Pasos for Oak Cliff was founded on August 2, 2020 by two Oak Cliff sneakerhead natives: Jesse Acosta, a high school social studies teacher, and Alejandra Zendejas, a math tutor and Chubb employee. Jesse and Alejandra are huge sneakerheads, therefore they would always look at what was on their student's feet. They both noticed a trend - students with worn out shoes were more likely to sit in the back of class, not ask for help, have low confidence, and sometimes even be bullied for their shoes.
Thus, in August 2020, they launched a week long fundraiser under Pasos with a goal of $1,500 for 50 pairs of shoes. At the end of the month $4,500 were raised and 154 pairs of shoes were given out all over the Oak Cliff region. Although their expectations were exceeded, they were left with a waitlist of students in need. They decided to launch another fundraiser and registered Pasos as a non-profit.
Since Pasos' inception, the organization has grown to providing 600+ new shoes for students all over Dallas & Austin, $5,000 worth of scholarships for seniors in title 1 high schools, organizing community events, and civic awareness.
Our mission is to create social upward mobility and economic prosperity in minority communities through culturally inspired educational programs and events. We live our mission through three main programs: sneaker drives, scholarships, and summer programs.
Pasos is currently fundraising for a spin-off program of the Pasos All Stars with emphasis in filmmaking.
The Pasos All Stars Program is year long intervention program for 9th - 12th graders affected by learning loss in literacy and math. Students will meet twice a month at Mountain View College for literacy and math enhancement classes. They will also receive filmmaking classes to create their own 10 - 15 minute documentary on a social economic issues in Dallas, Texas.
We are seeking $10,000 to help us cover educational material and food expenses for the 2023 - 2024 cycle.
Pasos for Oak Cliff embraces diversity, equality, and equity. We are committed and intentional about building a team with diverse backgrounds, skills, and point of views. We value serving students and families regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, disabilities, and nationality.
Organization name
Pasos for Oak Cliff
Causes
Arts, Culture & Humanities, Social Services, Education - K-12
Operating Budget
$100,000 - $249,999
Counties Served
Dallas, Tarrant
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latinx, Other
BIPOC Leadership
Both the Executive Director/CEO and Board Chair
Equity Statement
Equity Statement
Address
2915 s Polk st