Chasing Hope · Issue 1
A Plano fix-it crew of retirees, an Oak Cliff street that slowed down, and Coppell students learning to fly.
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 Where compassion meets action |
| ISSUE 1 · NOVEMBER 2026 · NORTH TEXAS |
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THIS ISSUE
Plano retirees finish 1,600 home projects |
Good morning. This is Chasing Hope, North Texas’s good news publication. Twice a month. Real neighbors. Real wins.
In partnership with Hope Wins! Where compassion meets action |
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TODAY’S 3 | 1 | The Friday crew with tool belts · Plano | | 2 | Neighbors slow down their street · Oak Cliff | | 3 | High schoolers in the cockpit · Coppell |
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The Friday crew with gray hair and tool belts
For some neighbors over 60, a loose board or a missing grab bar makes home feel unsafe. In Plano, a crew of mostly retired volunteers fixes those things for free.
The Plain-O Helpers head out on Friday mornings in teams of two or more. Most jobs take an hour or less, and every volunteer passes a background check. Clients who can afford it chip in for materials, and donations cover the neighbors who can’t.
In 2024 they finished more than 1,600 home projects for roughly 700 clients and gave over 9,000 hours of free labor. 
“Seniors helping seniors.”
Source: dallasnews.com
Plain-O Helpers: plain-o-helpers.org
Need a repair in Plano ISD? Request a visit: plain-o-helpers.org |
| Chasing Hope | ISSUE 1 · NORTH TEXAS |
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 Also this issue
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DALLAS · OAK CLIFF
Neighbors slow down their street
On Clarendon Drive in north Oak Cliff, drivers were going 40 to 50 mph in a 25 zone. Parked cars kept getting hit, and one neighbor's house has been struck four times. The neighborhood association, Rooted Oak Cliff, called the Better Block Foundation. Together they added a crosswalk, flex stakes and an ADA ramp. When Better Block tried the same kind of fix at another Oak Cliff intersection, 23% more drivers stopped, speeds dropped 7%, and the city went on to make permanent changes. “It showed us what we can do when we rally together.” Source: wfaa.com
Better Block: betterblock.org |
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COPPELL
High schoolers in the cockpit
Coppell students go to school right under the DFW Airport flight path. Now some of them are learning to fly. A new aviation and drone program at Coppell ISD’s New Tech High puts them in flight simulators their teacher says are FAA-rated. The program is built to take a student from the basics to a real aircraft over four years. The software flags every mistake, down to a blown tire on landing, and the students take each one personally. “I felt that infraction in my heart.” Source: nbcdfw.com |
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Help spread Hope’s message:
Thank one veteran this week. Plano Flags of Honor fills Oak Point Park with 1,111 flags, each carrying a dedication card with one person’s story of service. It is free and open around the clock through Nov. 14, with Taps at sunset. Plan a visit.
On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington opens free starting at 10 a.m. You can write a postcard to a service member while you’re there. Event details. |
Save them all. Start with one. |
Hope Wins! Animal Rescue flies at-risk dogs out of high-kill shelters in a plane named Hope. Founder Ryan Gomez pays for every rescue flight himself. |
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Know a quiet hero in North Texas? Reply to this email. We read every tip.
If this lifted you for a minute, forward it to one neighbor who could use a lift too.
Next issue in about two weeks. Subscribing is free, and it is not a donation.
 — Chasing Hope
People sharing hope, close to home.
In partnership with Hope Wins! Animal Rescue
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Header: Chasing Hope watercolor.
A Stardust Works LLC publication. |
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