Center Staff Continue a Tradition of Service at Resource Center

On Monday, August 31, 2026, AT&T Performing Arts Center staff volunteered at Resource Center on Inwood Road in Dallas, a compassionate community organization committed to achieving recognition and equal rights for all LGBTQIA+ people through community wellness. 

Throughout the day, staff stocked and shopped the Ryan White Food Pantry, assisting Resource Center clients choose grocery items like meat, dairy, and vegetables that best suited their nutritional preferences. 

The Resource Center has been a safe and inclusive space for LGBTQIA+ individuals and families in North Texas for more than 40 years, providing services like affirming primary and mental healthcare, HIV/STI testing, treatment and prevention, gender-affirming services, including Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for transgender, nonbinary and gender non-conforming people, and of course, nutrition services and a food pantry. 

“Volunteers are an essential part of our operations,” said Resource Center Director of Advocacy, Policy, & Communications, Rafael McDonnell. “For clients who qualify for our services, being greeted by a volunteer who is smiling, enthusiastic, and helpful, gives them that essential human contact that they may not be getting outside of their home.”

In his role he’s held for nearly two decades, McDonnell represents Resource Center at a variety of community functions, working with local government, businesses, and schools to develop policies beneficial to the organization and its nearly 2,500 clients.  

“I do the work because I love my community, and I’m just the latest in a long line of people who have had to work through a tough political climate,” he says. 

Currently, he’s focused on getting people registered to vote in the upcoming elections and pay attention to issues like healthcare, education, and safety and security that affect the LGBTQIA+ community. 

“The need is always there,” says McDonnell who’s seen the evolution of Resource Center’s services over the years. Expansion, along with the ongoing, consistent relationships with community partners like the AT&T Performing Arts Center is the kind of vital support clients have come to and continue to rely on at Resource Center.

“It’s a win/win for our staff; they get meaningful time off from the office to support their friends and neighbors,” said Austin Beck, Ticket & Box Office Manager for the Center, who spearheaded this year’s Volunteer Day with Resource Center. “This year, Resource Center celebrates their 40th anniversary of providing affirming and safe environments for LGBTQIA+ community members in North Texas to receive the health and wellness care they deserve, and we’re incredibly humbled to continue our yearly tradition of being a small part in making that happen.”