Room at the Inn: Inclement Weather Shelter

Shelter Sign-Up Here

Sunday Night (12/14)

Overnight shelter will be open beginning Sunday, December 14 at 7:00 p.m. through Monday at 10:00 a.m.

We will serve a hot dinner and provide a warm, safe place to rest as we enter our first official shelter activation of the season.

As a reminder, volunteers must be trained to serve. If you have not yet been trained, please plan to arrive one hour early for your scheduled shift to complete the required training.

If you are available to help, please click on the sign up button to the left.

Thank you for being part of Oak Lawn UMC’s commitment to care, dignity, and compassion in every season.

Volunteer Training Dates:

  • SHELTER PREP TIME: Sunday December 13 1 p.m.  (help us finish setting up for Sunday) + training to be held after work is complete
  • Sunday, December 14 – please arrive 1 hour early for your shift to be trained.

All trainings will take place at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church,  There is a waitlist for virtual training (please complete registration form).

3014 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas.

Who Should Attend?

  • Anyone wishing to volunteer during inclement weather shelter nights
  • Returning volunteers (annual refresher required)
  • First-time volunteers looking for a meaningful way to support unsheltered neighbors
  • Ministry partners, community members, and small groups

No prior experience is necessary—just a heart willing to serve.

How to Sign Up

We’re asking all volunteers to register in advance so we can plan for training materials, hospitality, and group size.

Sign up here for training!

Help Now:  Dallas Responds

Note:  Photos of our guests, volunteers, and community members have been intentionally removed to protect their privacy and safety. In today’s political climate, we remain committed to safeguarding the anonymity of all who seek help and connection through Dallas Responds. We do this not out of fear, but out of deep care and respect for those we serve.
💛 You are seen. You are valued. You are loved.

Mission Statement:


At Dallas Responds, we amplify God’s love through radical hospitality, serving our neighbors, and standing up for justice.

Rooted in the life and ministry of Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, we believe every person deserves to be seen, known, and cared for — especially those living on the margins of our city.

Serving with Compassion and Dignity:

Inspired by the words of Jesus in Matthew 25 —

“I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me…”

Dallas Responds embodies the Gospel through tangible acts of care and community. As Henri Nouwen reminds us in The Wounded Healer,

“Nobody escapes being wounded. We are all wounded people… The great illusion is to think that we can be healed by avoiding suffering.”

And in the words of Pádraig Ó Tuama from In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World:

“There is no them, there is only us. And in that us, there is hope.”

We seek to be that shelter — a home in the world for all.

From our Pastors:  A statement regarding Dallas Responds support in the current political climate

Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, along with our outreach ministries, Dallas Responds, remains steadfast in our commitment to serving and supporting all communities—especially those who find themselves most polarized and marginalized in the current political climate. As United Methodists, we defend our baptismal vows by sharing our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.

In recent months, Christian nationalism and authoritarian executive orders have hindered our ability to serve freely and compassionately as we have in the past, creating new barriers for those seeking safety, justice, and belonging. Yet, our faith calls us to respond with courage—to proclaim that love is stronger than fear, and service is greater than silence.

As we have always done, we continue to provide warm meals, offer shelter during inclement weather, organize workshops that equip individuals to know and protect their rights, and serve as a safe haven that welcomes everyone without exception. These efforts reflect our unwavering dedication to upholding the dignity and rights of every person who enters our doors.

Our mission remains unchanged: to proactively engage with and support the community. While news of current threats may inspire fear, we choose to focus on being a source of safety, hope, and strength for those who need it most.

As a church, we will continue to stand in solidarity with our neighbors—offering the resources, refuge, and radical hospitality they deserve, always guided by love, courage, and justice.

Programs & Volunteering Info

A Safe and Sacred Space

Our pastors, staff, and volunteers serve with compassion and professionalism to create a safe, trauma-informed environment where every person is treated with dignity. At Dallas Responds, we believe that no one is beyond the reach of grace — and that love, lived out in action, is the most powerful force for healing in the world.

Patricia Proo

Outreach Manager

Contact Patricia at patricia@olumc.org or 214-521-5197, x101.

Volunteer With Us

Every act of service is an act of love. Whether you serve meals, organize clothes, assist with mail, or offer a warm smile — your presence makes a difference.

“Our wounds become the sources of healing for others.” — Henri Nouwen

Serve with Us | Volunteer Sign-Up
Support our Amazon Wish List
Make a monetary donation now!

Radical Hospitality in Action

Supporting our Unhoused Neighbors

Community Meals – We serve our unhoused neighbors with compassion and dignity.

  • Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

  • 1st & 3rd Sundays: 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

  • Due to current kitchen renovations, all meals are currently pre-packaged for safety and efficiency.

Clothing Closet
Open during Tuesday & Wednesday lunch service or by emergency request whenever our Outreach Center or Church Office is open.

ID & Mail Services
We help guests obtain identification and receive mail securely, offering dignity through documentation and stability.

Food Pantry & Case Management
We provide access to essential groceries and individualized case management to help our neighbors move toward stability and wholeness.

Recovery & Community Support

Our Community Center hosts more than 500 people each week for recovery and support meetings, including groups specifically designed for LGBTQIA+ people and their allies:

  • We Are Not Saints (AA)

  • Unwired CMA (Crystal Meth Anonymous)

  • Al-Anon

  • Dallas Winners Circle

  • Q+ Grief Support Group

  • Queer Engage! & Queer Relate!

Transgender-Affirming Clothing Closet
By confidential appointment, we offer a safe, affirming space for individuals seeking or exchanging gender-affirming clothing.
Email outreach@olumc.org for a private appointment.

We also provide meeting space for groups serving the LGBTQ+, recovery, and marginalized communities of Dallas — because healing happens together.

Migrant Support Network

Dallas Responds partners with advocates and volunteers to provide:

  • Know Your Rights workshops

  • Courtroom monitoring

  • Community advocacy for immigrants and asylum seekers navigating complex systems of justice and belonging.

  • Local grassroots organizing to ensure the accountability of local and national leaders through the United Methodist Connection and beyond

en_USEnglish
en_USEnglish es_MXSpanish
Verified by MonsterInsights