35th Anniversary | Vogel Alcove Historical Timeline

Children Served

Years

Mission

More than 17,000 children and families have been served
since Vogel Alcove opened its doors in 1987.

On March 29, 2022, Vogel Alcove will celebrate 35 years of caring for the most vulnerable, neglected members of our community– homeless children and their families.

Our agency’s highly-skilled teachers, social workers, counselors, and therapists help children cope with the trauma of homelessness and give parents the support they need to improve their families’ lives. Explore a timeline of our history, photos through the years, our 35th Anniversary Champions, and more, right here.

Become a part of our future! Your gift of $35 or more today will help us continue providing our services and programs in the years to come.

Vogel Alcove Historical Milestones 1986–2022

1985 – 1986

The Greatest Need

The Social Action Committee of Congregation Shearith Israel, chaired by Thelma Vogel, goes on a bus tour through Dallas. Moved by the plight of homeless people in the city, they take action.

The committee decides to sponsor a project to address homeless families. They establish a structure to expand participation from the Jewish community with representatives from 21 synagogues and Jewish organizations. The project is named the Dallas Jewish Coalition for the Homeless (DJCH) and childcare is selected as its focus.

The initiative is led by Thelma Vogel (Coordinator) and Doris Budner (Vice-Coordinator).

1985 – 1986

March 29, 1987

Early Foundations

On March 29th, 1987, the committee holds a dedication ceremony. A child care program for the homeless begins operations. The program is initiated to serve 15 children ages 0-5 from Dallas shelters. By the end of the year, the program grows to serve 28 children.

March 29, 1987

March 1988

Thelma Vogel

Thelma Vogel receives the Public Citizen of the Year award from the National Association of Social Workers.

March 1988

August 31, 1988

Thelma and Philip Vogel are tragically killed in the Delta 1141 plane crash. More than 2,200 people attended services honoring their memory.

″All of us are poorer for the tragic deaths we memorialized this day,″ said Rabbi Gerald Klein. ″But, oh, how rich we are because they lived among us.″

August 31, 1988

1988–1995

New Beginnings

1988 – Doris Budner steps in to lead as first president of the DJCH
1989 – Dedication of officially named “Vogel Alcove” in new building on 1110 Browder St. designed to serve 70 children, ages 6 weeks–14 years.
January 1992 – First Arts Performance Event with Itzhak Perlman to benefit the program takes place.

November 1995 – Capital campaign for a new building begins and Vogel Alcove has a new home at 1100 S. Akard by the end of the year.

1988–1995

1999–2003

Doris Budner

March 1999 – Doris Budner was named Public Citizen of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers.
March 2002 – Vogel Alcove building is named The Doris and Lawrence Budner Childcare Center.
June 2003 – Doris Budner passes away after a long battle with cancer. In life, Doris also served in a leadership role on more than 30 community boards including United Way, Success by Six; Child and Family Guidance Centers; Family Gateway; Open Arms (Bryan’s House); North Texas Food Bank, and many other worthy causes.

1999–2003

2004–2010

Defining the Mission

2004 – The Vogel Alcove board becomes the primary leadership board for the organization, and the previous DJCH board becomes an advisory council.
2006 – Vogel Alcove enters a partnership with Headstart of Greater Dallas.

2010 – The board adopts revised mission and vision statements, and new strategic plan.

2004–2010

"How can a homeless mother get a job if she has no safe haven for her children?"

-Thelma Vogel

Historical Newspaper and Magazine Articles

Step back in time and read about our impact in the last 35 years.

Visit the Gallery 1987–1993

Click Here

Historical Articles

1994–2000 · Step back in time see our impact in the last 35 years.

Visit the Gallery 1994-2000

Click Here

Historical Photos

2001–2010 · Step back in time and see our impact in the last 35 years.

Visit the Gallery 2001–2010

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Logos – Through the Years

Vogel Alcove’s mission is to help young children and their families overcome the lasting and traumatic effects of homelessness. It is our vision at Vogel Alcove to make sure that every child in our community has a home, a self-sufficient family, and a foundation for success in school and life.

2011–2014

A New Home

2011 – Vogel Alcove has outgrown its building once again. The Board of Directors approves moving forward with construction of new facility.
2012 – Capital campaign planning for a new building launches.
2013 – The Vogel Alcove Foundation is created.
2014 – Vogel Alcove opens in City Park School at 1738 Gano Street allowing for more programming, like camps for school-aged children.

Historical Video

2000–2022 · Step back in time and watch videos about our impact in the last 35 years.

Historical Video 1994-2022

Watch on Youtube

2015

Outdoor Classroom

2015 – All-Natural playground certified as a Nature Explore Classroom. Visit the gallery.

2015

2016

Day 1

2016 – Vogel Alcove introduces Day 1 Dallas, a family fun event on New Year’s Day.

2016

2017–2019

Program Expansion

2017 – The on-site health clinic opens with a full-time nurse.
2018 – Parent Opportunity Center opens, funded by the Mavs Foundation.
2019 – An on-site mental health clinic opens for families.

2017–2019

2020–2021

Pandemic Response

March 2020 – COVID-19 Response Programming begins, including Vogel Eats, feeding multiple Vogel Alcove families during the crisis.
April 2020 – For the first time in Vogel Alcove history, the annual Arts Performance Event is cancelled due to COVID-19.
May 1, 2021 – The Arts Performance Event returns featuring The Beach Boys. The event takes place outdoors, mitigating COVID-19 risks.
2021 – A Sensory Lab to treat trauma in homeless children is built through a grant from the Santander Consumer USA Inc. Foundation.

2020–2021

2022–

Looking Forward

Vogel Alcove & Family Gateway will expand their partnership with new family homelessness facility. Set to open in the early fall of 2022.

2022–

The success of our mission and the exponential growth of our programs and services over the last 35 years would not have been possible without the support of donors like you. We’ve made a list of some of the most dedicated leaders and supporters who helped Vogel Alcove become what it is now.

YOU can be a part of tomorrow with a gift today.

More than 17,000 children and families have been served
since Vogel Alcove opened its doors in 1987.