2 May 2002
Rev. LaFayette Holland Named Among States Heroes for Children
DALLAS—The Rev. LaFayette E. Holland, executive director of Project Turn-Around, has been selected as one of 14 Heroes for Children by the Texas Education Agency for his outstanding volunteer service to the students in the community.
Rev. Holland will receive the award during a ceremony at 9 a.m. Friday, May 3, at the William B. Travis State Office Building in Austin.
Project Turn-Around is an umbrella organization for more than 100 programs that help families whose children attend DISD to manage their money, find transitional housing, improve their work skills and find employment. Rev. Holland has been working in partnership with 26 DISD schools since 1997.
Rev. Holland's organization also donated more than $22,000 last year to Dallas schools. "In the five years that I have known Rev. Holland, I have found him to be a man with great vision," said DISD Area 5 Superintendent Joseph T. Brew, who nominated Rev. Holland for the award.
"On several occasions throughout the school year I have been able to call upon Rev. Holland for assistance when many of my students were in need," Brew said. "He has demonstrated qualities of excellence for our students to follow by setting high academic goals, high standards and moral values. Rev. Holland is a valued volunteer who provides and promotes a supportive educational environment for students and school personnel."
The main focus of Project Turn-Around in the schools has been to provide mentoring and counseling to at-risk students. Throughout the years, Project Turn-Around also has donated 1,500 Thanksgiving baskets and 4,000 Christmas gifts to families whose children attend DISD schools.