March 2022

What's in This Issue of Heart of Oak Cliff:

  • Letter from the President
  • Our Events Team is serving it up! Check out the latest.
  • Brad Perry from Charles Schwab 3 Financial Resolutions for 2022 - Part 2
  • Check out these Health and Wellbeing articles from Methodist Dallas Medical Center
  • Article 5 - Call for Volunteers, Support, Etc.
  • Upcoming on the Calendar

A letter from our President

Hello Friends and Neighbors!

It’s March of 2022 – can you even believe it!? Spring patio weather is right around the corner and e have so many things to celebrate and plenty of opportunities to jump in and give back to this fantastic piece of the earth we call Oak Cliff.

Our first quarter Membership Celebration is slated for the 23rd of this month at Maskaras Mexican Grill. If you don’t know the story of Rodolfo Jimenez, handsome telenovela actor, his beautiful wife Vanessa and his impressive lucha (wrestling) mask collection, well you just haven’t been paying attention; Maskaras has been proclaimed the home of the “trendiest taco in Texas” by Texas Monthly. We’ll get to hang out with Rodolfo and company, enjoy some of these famed tacos, and start planning our next edition of Passport Oak Cliff, A Fall Home And Destination Tour. Register for the 23rd now!

Opportunities to give back – boy have we got ‘em! Positions that need filling to keep this fundraising, grant awarding machine humming along include:

  • Vice President
  • VP of Membership
  • Directors At Large
  • Various Committee Work (Bylaws, Fundraising, Passport, Communications)

I won’t sugar-coat this; it takes a LOT of work to keep Heritage Oak Cliff up and running. We have managed to weather the pandemic and come out smelling like a rose because of the hard work and dedication of my fantastic counterparts on the Executive Committee - but we are wearing these folks out. We have got to hear from those of you who are ready to step up and take the reins now and in the future. We all enjoy HOC’s influence with the City Planning Commission, receiving grant monies, attending Passport Oak Cliff and all the other events that are now being added back to the calendar. The hard-nosed truth is that these volunteers’ terms will be ending, and we’ve got to have some plans for OUR collective future. I myself was volun-told that I would get involved back in 2016 and am deliriously happy to be of service, but this is like KERA, if you’re listening and not making a pledge, well you should feel obligated to. I’m always good for a lunch to talk about opportunities – hit me up!

I’ll see everyone at Maskaras!

Yours in fabulous Oak Cliff living,

Travis-Lee

Our New Events Team is Serving you Oak Cliff Realness

Have you had a chance to meet our newest Events Co-Chairs? You really have to. They are a bunch of fun, with great senses of humor, and lots of witty rapport tio share. Not only that they are looking to be the new power house of the Heritage Oak Cliff organization events.

The new co-chairs for events at Heritage Oak Cliff are Cylena Smith and Jon Montgomery. They will be responsible for Passport Oak Cliff (and some exciting changes coming there).

Speaking of Passport Oak Cliff 2022, are you ready to sign you neighborhood up? We have opened our 2022 Neighborhood Sign Up form, click here.

Interested in volunteering this year for Passport Oak Cliff, click here and sign up.

Our March Social Event is On the Calendar
March 23, 2022

If you had fun at Dash for the Beads last month, then get ready for our next fun and exciting neighborhood social.

Our event will be held at:

Maskaras Mexican Grill
2423 W Kiest BLVD (Kiest and Hampton), Dallas, 75233

Your event entry includes appetizers and 2 drinks. You are welcome to order dinner and enjoy the full evening. 

Please click here to register - registration is required. Note the cost of the event below:

  • Members - Free by March 18
  • Member Guests - $15 by March 18
  • Members - $15 after March 18
  • Member Guests - $25 after March 18
  • Non-Members - $20 by March 18
  • Non-Members - $35 after March 18

Hint buy a membership.

Come meet your neighbors, talk about things happening in your neighborhood, ask questions about the next Passport Oak Cliff (and home tour) event.

Members of the Executive Committee, Neighborhood Representatives and Board of Director Members presence is required. This will be counted towards your participation for grant review.

Part 1 of a 3 Part Series
3 Financial Resolutions for 2022
Brad Perry, Charles Schwab

This is part one of a three part article on financial resolutions you can make for 2022. Please tune in over the next couple newsletters for the entire set of resolutions.

Resolution 2: Manage your debt

Debt is neither inherently good nor bad—it’s simply a tool, if used smartly. For most people, some level of debt is a practical necessity, especially to purchase an expensive long-term asset to pay back over time, such as a home. However, problems arise when debt becomes the master, not the other way around. Here’s how to stay in charge.

  • Keep your total debt load manageable. Don’t confuse what you can borrow with what you should borrow. Keep the monthly costs of owning a home (principal, interest, taxes and insurance) below 28% of your pre-tax income and your total monthly debt payments (including credit cards, auto loans and mortgage payments) below 36% of your pre-tax income.

  • Eliminate high-cost, non-deductible consumer debt. Try to pay off credit card debt and avoid borrowing to buy depreciating assets, such as cars. The cost of consumer debt, if you carry a balance, adds up quickly.

