Foster Kids Charity caught in the middle as Dallas City Council weighs H-E-B zoning

DALLAS - Dallas City Council members are preparing to vote on whether an H-E-B grocery store should be allowed to open in far North Dallas, where the company has purchased land near Hillcrest Road and LBJ Freeway. 

What we know:

The proposal has drawn pushback from nearby residents and created complications for a nonprofit that serves foster children in Dallas County.

H-E-B acquired the site and notified tenants earlier this fall that the structure would be demolished. Among the tenants displaced is Foster Kids Charity, which provides food, clothing and school supplies to foster children throughout the county.

Displaced charity scrambles to relocate

What they're saying:

For founder Michelle Brown, the organization began from a deeply personal experience.

"I was the one who did CPR on one of the girls," she said, recalling a 2008 crash that killed a family of five as they left church, an event that motivated her to create the charity.

Brown said H-E-B informed the nonprofit in September that it needed to be relocated by December. While the group was able to secure new office space, its donation truck, used as a collection site, is no longer operable.

"The truck came out to $5,000," she said. "We want to make sure we have money for the children over the truck. We had to choose one or the other, and we chose the children over the truck."

Brown said all donations have been removed from the vehicle after the property manager warned it would be towed if left on-site.

"We are in a bind, we cannot take it to the new place, but have to move it from here," she said, adding that she has about two weeks to find a solution.

Service seeks community help

Local perspective:

Dallas County Judge Delia Gonzales praised the nonprofit in a statement, calling it "a mainstay for Dallas County foster kids" and saying its continued operation is "vital to providing additional needs for foster youth."

Brown said she is hoping someone may come forward to repair the truck or tow it to the charity’s new location. "My hope is someone will help donate funds to repair the truck, or someone has a towing company that can tow and repair it for us," she said.

Meanwhile, dozens of residents have signed up to speak against the proposed grocery store, citing traffic concerns at the already congested intersection of Interstate 635 and Hillcrest Road.

Opposition ahead of council vote

What's next:

Despite opposition, the city’s Planning Commission unanimously approved the rezoning request earlier this year. 

The matter now heads to the Dallas City Council for a final vote.