Vickery VickeryWellness Center Buckner Children and Family Services of North Texas, the Melody Village Apartment and Presbyterian Healthcare System entered into an agreement on October 23rd, 1996. To meet the social service needs of the families living within the apartment community Brian and Cheryl Potashnik provided the Melody Village Community Room to house the Vickery Wellness Center (owners of the Melody Village Apartments and Southwest Housing Authority). Buckner staff is involved in the community meetings that meet on the last Friday of the month at the Center called V-Cat (Vickery Community Action Team). Services Provided • After-School & Family Programs After-school programs provided tutoring, academic enrichment, life skills training, character development, and therapeutic recreational and social activities to at-risk youth. • Family Programs Family programs include parenting support, women’s groups, enrichment activities, nutritional programs, health programs, etc. aimed at helping families achieve emotional, physical, and spiritual health. • Crisis Relief and Aid Program Provided emergency food, clothing, and housing assistance to needy families. • Counseling Services Provided on-going in-home (or office-based) counseling services youth and families needing assistance in addressing a significant emotional or behavioral disturbance. • Job Readiness & Technology Training Provided computer skills training and job readiness training for adults that are either unemployed or are in low paying jobs with little room for advancement. • ESL Classes A team of certified teachers from park Cities Baptist church offer 4 levels of ESL including one men's class at Vickery. ESL Class Statistics: • 42 students completed the ESL classes • 58 children were cared for by Park Cities volunteers. Technology Class Statistics: • 62 students • 128 hours of classes. Highlights for 2005 • 30 children were  given a $100 Christmas shopping spree at Wal-Mart through the Wal-Mart  foundation. • Vickery Wellness  Center was awarded Reading and Learning Center by the Dallas  Mavericks.   Children participated in the Dallas Mavericks Read to Achieve program where they had a  chance to read with the players and get their autographs.   • Children participated in cultural events including the Plano Repatory Theatre, Dallas  Summer Musicals, and the Living Opera. Youth  took art classes at  The Dallas Center for Contemporary Art and Vickery girls attended Hip-Hop  classes at the Powerhouse of Dance.   • Youth participated in sporting events including Dallas Mavericks basketball games, Texas Rangers  and Roughriders baseball games, Dallas Stars hockey games, and Dallas Cowboys  football games.  Boys participated in a soccer league sponsored by Park  Cities Baptist Church.   • Women's club raised  money for trips to the Dallas Aquarium, shopping at the  and had  lunch at the Texan Gaylord. • Summer Camps were  provided by Watermark, DBU Pacesetters, and Park Cities Baptist  Church.   Community wide  events were a couple's Valentine's Dinner, Easter Egg Hunt, 4th of July Party,  Thanksgiving Dinner and Christmas party.   • Youth participated in a Spring Break and summer  camp at Mt. Lebanon sponsored by Buckner. Staff: Teddy Hernandez – Lead Lifeskills Specialist Phone: (214) 706-6959 Email: thernandez@buckner.org Maria Pacheco – Community Based Services Site Coordinator Phone: (214) 706-6959 Email: mpacheco@buckner.org FAX: (214) 692-1041