This week in our 40-for-FORTY Campaign we are highlighting a small non-profit that has had significant impact on our family and the community we lived in prior to hitting the road full-time, as well as, an incredible young woman who makes things happen.
Cristina Roberson is the pied piper of North Lancaster, Ave in south Dallas. She walks down the street and kids flock to her. “Cristina, Ms. Cristina! What are we doing today?, Can we walk to school with you?”
She and her ministry partners have been connected to this Neighborhood since 2014 and they are in love with the people that live here. Cristina works at the local high school (Adamson High School) but is infinitely more involved in the community through her work with the Cliffhouse. The Cliffhouse I am referring to is not the new restaurant space that opened up in nearby Bishop Arts, but rather a community house of sorts planted in the middle of North Lancaster Avenue in the North Oak Cliff area of Dallas, TX. This area of town is notoriously challenging, filled with poverty, violence and drugs, but people are still people and deserve to be known and loved. Cristina and her ministry partners, Kenny and Jenny Ingrahm, believe that with all their hearts and have dedicated their lives to getting to know the people. They are intentional about listening to the community and as a result many different activities and programs have developed and many friendships have formed. See below for more information on My Cliffhouse.
Cristina Roberson is the pied piper of North Lancaster, Ave in South Dallas.
She walks down the street and kids flock to her. “Cristina, Ms. Cristina! What are we doing today?, Can we walk to school with you?”
Back to Cristina… Cristina is a young woman who has dedicated her life to loving others and caring for children in ways that require much sacrifice. People are not projects to her, they are dear friends. She spends her days teaching at the high school and her evenings tutoring and running mentorship programs for kids of different ages. She wants to see the kids of her neighborhood succeed in life. She wants to see them finish high school, stay out of gangs and grow up knowing that they matter. In the summertime, she runs a Feeding and Reading program. This program has evolved quite a bit since we first met back in 2014 and has become the highlight of the summer for many. Over the years, more people have become involved in helping out and Cristina has not had to do it all herself. The summer reading and feeding program consists of free breakfast and lunch for the kids, a plethora of games and crafts, bible study activities, story time and assisted reading. Kids are incentivized to read so many minutes or books throughout the summer and are given access to free books. In the last couple of years, she has been able to partner with the local public library as many of the children cannot get to the library safely or do not have an adult who can help them borrow and return books in a timely manner. Cristina knows how important reading is for the kids and is trying to make it as accessible as possible. She now has other volunteers who come and read with the kids during the summer programs, as well as, during the school year. A couple of times a week she runs a ‘tutoring’ session, which involves assisting kids with their schoolwork and providing a supportive environment that encourages them to complete tasks and study so they can continue to progress in school. Over the years our family has been involved, we have seen some of the young ones grow up and become mentors, themselves, when they are in high school!
Read all about the 40-for Forty Campaign, here!
Aside from set activities, Cristina has attended countless sporting events, family celebrations, and other special events in support of the kids and their families. She takes kids to the park to play, camping in the summer, on runs, and to other events to volunteer. She meets with other young women to help them navigate the world of relationships and growing up healthy and she shares her home and space with anyone in need.
In so many ways, Cristina has fostered a community that has become a family. She ENCOURAGEs me to look beyond my own privilege and bias, and to listen intently to those around me with a heart to love my neighbor as myself. And our family is so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Cliffhouse Community. Now that we are on the road full-time, we miss seeing the kids smiling (and even grumpy) faces and we miss the parents we have become friends with. Our kids miss their friends, too. The beautiful community that has formed on the street called N. Lancaster Ave. has permanently left a mark on our hearts and Cristina, through her constant ACTing and GIVEing has INSPIREd us to do the same. So, thank you, Cristina, for selflessly loving your neighbors and for being a beautiful example to so many!
The Cliffhouse
The Cliffhouse is a group of mostly young (and a few older) friends who do life together as a 'family on mission', desiring to bring and be Good News to the North Lancaster Ave neighborhood near Bowie Elementary, Trinity Basin Prep, Garcia Middle, and Adamson High schools. Some live together at the Cliff House (412 N Lancaster Ave), and others live nearby. Their method is to apprentice and mentor young adults (residential interns) to live and do life 24/7 among those we feel drawn to, with a heart toward immigrants and refugees from across our borders, sharing the customs and rhythms of the neighborhood.
