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Single Mom, Kids Receive Home Makeover Dream for Christmas


SOUTH DALLAS - Latoya Irish and her three children received a Christmas wish of a lifetime Dec. 15 when more than 150 “Elves in Disguise” gave them a beautifully-decorated apartment, Christmas gifts and a dose of Christmas love.


The Elves in Disguise project is an annual event for the New Hope Foundation, a non-profit organization in the Wynnewood community who works in collaboration with Buckner Children and Family Services. This year involved Dallas Police Department, 10 different churches, and a Christian motorcycle group called Soul Rydaz.

Johnny Flowers, director of the New Hope Foundation’s empowerment center and church development coordinator for Buckner, said the goal of the project is to provide a “hand up, not a hand out."

“Latoya grew up in the CPS system without any family support,” Flowers said. “At the age of 16 she was on her own. She made a lot of bad choices until she realized she needed help. She started going to the church at Wynnewood which is where she met Buckner. Now she has a support system, her church and mentors and coaches through Buckner and New Hope Foundation. She has a promising future. The community has come together to break the cycle of violence and abuse.”

To learn more about the ways you can support children and families living at Wynnewood through Buckner, please call 214-758-8000.

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