who were being detained upon arrival at the airport in January 2017. North Texas is a landing place for many people from other countries, and many Texans are waiting on hand to help them navigate life in an unfamiliar new home.
Police and Protesters Standing United
One of the most heartwarming recent events was when Dallas Police officers smiled, shook hands, and took selfies with Black Lives Matter protesters at an event in 2016. Things turned deadly moments later, when five Dallas Police officers were killed by a lone gunman unaffiliated with the movement. Everyone in the community was on edge, wondering if we were on the verge of an ugly battle between the police and the protesters. But instead, something truly unexpected happened: the two groups still stood together.
Dallas Police officers protected both their fellow officers and the Black Lives Matter protesters during the dramatic shootout. Officers covered protesters as they tried to escape from the chaotic scene. In return for the respect shown before the protest, some of the protesters attended memorials for the fallen officers.
That moment was a perfect example of how North Texas residents have set aside their differences and come together in a spirit of shared camaraderie. We’re at our best when we work together as neighbors.