DALLAS – The Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid was recently awarded a gift from The Louis B. and Mary Ratliff Critical Needs Fund of The Dallas Foundation totaling $30,000. The gift will help Buckner strengthen and support southeast Dallas families by providing client assistance and meeting basic life needs during crises.

“We are very thankful for the Louis B. and Mary Ratliff Critical Needs Fund of The Dallas Foundation,” said Jackie Belt, director of domestic aid and assistance at Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid. “This generous gift will allow the many needy children and families that come to our center to receive emergency assistance at the point of need.”

More than 19 percent of all families in Dallas live in poverty, and in Dallas County, one in every five people are food insecure. This year the Buckner Crisis Relief Center anticipates serving more than 15,000 Dallas children and families through client assistance programs. The Center provides clients with food, clothing, furniture, financial aid, school supplies and ESL classes. The goal of the programs is to extend immediate assistance to people in need while helping families become self-sufficient.

“The work of the Crisis Relief Center directly aligns with the parameters of the Louis B. and Mary Ratliff Critical Needs Fund: To help provide basic necessities of life to those who are low-income, indigent, homeless, or ill. We are so pleased to support these programs which offer a hand up to individuals and families during a time when support is most needed,” said The Dallas Foundation’s President and CEO Mary M. Jalonick.

This is the second grant Buckner has received from the Louis B. and Mary Ratliff Critical Needs Fund of The Dallas Foundation.