Meet Mrs. Gloria

One of the greatest gifts we receive from serving the folks in West and South Dallas is getting to know some amazing people. Our heart at 2ndSaturday is to highlight their stories and intentionally come alongside pillars of the neighborhoods we serve in order to see them transformed.

“I know there's a God. He will make a way for you…He brought me a mighty long way.”

Mrs. Gloria is a 69-year-old widow living in South Dallas and the matriarch of her family, with 23 grandchildren and (the last time she counted) 32 great grandchildren! Mrs. Gloria loves to sit on her porch, plant flowers and do things around her house; she has painted all the rooms in her home and even laid her own flooring, although lately arthritis and vertigo have recently been preventing her from being able to do some of the things she enjoys.

Mrs. Gloria is known for the way that she takes care of people. From her porch she watches over the street and the people on it and she is able to see the needs around her, often going out of her way to meet them. When her grandson was jumped and hurt by a gang after refusing to join, she took him in. Many people would get scared and run or simply look the other way when they witness young men getting involved in running drugs, gang violence and the utter brokenness that comes with that life, but when these young men are being beaten and left for dead she is the person who goes and sits with them in the hospital, cooks meals for them and opens her home to them.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Gloria regularly sees the results of drugs, gangs and violence on her street, but as a part of her neighborhood crime watch committee she’s committed to confronting the darkness that surrounds her with patience and love on a daily basis and do her part to help keep her neighborhood safe.

A few months ago, Mrs. Gloria encountered some home safety needs around her house that she couldn’t address on her own. She remembered seeing people helping out some of her neighbors and started to ask around. The director of the crime watch committee told her about 2ndSaturday, our organization committed to being a tangible blessing to inner-city seniors who are pillars of their communities.

Since then, a team of volunteers has not only taken care of some of the home safety issues, but has done all kinds of work around her house: they have been able to replace siding, reinforce her porch, install railing, and give it a fresh coat of paint. 2ndSaturday has the pleasure of coming alongside this sweet lady who loves her community and care for her home so she can continue to focus on caring for others.

The way Mrs. Gloria so selflessly lives her life is a beautiful picture of the gospel and what it looks like to exemplify the attributes of Christ as one of his followers. Mrs. Gloria embodies the heart and soul of 2ndSaturday’s purpose. She is reaching broken and hurting lives, restoring hope in her neighborhood, and playing a part in God’s redeeming work in Dallas.

“The blood of Jesus will change you.” –Mrs. Gloria

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” -Micah 6:8