Tune in next month for the third part of this three part series.

Are you ready to take on the new year? If you have questions about shaping your financial future, please reach out to me at 972-788-7831. Let’s make your 2022 (and beyond!) great.

Brad Perry is a Vice President Financial Consultant at Charles Schwab with many years of experience helping clients achieve their financial goals. Some content provided here has been compiled from previously published articles authored by various parties at Schwab.

*Diversification strategies do not ensure a profit and do not protect against losses in declining markets.

Where specific advice is necessary or appropriate, Schwab recommends consultation with a qualified tax advisor, CPA, financial planner or investment manager. Schwab does not provide legal or tax advice.

Fixed income securities are subject to increased loss of principal during periods of rising interest rates. Fixed income investments are subject to various other risks including changes in credit quality, market valuations, liquidity, prepayments, early redemption, corporate events, tax ramifications and other factors. Lower rated securities are subject to greater credit risk, default risk, and liquidity risk.

Tax-exempt bonds, like muni bonds, are not necessarily a suitable investment for all persons. Information related to a security's tax-exempt status (federal and in-state) is obtained from third-parties and Schwab does not guarantee its accuracy. Tax-exempt income may be subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Capital appreciation from bond funds and discounted bonds may be subject to state or local taxes. Capital gains are not exempt from federal income tax.

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Member SIPC)

A Message from Our Community Partner
Methodist Dallas Medical Center

NICU staff fixes rare condition

Baby Natalia was "smiling in the NICU" after the Methodist Dallas team corrected her life-threatening case of gastroschisis. Check out this extended article for more.

Hold the salt for heart health

Thousands of heart attacks and strokes could be prevented every year if more Americans adopted a lower sodium diet. Read the full article here.

New liver answers prayers

When a young man from Burleson needed a lifesaving transplant, congregations in three states sprang into action. Read the full article here.

UTIs can cause confusion, too

Dementia is often the biggest fear when a senior suddenly becomes disoriented, but the actual diagnosis may be delirium caused by a urinary tract infection. Read details in the article here.

Here is a link to video of more messages highlighting so of the most inspiring patient stories.

Let's Talk About Grants

2020 GRANT PROJECTS:

Please be aware ALL 2020 Grant Projects must be completed by June 30, 2022. Failure to do so will result in the forfeiture of grant funds designated for your project.

For any 2020 Grant Projects already completed, please submit a reimbursement request for the completed project. Submit the reimbursement request form to vpgrants@heritageoakcliff.org. Reimbursement Requests are due by June 30. Failure to submit the request by the due date will result in the loss of the grant monies for the approved project.

2022 GRANT INFORMATION:

In order to have a successful 2022 grant application, please be aware of the following:

  1. The neighborhood must have a current membership. If you need assistance with this, please contact Travis Lee at president@heritageoakcliff.org or myself at vpgrants@heritageoakcliff.org.
  2. People signing the grant application, must have a current membership with Heritage Oak Cliff at the time the grant is submitted.
  3. The Neighborhood Representatives must be attending Board meetings. Missing 6 consecutive meetings will result in the neighborhood not qualifying to apply for a grant. Currently 22 neighborhoods will not qualify because their representative was absent 6 consecutive Board meetings.

Grant Program Guide and the Grant Application will be available on the HOC website by March 18, 2022.

2022 Grant Workshop will be via ZOOM. March 24 at 7:00 pm (Thursday) and March 26 at 10:00 am (Saturday). Meeting information will be on the HOC website as well as sent out as an eblast to HOC members and neighborhood representatives.

DEADLINE FOR ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF THE GRANT APPLICATION IS: MAY 14, 2022 9:00 PM.

$20,000 available for 2022 Grants.

I’m looking forward to working with you this upcoming 2022 grant cycle. Let’s make it the best one ever!!! Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns that you have: vpgrants@heritageoakcliff.org.

Heritage Oak Cliff Mission Statement

To preserve and enhance the architectural, historic, and cultural heritage and natural resources of Oak Cliff through direct action and public education.

To support the neighborhoods of Heritage Oak Cliff with assistance, grants, and training, and to serve as an umbrella organization,unifying the neighborhoods for greater advocacy and representation with the City of Dallas.

To promote communication and cooperation, between and among organizations and community groups,to increase their effectiveness in addressing issues affecting Oak Cliff.

To promote Oak Cliff to the wider community as an exceptional place to live.

Thank You Business Members

Please check out the web sites for our business members. We appreciate their support of Heritage Oak Cliff and they appreciate your business. Click on any of the cards below to go to the website for our business members and let them know you found them through Heritage Oak Cliff.

Interested in becoming a Business Member? Click here and sign up there for your Business Membership today!

Heritage Oak Cliff is an all volunteer organization.
We are always looking for enthusiastic people who want to help us
build community and improve the neighborhoods of Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas. 

Your current membership information is listed here.
If you are not a member or your membership has lapsed,
please consider signing up or renewing today.

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