ABOUT US
At Fighting Homelessness, we are a non-profit organization committed to uncovering and addressing the root causes of homelessness. Our mission is to identify and challenge city, state, and federal policies that perpetuate homelessness, and to propose effective solutions for change. We focus on systemic issues, such as outdated criminal justice policies, inefficiencies within government agencies, the limitations of the housing first model, the scarcity of affordable housing, and the misallocation of government funds.
Our dedicated team of passionate individuals strives to make a meaningful impact in our community. We provide a range of services aimed at ending homelessness, including outreach, education, and advocacy. The support and feedback from our community are essential to our success in achieving this mission.
Our Team
Lisa Marshall
Founder & CEO
For over a decade, Lisa Marshall has been interested in the people most of us do not notice, those experiencing homelessness. Lisa began her work as a citizen volunteer, then an organizational volunteer and donor, and now runs her own nonprofit organization. After donating her time and philanthropic resources to establish St. Jude, a permanent housing facility in North Dallas, Lisa became interested in the public policy and carceral systems that surround those experiencing homelessness. She currently serves on the Dallas Citizens Homelessness Commission and, while managing a homeless advocacy nonprofit, Lisa is producing a documentary "Unreleased" intended to spread awareness. She feels it is of dire importance to expose this broken system that continues to break the human spirit.
Judge Wade
Board Member
Kristin Wade is in her seventh term as Judge of the County Criminal Court of Appeals Number One. For the past 19 years , Judge Wade has presided over the mental health jail diversion court. The purpose of this program is to divert inmates who have a history of mental illness into treatment. In addition, all the inmates in the Dallas County jail who are deemed incompetent and have a pending misdemeanor case are transferred to her court where every effort is made to seek treatment, housing and address addiction issues. Judge Wade’s program has graduated 1,000’s of participants and she is actively involved in Dallas County with policy in regards to criminal justice involving individuals with mental illness. Judge Wade has received the NAMI AWARD for contributions in Mental Health Jail Diversion Court from NAMI Texas in 2010, the PRISM Special Recognition Award from Mental Health Greater Dallas in 2009. Judge Wade is Chair of the Dallas County Mental Health Steering Committee, and a member of the Behavioral Health Leadership Committee. Judge Wade is a native Texan who graduated from Trinity University in 1984 and SMU Law School in 1988. After law school, Judge Wade served as an Assistant District Attorney in Dallas and Georgetown, as well as practicing criminal defense work. Judge Wade was Chair of the Criminal Justice Section of the State Bar of Texas from 2005-2006.
Faith came to Fighting Homeless as a board member in 2021. Her Interests for human rights and wanting to share a voice for change led her to join our team. Faith has always had a passion for those seeking help from addiction and mental health issues. In 2010 she designed and developed a rehab for those seeking drug and alcohol addiction. Faith brings to the board years of experience with her nonprofit philanthropy volunteering. There is a great need for people to become an advocate for policy solutions and change that can affect homelessness. After years in commercial and residential real estate development, Faith has retired and is pursing travel adventures with her husband Garrett.
Faith Spitz
Secretary & Board Member
Pastor Reed
Board Member
James is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He moved to Dallas in 1998. He and his wife, Brenda, have been married for over 25years they have six children and sixteen grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren
James found himself in situation where he wanted to look for real change in his life. He began to search for God with great significance. It was then that the Lord showed him that if he would die to himself, he would have a great impact on the population he was called to serve.
Since 2000, James has been the Director of Dallas Leadership Foundation’s Reentry Department, which focuses on pre and post release reentry programs and direct services, advocacy, social justice and community justice, also working with legislators on issues concerning prison reform.
In 2001, a year after his start at Dallas Leadership Foundation, he began his journey in Prison Ministry by starting a one day a week program called Chapel of Hope at Hutchins State Jail. Since then, God has given James the opportunity to expand his efforts and reach more offenders through consistency and relationships.
Twelve years after that first class was started, James is now a Certified Volunteer Chaplains Assistant at Hutchins State Jail and runs a successful, 232 bed, Faith Based Dorm Reentry Initiative at the Hutchins Unit. The Faith Based Dorm is a collaborative effort between churches, non-profits and social service agencies. The program has a successful 8% recidivism rate and James oversees all aspects of the program and has a regular presence on the unit.
As Director of Prison Reentry, James oversees several post release programs as well, including Dallas Leadership Foundation’s transitional house. Through James’ direction, residents of the transitional house are provided with many services including: job assistance, job training, and job placement , also spiritual counseling and mentoring.
James holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biblical Counseling and has been the recipient of the Barnabas Award from the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the Good Samaritan Award from Dallas Baptist Association and 2013 Carol Vance Governor’s Criminal Justice Service Award, Nominated for Texan of the Year 2014, VIP Chairman for Dolphin Height Neighborhood Association. Board President of City Scapes Charter Schools..
Sophia Casillas
Social Media Manager
Living Downtown Dallas for over 12 years, Heidi watch the rise in homelessness felt pulled with a responsibility for her community — especially the vulnerable and unsheltered people living on the streets of Dallas. She explored what the City of Dallas was doing to address the complex homelessness problem. How could she play apart to help? It ignited a fire in her to aligned herself with everyone and anyone in the homeless sector. Most important she aligned her self with the unsheltered — the individual living on the streets. She has served and advocated for homelessness in Dallas for over 8 years through shelters, organizations, art initiatives and street outreach. Heidi aligned her self using her knowledge of 20 years of experience in technology and her extensive passion to pursue solutions for homelessness in combing by passions she developed an app called OutReach Dallas. Filling the gap with the unsheltered that the City of Dallas doesn’t address. A street outreach where we meet the unsheltered, where they are. We build a relationship and understand their immediate, short and long term needs. We match the unsheltered with a volunteer — community to help them through their journey out of homelessness.
Heidi Hiser
Board Member
Alexander Kulig
Director of Marketing
OUR PARTNERS
Homelessness organizations like our partners are vital in our pursuit to fight homelessness.
