2023 Stepping Out Of Homelessness Gala
Red Carpet Photos
Stepping Out of Homelessness Gala
Under 1 Roof's 9th Annual "Stepping Out of Homelessness Masquerade Ball” celebrating the agency’s 13th year, the event will took place on October 28, 2023 at the Hilton Hotel Lincoln Centre.
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Take a look at our video SOOH 2022 Event Video
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Janel Forte
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We are thrilled to introduce our Mistress of Ceremony for this year's gala, the incredibly talented Janel Forte, General Assignment Reporter for WFAA Channel 8 in Dallas, TX!
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Janel Forte is a respected journalist with a passion for storytelling that brings communities together. Her dedication to shedding light on important issues has made her a trusted voice in the field of journalism. With her unwavering commitment to making a positive impact, we couldn't have asked for a better host for our gala.
Want to learn more about Janel and her inspiring journey? Click the link below to read her complete bio and discover why she's the perfect choice to guide us through this remarkable evening.
Janel Forte | wfaa.com
Tina Robertson
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Tina Robertson is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana and holds an undergraduate degree in English & Political Science from Jarvis Christian University, Historically Black College and University (HBCU). She received her Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. After working in corporate America for close to a decade, she transitioned into the non-profit sector and has been in the mental health field for 24 years in various direct practice, community outreach, and executive leadership roles. She spent 14 years directly supporting transitional homeless populations.
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Presently, Tina is the Director of Innovation and Impact at Momentous Institute in Dallas, TX where she leads the department tasked with expanding the reach of the education and mental health programs by championing mental health- informed, social emotional practices through training, curriculum and other content offerings for professionals who work with children in and out of school time. A licensed clinical social worker and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), Tina also provides therapy and counseling services through her private practice for individuals, couples and families.
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Additionally, Tina’s passion for social work is reflected in her volunteer and community service. Currently, she is an active member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW); an alumna of Leadership ISD’s Dallas County Civic Voices Fellowship; a member of the West Dallas Stem School Advisory Board; and a volunteer mental health consultant and “Ethos Champion” for Ethos Education Group, a Frisco -based non-profit that supports student athletes with life skills and social emotional development. Tina has formerly served on the Dallas Police Department’s Training Advisory Board, as well as the immediate past Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall’s Community Advisory Board of the Dallas Police Department. Tina was an inaugural delegate and continues participation as a member of Dallas’ Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT), which is a national and community-based initiative engineered and funded by the esteemed W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
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She is a co-author of the recently published book I Said What I Said, a history making anthology written by Black women in non-profit leadership. She also provides resources and content at the intersection of faith and mental health through her website “freefilledfavored.com”. Tina is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Her service mantra is: “Invest in relationships. They are the greatest gift and giving resource in this world.”
Mark Porter
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Mark Porter as the invocation speaker for the upcoming Stepping out of Homelessness Gala.
Since 2013, Mark Porter proudly serves as the Executive Director for Harmony Community Development Corporation, a non-profit community service organization focused on strengthening families and revitalizing neighborhoods in the southern sector of Dallas, TX. Harmony serves 16,000+ individuals annually by providing free nutritional food, counseling and wellness services, housing assistance, educational pathways (career, financial, health & wellness) and other wraparound and support services.
Mark has been in ministry for over 30 years. Under the leadership of Dr. Bryan Carter at Concord Church in Dallas, Texas, Mark served 10 plus years as a Senior Associate Pastor of Missions and Outreach and provided leadership for community outreach projects. Internationally, he has traveled to South Africa, Haiti, and Jamaica to minister and established strategic partnerships in several other countries to provide humanitarian aid, medical clinics, education, and support for social enterprise projects.
Mark has extended his leadership and service to various community and advisory boards including past board chair for the YMCA Park South, Concord Elder Board, Dallas Police Department Advisory Board, Movement Day DFW and Unite. Recently, he was voted to the Methodist Dallas Medical Hospital Advisory Board. He is also a member of the 2016-17 Leadership Southwest class of Best Southwest.
He received a Nonprofit Management Certificate from CNM. In addition to his ministry and community background, Mark gained business experience and exposure during a 15-year career at Bank of America and worked in several leadership and business support roles in operations and retail banking while achieving officer title of Vice President. While at Bank of America, he met the love of his life, Mary Myers. They have been happily married for 22 years. They have three children (Shadale, Mark Anthony and Kaelyn) and two grandchildren (Autumn and Sydney).
Joli Angel Robinson
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We're thrilled to introduce Joli Angel Robinson as one of our esteemed panelists for the upcoming Stepping out of Homelessness Gala!
Joli Angel Robinson is currently the President/CEO of Housing Forward, where she amplifies the conversation around housing and homelessness and supports the homelessness ecosystem in Dallas and Collin Counties. Previously she served as the VP of Government Affairs & Public Policy at Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity where she advocated for affordable housing throughout Dallas and Kaufman Counties. Prior to her time at Dallas Area Habitat, she managed The Office of Community Affairs and the Youth Outreach Unit at the Dallas Police Department. Alongside her team, she was an integral part of furthering the mission of the Dallas Police Department by seeking to establish a proactive, continuous, and positive relationship with the Dallas community.
