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have the Blake Davis Scholarship, which anyone in our program can access for help with higher education. Our goal is to make them self-sufficient and successful members of society.

WHYDO YOU THINK PROMISEHOUSE ISSO IMPORTANT FOR DALLAS?

Our city wants to end homelessness by 2014. That’s almost an impossible feat if we don’t help teens because they’re most likely to become the next generation of homeless adults. So that’s our main, core mission — to end teen homelessness.

YOU HELPEDOVER 700 MORE KIDS THAN LAST YEAR?

Yes. There were 207 who stayed with us in the shelter last year. And overall, we served 5,095 clients, which is an increase of 730. We had the greatest increase in our Street Outreach Program. We brought in 190 teens and young people from the street.

TELL ME MORE ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.

The Street Outreach Program is where employees and volunteers go out on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and look for kids who are out on the street. They take hygiene kits, jackets, socks and anything that they might need. And they tell them we’re here. They’re turned away from adult shelters. So we want them to know that we’re here. If you can get to them early, before they’re hardened to the street, then they might want to come in. Some only come for a meal and a shower, but then at least you get to talk to them and try to get them with their families, or in the shelter, or in transitional living.

WHAT CAN OUR READERS DO TO HELP?

They can go to our website, promisehouse. org. There’s usually a wish list posted. Right now there’s a school supply list, and later, there will be a holiday wish list. People can adopt a child or a family or a program to help with holiday needs. We have a lot of grants that are matching grants, so we always need monies. No donation is too small. They can volunteer and get involved at Promise House as an individual, or get your company to do a drive. We always need volunteers, which could be anything from working in our office to working back in our programs. They can plan activities, whether it’s an exercise class, painting fingernails, doing homework, giving cooking lessons or any kind of fun project.

—RACHEL STONE

grab-bagLAUNCH

WHATGIVES?

Neighborhood Nonprofits

THISMONTH, BUYACANDLE ... from Shambala in the Bishop Arts District. The shop is donating 10 percent of its sales of any home fragrance item to Turner House. The Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts is raising money for long overdue renovations to the Winnetka Heights mansion that is its clubhouse. Shambala is at 415 S. Bishop, turnerhouse.org.

Baby Bliss

Adorable Doll Pram by Haba. Includes pram, pillow and blanket. Made of solid beech wood in Germany. 1y+. Snider Plaza. 6721 Snider Plaza 469.232.9420 shopbabybliss.com

Or Donate

to the Texas Theater renovation efforts. Last month’s Cyclesomatic bike festival brought several movies to the Texas Theater, which was a lot of fun. But the historic theater on Jefferson, the famous site where law enforcers got Lee Harvey Oswald, needs lots of work, and no donation is too small. oakclifffoundation.org.

KNOWOFWAYS that neighbors can spend time, attend an event, or purchase or donate something to benefit a neighborhood nonprofit? Email your suggestion to launch@advocatemag.com.

Bowman Hot Glass

Working glassblowing studio and galleryoffering unique art glass for any budget or occasion. Sign up for glassblowing classes. Architectual commissions available. 1419 Griffin St. E. (Cedars District close to downtown Dallas) Tues.-Sat., 11-5 or by appt. 214.426.4777 bowmanglass.com here’s the most important thing to remember when you want to repair a sidewalk: the city of dallas will help you fix it, but it will not foot the entire bill. (unless you live in a low-income area or the city is repairing the utilities beneath your sidewalk or curb.) But knowing that, if you still want your sidewalk to be walkable, here’s how it works:

1. the city gives residents two options: the fast-fix program and the costshare program.

2. the fast-fix program, as the title suggests, gets the job done more quickly. citizens pay $4.60 per square foot of sidewalk, plus additional charges for any curb repairs and grass replacements. city staff and contractors will inspect the sidewalk and provide cost estimates, and repairs must be made within two months of the request to protect the price. the payment is made to contractors, who work through dallas Water and utilities, and work should be completed within two weeks of payment.

3. in the cost-share program, citizens pay for half the costs — $2.80 per square foot of sidewalk — and the city pays for the other half. the costshare program usually involves an entire street, block or neighborhood and typically takes one or two years. the city determines an area that needs sidewalk repairs, sends out letters to residents living in that area to find out if they want to go ahead with repairs; if so, residents have 30 days to pay their half of the cost. After the letters have been sent and money collected, it takes eight to 12 months to get a contract set up.

