Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center
Dallas will come together Wednesday to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States over 150 years ago. And, they will mark the occasion by opening a food center aiming to help Dallas’ most impoverished communities.
Juneteenth is recognized as the day slavery was abolished in the United States after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865. Dallas holds a free celebration every year in recognition of the holiday, with this year’s event lineup featuring food, brews, arts and crafts and live entertainment by local artists, musicians, dancers and spoken word artists.
However, this year’s Juneteenth celebration is unique to other celebrations for one distinct reason: The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center will open its own Fresh Food Distribution Center to help feed some of Dallas’ lower-income residents.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Fresh Food Distribution Center is a food supplier operating out of the Community Center that will help provide fresh fruits, vegetables and dried goods for the South Dallas community. According to the MLK Center website, 18.2 percent of Dallas County is considered food insecure, while 700,000 Dallas County residents live in lower-income communities that lack access to healthy, affordable foods, including over 245,000 children.
The brainchild of the Leadership Dallas program within the Dallas Regional Chamber, senior vice president Jessica Heer states that the 10-month program selected the Distribution Center for its class project as an expansion for the pre-existing community center. Heer says its opening on Juneteenth marks a significant occasion for both the city and the community center.
“I think it'll make a great additional celebration to a historical event that we celebrate every year,” Heer expresses. “It makes perfect sense to hold this ribbon cutting with Juneteenth.”
The grand opening will kick off the Juneteenth celebration at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at the Community Center located at 2922 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The distribution center will be open each Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
To learn more about the Distribution Center, call 214.670.8418 or visit DallasMLKCenter.com