Debbie Solis
Debbie Solis is the Family & Community Services Manager at Voice of Hope Ministries, located in West Dallas. A 3rd generation West Dallas resident and community advocate, she leads weekly bilingual Bible study, manages a Food Pantry, conducts the Ledbetter Garden monthly crime watch meeting, and is a ministry board member of Serve West Dallas. Ms. Solis is an active member at Bill Harrod Baptist Church in West Dallas and has been married for 35 years with 2 children.
What makes you passionate about your community?
My father instilled my passion for community service by always being a great example when it came to civic duty. My father taught me not to take for granted my right to vote because when he first started voting he had to pay a poll tax. He knew this restricted our community of their voting right so he organized a group to raise money to help more people to vote. He taught me that voting and helping your neighbor is was what makes a good community!
What advice would you give to someone who wants to get involved in District 103?
Find out who your local, state and federal representatives are and attend community meetings. Get to know your neighbors so you can take them with you to events that will affect the community. Teach them that ultimately the people we put into office work for us. Organize friends and neighbors to understand that they have a voice and by working together, that voice gets heard.
What positive changes have you seen in District 103 in the past five years?
I lead the Ledbetter Garden monthly crime watch meeting so from my perspective we have better police patrolling in West Dallas. Our policemen attend community carnivals, Vacation Bible School and interact with the community. Trust plays a part in the change because our community gets to see our policemen not only when something goes wrong but in their everyday lives. I am pleased to have more police officers taking care of my community since growing up I did not see them.
What issues would you like to see addressed in the next legislative session?
The issue I am very concerned about is public education. I see our schools struggling to keep pace with essential resources needed to succeed academically. My daughter graduated from a public high school while my son graduated from a private school, St Mark’s School of Texas, so as a parent I saw the vast difference in the caliber of public vs private schools. We need new school buildings for our children to attend that will make them proud and excited to learn. The children in my community deserve not just an adequate education but the best education.
What’s your favorite destination in District 103?
My favorite destination for the last 17 years has been Voice of Hope Ministries. At Voice of Hope I have encountered hundreds of neighbors that have come in need of our after-school program, Summer program and Food Pantry. By building relationships I have invited many to attend our Fall Festival, Thanksgiving Celebration, Bible Studies and our monthly Crime Watch meeting. It is the avenue the Lord has provided for me to serve my community in so many ways.
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