Empowering the Masses

More than 600 families turn to Empowering the Masses (ETM) each week for food assistance, but our work does not stop at meeting an immediate need. We help South Dallas and Pleasant Grove families build pathways toward greater health, economic stability, and long-term self-sufficiency.

The need is significant. Approximately 16.7% of Dallas residents live in poverty, more than one-quarter of residents under age 65 lack health insurance, and more than 744,000 people across North Texas experience food insecurity. At the same time, the healthcare sector is projected to have approximately 1.9 million job openings each year over the next decade, creating both an urgent workforce need and an opportunity for residents seeking economic mobility.

At ETM, these statistics are more than numbers. They represent the neighbors we know, the families who walk through our doors, and the students who trust us with their goals for a better future.

Founded in 2018 by Executive Director Tammy Johnson, ETM creates pathways to opportunity through education, workforce development, advocacy, and access to essential resources. Our guiding formula, Education + Advocacy = Empowerment, reflects our belief that lasting change happens when people have knowledge, opportunity, and support.

For many families, their relationship with ETM begins with food. Our CommUNITY Market serves more than 600 families each week through our Client Choice Pantry and weekly food distribution. The pantry allows neighbors to select food that meets their household needs with dignity, while our weekly distribution helps us reach more families throughout the community. Through DoorDash, we also deliver food to individuals who are homebound or unable to travel.

But receiving groceries is often only the beginning. As we build relationships with families, we learn about the challenges they face and the goals they want to achieve. A neighbor who first comes to ETM for food may later attend a Lunch & Learn, connect with community resources, or enroll in one of our workforce programs.

Our goal is to help families move from immediate relief toward lasting stability. ETM provides accessible, short-term training for in-demand healthcare careers through our 12-week Phlebotomy Technician Program, 16-week Community Health Worker Program, and 8-week Electrocardiogram (EKG) Technician Program. Each combines hands-on instruction, career-readiness support, and pathways to certification and employment.

We remain connected to students throughout that journey, celebrating certification successes, strengthening resumes and interviewing skills, providing encouragement when coursework becomes difficult, and supporting graduates as they pursue employment. For many participants, earning a credential represents more than completing a program; it can open the door to greater financial independence and a new sense of possibility.

This training responds directly to workforce demand. Phlebotomy employment is projected to grow 6%, while Community Health Worker employment is projected to grow 11%. Approximately 80 students graduate from ETM workforce programs each year, and graduates experience an average annual salary increase of approximately $20,000.

Through our Economic Empowerment Center in Pleasant Grove, ETM brings workforce training, education, health programming, and supportive services directly into the community. We also host monthly Lunch & Learns focused on health, preventive care, financial wellness, and other issues that affect quality of life.

Your Gift Creates Impact

Every gift helps move a neighbor one step closer to stability.

$1 can provide 9 meals.
$134 can sponsor one student on the path to becoming a nationally certified phlebotomist.

At ETM, meaningful community work is about more than offering programs. It is about listening, showing up consistently, earning trust, and helping people identify their next step forward. Our CommUNITY Market meets immediate needs, education builds knowledge, workforce development creates opportunity, advocacy connects families to resources, and relationships provide the support that helps people keep moving forward.

We do not simply serve a community; we build relationships within it. We provide more than a handout. We provide a hand up, equipping our neighbors with the skills, resources, support, and opportunities they need to build sustainable lives and stronger futures.