On May 28th, North Texas Community Foundation celebrated the first year of the BEACON Fund alongside the Fund’s grantees, donors and grant committee members. Focused on building economic access, community, opportunity and networks, BEACON provided $590,537 in operational support to 22 nonprofit organizations in its inaugural year.
The celebration highlighted how these investments strengthened neighborhoods, expanded access to essential services and reached more than 70,000 residents across Tarrant County.
A special thank you to the grantees for illuminating the path for community-driven change, the BEACON Advisory Council for their efforts in helping us steward the funds, and to the donors whose generosity made this important work possible.
During the event, attendees contributed reflections that inspired We Are Community, a collaborative poem brought to life by Ms. Carroll West, Founder and Executive Director of the Thank You Darlin’ Foundation.
We Are Community, a Collaborative Poem
Where I come from prepared my heart with compassion, purpose, and love for the community. I am so honored to serve!
Where I come from both grounds me and propels me.
Where I come from, strong neighbor relationships make a successful community.
I carry community in my heart.
I carry community in my shoulders, dense, heavy, sometimes burdensome.
But when we are united,
when we share the load,
community is a blessing.
Community is a blessing.
A community in action looks like people loving their neighbors, supporting those in need with respect and openness,
in spite of differences.
A community in action looks, feels, and sounds like freedom, togetherness,
growth and forward movement.
It feels like home.
When you combine community with investment, meaningful change occurs.
When you combine community with investment, you build strong communities, futures, leaders, and lasting change.
You provide positive results that everyone benefits from.
You house the unhoused. You close the education gap. You feed the hungry.
For we are light bearers for our community, radiating in dim rooms, daring to pierce through dark spaces, spaces not made for us.
But we will make spaces for us.
We are community. We are many. And we are ONE.