John 1:14 The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. (Message Bible)
Their passion is to see children and families living up to their full God given potential, with a focus on students doing well in school, avoiding drugs and gangs, gaining healthy life-skills, and nurturing/pursuing their dreams for a fulfilling life of purpose and destiny as our next generation of leaders
CliffHouse engages the community through:
After-school tutoring, Mentoring, KidzKlubs, Youth Group, CliffHouse Community en Espanol Sunday evening gathering, CliffHouse Community Neighborhood Association, Community Gardens, Job and College Prep, Summer Reading and Feeding Program, Food Distribution, Residential Internships, Sports Camps and more.
As the Cliffhouse Community is preparing for their sixth summer of CliffHouse SummerFest (Summer Feeding/Reading)—they have three very special ways you can partner with us:
Interested in volunteering? Visit MyCliffhouse.org or contact Cristina Roberson @ cmroberson19@gmail.com or Kenny Ingram @ MyCliffHouse@aol.com
1) We still have some open four day ‘weeks’ that groups can ‘adopt’ by coming and serving the kids and leading out in the program for those four days (with tons of help from us).
2) If you are a mature high-schooler or college age adult and would like to spend several weeks with us or even the entire summer as a CliffHouse Missional Apprentice—please contact us ASAP. This multicultural residential immersion experience will absolutely change your life, not to mention how many of our awesome neighbor’s lives God will use you to change.
3) While we are so blessed to have all the meals/snacks graciously donated for the entire summer we still have to provide paper goods, craft and game supplies, insurance, utilities, ice, etc. The budget for this for the entire summer is approx $1500–not really that much for a full summer of filling hungry kids’ stomachs, helping them improve their reading skills, having lots of fun, and for discovering how deeply their Heavenly Father loves them. Your generous gift for part or even all this amount is tax deductible. You can find donation instructions on the web site or just contact us. (Note: MyCliffhouse is the service branch of the Master’s Harvest Non-Profit)
If you want more info—please contact Cristina Roberson @ cmroberson19@gmail.com or Kenny Ingram @ MyCliffHouse@aol.com. Also visit our website
The Cliffhouse is a subdivision of the Master’s Harvest a 501 3c. To make a direct donation to the Cliffhouse go to MyCliffhouse.org and your will be making a HUGE impact on the children and families of this community.
Follow Prodigal Overland on Pinterest!
Prodigal Overland has made the initial $40 Donation
to MyCliffhouse.org and now it is your turn!
If we meet our goal of 40 matching donations of $40 we will fund this year’s Summer Fest and ensure the kids of North Lancaster Ave. have a fun, safe and healthy summer!!!!
The 40-for-FORTY Challenge
How can you participate:
1: GIVE: Make a $40 or more donation to one of the highlighted organizations. See all the organizations highlighted so far, here. Or make a direct donation to the Cliffhouse Community, here. Remember, Prodigal Overland always makes an initial donation of $40 to every organization highlighted and our goal is to feature 40 this year! If you do give send us a copy of your receipt and an address, so we can mail you the official 40-for-FORTY sticker!
2: Nominate: an organization or non-profit to be highlighted in the 40-for-FORTY Campaign and share the story of the people or person behind it the INSPIRES and ENCOURAGES you. All Stories are to be 1,000 words or less. Please include contact information and a website link for the organization you are nominating.
3: Subscribe: to our mailing list for regular updates on the 40-for-FORTY Campaign and Prodigal Overland. (Click here to subscribe now.)
4: Follow: our Instagram Account for day to day happenings with Prodigal Overland. (Click here to Follow now) and if you would like to follow our travel and off-road adventures, check out our YouTube Page!
5: Challenge: your friends by REPOSTING, SHARING and LIKING the 40-for-FORTY organizations/stories so that more people can participate and be INSPIREd and ENCOURAGEd. Use the hashtag #40forforty and we can repost and follow your stories.
**All organizations highlighted are under the sole discretion of Prodigal Overland. No monies will be handled by Prodigal Overland. All donations will go directly to the organizations. We have no professional ties to any of these organizations and will not receive any monies or privileges by highlighting them.
It has been a few weeks since we have launched a new 40-for-FORTY fundraiser, so this week we thought we would highlight two organizations at the same time. In light of the current circumstances that our country has been facing, I wanted to highlight charities that support issues that I feel most tied to. As you already know from the last story we posted that highlighted the International Justice Mission and the life of Harriett Tubman, Justice and equal rights are important to me. There is so much I do not know and so much I still have to learn, but the reality is, there is a disparity in our country. Disparity between the rich and poor and disparity between races. The issues are complicated and there is no easy answer, but that does not mean we should not strive as individuals and families to right the wrongs.