TRANSFORMING LIVES. TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES.

A brighter
path forward.

A purpose-built campus that expands access to housing, education, healthy food, workforce, opportunity, entrepreneurship, and community connection in southern Dallas County.

EXPLORE THE VISION ↓

OUR IMPACT

Opportunity should not depend on your ZIP code.

Since 2013, we’ve made the city of Hutchins our home base, where nearly one in three families live below the poverty line. But our impact extends well beyond Hutchins.

Our 3-acre campus currently has four buildings that are used to house single mothers, support a thriving summer camp, host mentoring, STEM education, Arts and Continuing Ed programs, and feed over 3,000 individuals annually through our food pantry and community garden. Our programs are holistic and focused on long-term self-sufficiency: housing, health, education, spiritual growth, workforce development, and financial literacy.

OUR NEXT STEPS

To take our mission to the next level, CMM partnered with Engineering Ministries International (EMI), a global nonprofit design and architecture firm, to reimagine our Hutchins campus as a model for community transformation. Together, we’ve developed The PATH at Hutchins, a visionary site plan that dramatically expands our capacity to serve communities in Southern Dallas and Dallas County.

 

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THE OPPORTUNITY

Dallas is experiencing extraordinary growth. But most of that growth is happening to the north and northeast. Southern Dallas continues to struggle to attract investment. For many communities there, it’s not just a food desert. It’s an opportunity desert.

Building a Brighter
Path Forward.

WHY?

Why Southern Dallas?

  • 560,000 residents
  • 38% living below the poverty line
  • 56% of Dallas residents living in poverty live here1
  • 10,684 children of low-income working parents
  • 70%+ lack access to affordable childcare2
  • (“Southern Dallas” is defined as the area south of I-30)
  • Sources: Source 1 Source 2

THE VISION

The Vision for The PATH at Hutchins

A purpose-built campus that expands access to housing, education, healthy food, workforce opportunity, entrepreneurship and community connection in southern Dallas County. The PATH at Hutchins represents the next chapter in Cynthia Mickens Ministries’ longstanding commitment to transforming lives by addressing the interconnected conditions that shape family and community well-being. This is more than a development. It is a pathway from crisis to stability, from stability to opportunity, and from opportunity to self-sufficiency.

The PATH at Hutchins brings together five mutually reinforcing elements:

Stable Housing

single mothers and children, seniors and career-path residents.

Food Access

gardens, distribution and food   infrastructure.

Education

STEM, Arts programming, tutoring and immersive learning.

Workforce + Enterprise

career pathways, entrepreneurship and local business opportunity.

Community + Well-Being

gathering, recreation, faith, belonging and supportive relationships.

THE MASTER PLAN

Housing with Purpose

The residential strategy serves people at different life stages while preserving dignity, privacy and connection. The master plan includes 32 residential units across five housing buildings, organized around a shared courtyard and neighborhood-scaled design. The vision is intentionally comprehensive because the challenges facing families rarely occur in isolation. Housing affects employment. Food security affects health. Education affects economic mobility. Transportation and access affect opportunity.

Conceptual four-bedroom residence interior - kitchen and living area.

Conceptual housing exterior - neighborhood-scaled residential design.

THE MASTER PLAN

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Building a Community Where Opportunity Lives

The vision is intentionally comprehensive because the challenges facing families rarely occur in isolation. Housing affects employment. Food security affects health. Education affects economic mobility. Transportation and access affect opportunity.

THE PATH FROM CRISIS TO INDEPENDENCE

The PATH at Hutchins is designed around progression, not permanent residency.

01                              —>

Stabilize

Housing and reliable food access.

02                              —>

Strengthen

Education, well-being, and family supports.

03                              —>

Advance

Employment, credentials, and financial capability.

04                              —>

Build

Entrepreneurship, savings and social capital.

05                              —>

Transition

Permanent housing and sustained independence.

IMPACT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

OUTPUT

MEASURED OUTCOME

LONG-TERM IMPACT

HOUSING

Mothers &

children housed

Housing stability + stable

employment

Permanent housing & family

stability

YOUTH &
STEAM

Students

served

Academic performance +

STEAM knowledge gains

Education & career

readiness

FOOD
ACCESS

Families reached with

nutritious food

Reliable access to fresh,

healthy food

Reduced food

insecurity

COMMUNITY
GARDEN

Produce distributed +

families educated

Increased access to fresh produce+

agriculture knowledge

Greater household &

community food resilience

WORKFORCE & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Participants

trained

Employment, business &

income opportunities

Greater financial resilience &

economic mobility

BUILT TO LAST

Why This Will Endure

  • Owned asset base: the development builds on land controlled by CMM.
  • Earned revenue: housing and appropriate space-based revenue can support long-term operations.
  • Program partnerships: specialized partners can extend expertise and reach.
  • Philanthropic capital: gifts can fund infrastructure, pre-construction and construction cost, and capacity building.
  • Community trust: the model is rooted in over 18 years of local service and proven impact.
  • Phased delivery: growth can be sequenced while current services continue.

MOMENTUM + EXECUTION

From Vision to Development

01     CONCEPT PD + ENTITLEMENTS                                                                                                          IN PROGRESS

02    SURVEYS + CIVIL + SITE PLANNING                                                                                                    IN PROGRESS

03    DESIGN + COST VALIDATION                                                                                                              IN PROGRESS

04    FUNDING STRATEGY                                                                                                                      IN DEVELOPMENT

05    PARTNER CULTIVATION                                                                                                                                   ACTIVE

A transformative vision requires disciplined execution.
The PATH is advancing through a deliberate development process designed to align entitlement, design, infrastructure, funding and construction.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Advance The PATH from entitlement and predevelopment toward construction readiness—with the technical work, financing strategy and partnerships aligned for implementation.

The Next Milestone

PARTNERSHIP

Founding Vision Builders

  • Catalytic Capital - predevelopment, infrastructure and construction.
  • Program Investment - housing, youth, food, workforce and entrepreneurship.
  • Corporate Capability - technology, workforce pathways, procurement and in-kind expertise.
  • Civic + Philanthropic Access - introductions, convening and co-investment.
  • Legacy + Individual Giving - major gifts and long-horizon stewardship.

PARTNERSHIP

Walk the PATH with us.

Join the philanthropic, corporate, civic, and community partners helping move The PATH toward construction readiness

The PATH

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Think South.

IT'S WHERE THE PATH LEADS.

Dallas is building the future. The PATH at Hutchins is designed to make sure Southern Dallas County has a place in it.