Joli holds a Masters Degree in Communications specializing in Organizational Communication Management and a Bachelors of Art and Science in Sociology and Communication, both from Dallas Baptist University. Joli previously served in a volunteer capacity as a Co-Chair for the local Truth, Racial Healing, & Transformation organization in Dallas and as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate with Dallas CASA. Currently, she serves on the board of the North Texas LGBT Chamber of Commerce Board.
Christine Crossley
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Introducing Christine Crossley as one of our esteemed panelists for the upcoming Stepping out of Homelessness Gala!
Christine Crossley has served as the Director of the Office of Homeless Solutions since March of 2021. During her tenure with the City of Dallas, she has successfully solidified and extended the City’s partnerships within the local Continuum of Care (CoC) and stood up several initiatives. These include a landmark public/private partnership with the CoC and other municipal entities, creating the Dallas R.E.A.L. Time Rapid Rehousing (DRTRR) initiative, now known at the R.E.A.L. Time Rehousing (RTR) Initiative, which initially aimed to house 2,700+ unsheltered individuals by September of 2023 and has now expanded to house 6,000 individuals by the end of 2025. Together, this partnership and system-wide response led to the selection of the City of Dallas and the larger CoC as one of six, nationwide participants in the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness(USICH) ALL INside Initiative; a plan to reduce homelessness across the US by 25% by 2025.
She previously served as the Division Director for several programs at Catholic Community Services of Western Washington, where she directed the largest rental subsidy and homeless services program, Housing and Essential Needs, in Washington State, for King County, the Low-Income Fare Transit program, and a Shallow Rent Subsidy pilot program, overseeing an annual budget of $22M+ and 2,000+ clients. Working with other state and local policy groups, Director Crossley developed strategies, delivered expert testimony, and lobbied for bills at the State level.
Prior to this, Christine worked in New York City, where she focused on worker’s rights at the Cornell Worker Institute and women and children’s rights at the United Nations Population Foundation. Christine received a Master of Science degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science with a concentration in Human Rights and International Politics."
Ikenna Mogbo
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We're honored to announce Ikenna Mogbo as one of our expert panelists for the upcoming Stepping out of Homelessness Gala!
Ikenna G. Mogbo has spent over a decade working with the homeless population in both Dallas and Collin County, gaining intimate knowledge of what causes homelessness and how best to address it.
Ikenna believes that one must connect with the heart-beating people in need of help and communicate that understanding back to them. This is especially true of the veteran homeless population due to the unique challenges their military experience creates. Ikenna G. Mogbo has spent over a decade working with the homeless populations in both Dallas and Collin County.
Ikenna joined Metrocare in 2009 as the Director of Housing, Homeless, and Veteran Services partnering with various organizations to provide a safety net for the most vulnerable members of our community. Ikenna became Metrocare’s Chief Housing Officer in 2022, to lead Metrocare’s growth in homeless services, to expand affordable housing, and to capitalize on opportunities to increase the organization’s housing stock for individuals in Dallas County with mental health and developmental disability challenges.
Ikenna is a Board Member of the Bridge Homeless Recovery Center, the Salvation Army Pleasant Grove, and a former board member of Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in political science and government from the prestigious Morehouse College.
Ashley Brundage
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We're thrilled to announce Ashley Brundage as one of our esteemed panelists for the upcoming Stepping out of Homelessness Gala. Ashley Owen Brundage, MSSW, is the Executive Director of Housing Stability and Senior Vice President of Community Impact for United Way Dallas. As a fierce advocate for affordable housing and ending homelessness, Ashley spearheads United Way’s work in this space.
In April 2020, Ashley formed the Dallas Rental Association Collaborative (DRAC), a city-wide collaboration with 16 community-based organizations, resulting in a contract award from the City of Dallas/CARES Act funding of almost $40 million to United Way. This effort kept 7,500 Dallas residents in their homes.
Ashley also led the 2020 transformation and reconstitution of the Board of Directors for both Housing Forward (formerly Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance) and the All Neighbors Coalition Continuum of Care; the results of which have returned more than $100 million of federal, city, county and private dollars to the Continuum of Care. More importantly, it facilitated the creation of hundreds of housing units and the supportive services that will allow our community to significantly reduce unsheltered homelessness.
Ashley is a trusted resource to the City of Dallas Staff and City Council who look for her insights, counsel and feedback on policy and programmatic creation. She has been appointed to the 2016 Homelessness Commission, the Dallas Area Partnership to End and Prevent Homelessness, and to the Economic Development and Housing Subcommittee of the 2024 Bond Task Force.
A native Texan, Ashley grew up in Coppell and graduated from Coppell High School. She majored in psychology at Texas A&M, has her Masters in Social Work from UTA, and is a member of Leadership Dallas Class of 2019. She is married to Chris and is the proud momma of Owen and Mary.
Get ready for an evening of inspiration and empowerment on October 28, 2023! Together, we can make a difference.