Dallas Ministry Using Rise Platform To Help The Homeless

Our Calling

Dallas, Texas

www.ourcalling.org
Twitter: @ourcalling

Details:

The Dallas-based ministry Our Calling is using Rise Vision’s free digital signage platform as part of its efforts to help the city’s poor and homeless.

Networked flat screen monitors installed in the ministry’s cafe keep the men, women and children who use the ministry’s outreach services informed about things like meal times, food distribution points and weather conditions.

“We use the system, in part, to offer convenience information such as the weather and social updates,” explains Our Calling’s Pastor and Executive Director Wayne Walker, “but for the homeless men, women and children who come to see us, it can be life-changing. Getting updates on freezing weather conditions or locations where food will be distributed is not about convenience, it is about saving lives. ”

Our Calling also uses the system to run news and sports, and the ministry is fine-tuning plans to integrate real-time information from a database, including notifications of where people stand on wait lists for using the shower and laundry facilities.

Finding Right Solution Was Tough

Walker says his non-profit group has to make feeding and clothing the poor the top priority, so finding a technology solution that fit Our Calling’s budget was tough.

“Most cheap technology solutions cost more in headaches and maintenance than they are worth. Once we found Rise Vision, we were very skeptical. However, our skepticism quickly dissolved when it worked. I don't have any other words to say than - it works AND it works very well,” says Walker.

“It is very powerful, flexible and easy to use. Someone donated an old Dell laptop to us and I installed the ‘Player’ and it has run flawlessly ever since,” adds Walker.

Our Calling made the digital signage screens a key component in communicating to some 1,000 guests and a team of more than 500 volunteers during its Thanksgiving meal.