4. even though the city mostly relies on residents to take the initiative in sidewalk repairs, residents can still be cited by the city and possibly fined for having damaged sidewalks, because of the risk of someone becoming hurt and both the city and homeowner facing a civil suit.

5. for information about either program, contact James dowdy with the city’s public works and transportation department at 214.948.4287.

—Katie Collins

&CLIFF FEST: MORE THAN JUST A TASTE

FREE Oak Cliff residents already know our neighborhood is the keenest thing since HDTV. This Bishop Arts District street festival is designed to make that clear for the rest of Dallas. “Cliff Fest: More than Just a Taste” will showcase Oak Cliff-based artists, businesses and nonprofits. Neighborhood restaurants will give away small plates of food, or sell them for a few dollars. And there will be two stages with performers all day, including Oak Cliff-based bands, spoken word poets, the Sunset High School drill team and dancers from Studios on the Edge. The vendors and performers are locals only — an Oak Cliff address was the lone stipulation for businesses and artists to participate. The event is free, but a $1 per person donation to the North Texas Food Bank is requested. “We found out that with a dollar, the North Texas Food Bank can provide four meals,” says organizer Amy Wallace Cowan. The party is from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the last band goes on at 7 p.m. More information is available at clifffest.org.

The Cedars Open Studio Tour

Barefoot At The Belmont

$20 November is the last month of the season to see one of the Belmont Hotel’s outdoor concerts. Ari Heist plays Nov. 5, David Garza plays Nov. 12, and Will Sexton plays Nov. 19. Tickets are available at swankpresents.com. 901 Fort Worth, 214.393.2300, belmontdallas.com.

FREE Artists living and working in the Cedars neighborhood are opening their doors and asking you to come look around. “It’s just a neighborhood party with an emphasis on art,” says organizer David Terry. Start the free tour at any of the studios listed at cedarsopenstudios.com, or at Dallas Heritage Village, which has free admission that day. The tour is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

DALLAS YMCA TURKEY TROT $28

There is nothing like running 8 miles before eating a huge, carbohydrate-filled meal. The Turkey Trot is in its 42nd year, and walking it is also an option. Everyone also is invited to run or walk the 5k, or just watch the race, which goes through Oak Cliff. Registration information is available at thetrot.org.

Salvadoran Signatures

GLORIA R U bIO AND J OSE F UENTES introduced much of Dallas to Salvadoran food in 1987 when they opened their first restaurant in Oak Cliff. As Gloria’s expanded to Oak Lawn, Greenville Avenue and Addison, many Dallas diners for the first time tried handmade Salvadoran tamales and pupusas stuffed with spicy pork. Now there are 10 Gloria’s restaurants in the Dallas area, and one is under construction in Austin. Although Gloria’s serves Tex-Mex food such as enchiladas and tacos, it is Rubio’s recipes for Salvadoran specialties and her commitment to fresh cooking that sets the Dallas restaurant chain apart. “She loves to cook, and she cooks very, very well,” says Gloria’s business manager, Ricardo Moore. Gloria’s restaurants cook everything fresh every day, he says. “The best thing about Gloria’s is that everything is fresh,” he says. “Everything is cooked daily, and nothing is frozen.” Gloria’s recently has added some new menu items, including “tropical” entree salads with fruit, vegetables and beef, chicken, shrimp or salmon. Also new to the menu is salmon costeña, which comes smothered in a sweet and spicy chipotle sauce.

—RACHEL

STONE

DAVIS & CEDAR HILL 214.948.3672

GLORIASRESTAURANTS CO m

Pictured: Mar y Tierra, a Latin take on “surf and turf’”

Three more spots to try something new

1 TiLLman’s Roadhouse

With menu items like venison Frito pie, fried pickle cup and breakfast salad, Tillman’s knows how to put an unexpected twist on the usual.

WEST SEVENTH & NORTH bISHOp 214.942.0988

TILLmANSROADHOUSE CO m

2 KavaLa

This Mediterranean restaurant’s menu has lots of interesting entrees, but we can’t get past the brick-oven pizza, including a bacon, egg and arugula pie.

WEST DAVIS & NORTH WINDOmERE 214.942.8100 k AVALAGRILL .COm

3 don Panza Argentine pizza and empanadas come in several varieties. There is a blue cheese and ham empanada, and a pizza with artichoke hearts, egg and crab.

WEST CLARENDON & SOUTH RAVINIA 214.337.9900

DONpANz A COm