New Year - New Stuff

It is a new year here at Hope Cottage and like everyone, we have new goals and ideas, many of which will be reflected here in our blog.  First one out of the gate will be our new Picture Day.  Every Tuesday, we will post pictures from Hope Cottage - they might be pictures from our long history, they might be pictures we took yesterday, but every Tuesday will be Picture Day at Hope Cottage, so check back every week to see what is new. 

Emma Wylie Ballard

It is only fitting that we start the year off with a picture of our founder Emma Wylie Ballard.  Now Picture Day won't normally include an article, but her story is an interesting one.  At the time she founded Hope Cottage, Mrs. Ballard worked for the Dallas County Humane Society.   That was when the Humane Society dealt with people instead of cats, rats, dogs and ferrets.  ( I would be remiss if I didn't mention that all of the following information came from Daughters of Dallas by Vivian Anderson Castleberry.    To read more about Ms. Castleberry, click here and here and here.)

Emma was born January 10, 1865 in Memphis Tennessee.  Her father was an attorney.  She married John M. Ballard after she moved to Dallas.  She and Mr. Ballard had two children, but he died early and she was left as a single parent.  She was a charter member of the YWCA and the Women's Christian Temperance Union, an officer in the Professional Women's Club and other charitable organizations. 

She first worked with United Charities and then spent five and a half years at the Dallas County Juvenile Court where she was instrumental in setting up the first Dallas County Detention Home for dependent children and the Dallas County Industrial Home for delinquent girls at Elam. (Aside:  I think Ms. Ballard would be mighty proud of Hope Cottage's recent funding from the Office of the Governor, Juvenile Justice Division.  Click here to read more about that.)   Later she became Child Welfare Director of the Dallas Humane Society, working for the well-being of the children of Dallas.  It was during this time that she realized that Dallas needed to do something about the number of children that were being abandoned in the streets.  The result was Hope Cottage which opened its doors on June 23, 1918.  Within two weeks, Hope Cottage had outgrown its facility and was looking for a new home!

On behalf of the more than 7,000 children who have found permanent, loving homes during the past 93 years, THANK YOU Emma Wylie Ballard. 

Keep coming back every Tuesday for more pictures AND something new is coming your way on Thursdays also!

Hope Cottage is the oldest nonprofit, non sectarian adoption agency in Dallas. Since 1918 Hope Cottage has been building and nurturing strong families through counseling, education and adoption services.

If you have questions about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 214.526.8721.

If you are a woman facing an unwanted pregnancy and would like to talk to someone about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 1.800.944.4464 or 214.404.4546.