CITY
CITY COUNCILMEMBER SCOTT GRIGGS WILL TALK TO THE WINNER A
SUNDAY MORNING ON INSIDE TEXAS
POLITICS.
POLITICS.
POLITICS. AT 9 AM HERE ON WFAA.
>>> IF YOU EVER FEEL SOME OF
THE CHALLENGES OF THIS C+@OUNTR
ARE TOO BIG OR DECISIVE TO
+@ OVERCOME, A GROUP OF NORTH
TEXAS CHILDREN WILL GIVE YOU
HOPE.
HOPE.
HOPE. THEY ARE WORKING TO FIND COMMON
GROUND.
GROUND.
GROUND. SEAN GIGGY HAS THIS WFAA
ORIGINAL. +@
ORIGINAL. +@ >> SO GUYS -- FOR A MINUTE.
WE HAVE A LOT TO G+@ET THROUGH
THIS WEEK.
THIS WEEK. >> Reporter: EVEN THOUGH IT
+@
>> Reporter: EVEN THOUGH IT WILL NEVER EVEN SHOW UP ON
THEIR REPORT CARD, FOUR MONTHS
THE STUDENTS IN LORI COUSIN'S
FOURTH GRADE CLASS HERE AT
WESLEY PREP IN DALLAS HAVE
WORKED TIRELESSLY.
WORKED TIRELESSLY. CREATING WHAT MAY BE THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL PROJECT OF
ALL TIME.
ALL TIME.
ALL TIME. >> WE HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS
GOING TO GROW IN THE WAY IT
DID.
DID.
DID. >>
DID. >> THEY CALL IT THE COMMON
GROUND EXPERIMENT.
GROUND EXPERIMENT. >> ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE
STILL GOING.
STILL GOING. >> Reporter: THEY ARE TESTING A
THEORY THAT DESPITE THEIR
DIFFERENCES THEY HAVE A LOT +@I
COMMON WITH DALLAS IS POOR AND
HO+@MELESS.
HO+@MELESS. >> IF WE SPREAD KINDNESS TO
OTHER PEOPLE THAN IT COULD GO
ON AND GO ON.
AND THEN THE WORLD WOULD BE
MUCH BETTER.
MUCH BETTER. >> Reporter: THIS ALL STARTED
+@
+@ AFTER
+@ AFTER THE 2016 ELECTION.
>> WHEN EVERYTHING FELT SO
POLARIZED, WE WANTED TO SEE IF
WE COULD FIND COMMON GROUND
WITH SOMEONE THAT WE DID NOT
KNOW.
KNOW.
KNOW. >>
KNOW. >> EACH OF THE PAST TWO YEARS,
MRS. QUIZNOS FOURTH GRADE CLASS
HAS SPENT TIME WITH THE
HOMELESS.
HOMELESS.
HOMELESS. GETTING TO KNOW THEM AND
HELPING GET THEM BACK ON THEIR
FEET.
FEET.
FEET. >>
FEET. >> KIDS KNOW HOW TO LOVE PEOPLE
AND I WANT THEM TO KEEP THAT, I
DO NOT WANT THAT TO GO AWAY.
>> SO WHEN SHE TOLD THIS YEAR'S
STUDENTS ABOUT THE EXPERIMENT,
THEY WERE COMMIT TO HELPING
EVEN MORE PEOPLE.
+@
+@ >>
+@ >> THERE IS A WAY TO CONNECT.
>> Reporter: THEY DID THEIR
HOMEWORK AND LEARN+@ED ABOUT A
COUPLE OF PLACES CALE CAF+@I
MOMENTUM AND FT ON FARMS.
>> THIS WAS ABANDONED LANDS.
+@
>> THIS WAS ABANDONED LANDS. >> Reporter: WO FARMSIS AN
+@
>> Reporter: WO FARMSIS AN AGRICULTURAL OASIS IN THE
+@MIDDLE OF A FOOD DESERT.
>> A WHOLE DIFFER+@ENT WORLD.
>> Reporter:T+@ NEIGHBROD
IS ONE OF THE POOREST IN
DALLA+@S.
DALLA+@S.
DALLA+@S. AND THE N+@EARE RCR SRE
IS A THREE HOUR ROUND-TRIP BUS
RIDE.
RIDE.
RIDE. >>
RIDE. >> THEY WILL NOT MAKE IT UNLESS
SOMEONE IS WALKING ALON+@GSIDE
@ THEM.
THEM.
THEM. >>
THEM. >> Rep+@re:TEABCC
>> Rep+@re:TEABCC STARTED THEA
STARTED THEA AND H+@E HIRESPEOPL WHO ARE
HOMELESS, EX-CONS, O HS
SOCIETY HAS ECE.
>> WONTO AM+@SA BRIDGE FOR
+@
+@ PEOPLE
+@ PEOPLE COMING OUT OF+@ THOSE
DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES THT
ARE LOOKN FA LC TO
BUILD THEIR LIFEFROM.
>> Reporter: TEEMPLOYEE CARE
FOR THE CROPS AND SELL THEM AT
FARMERS MARKET INTO
RESTAURANTSCMETM
RESTAURANTSCMETM LIKE BONON FARMS AI
MOMENTUMI O THN JUST
FOOD+@.
FOOD+@.
FOOD+@. IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR KIDS
CAUGHT IN THE +@JUVENILE SYSTEM
+@
+@ >>
+@ >> HENCE THE NAME MOMENTUM.
>> Reporter: THIS YEAR-LONG
+@
>> Reporter: THIS YEAR-LONG +@INTERNSHIP HELPS BREAK THE
CYCLE AND SETS THEM ON A BETTER
PATH.
PATH.
PATH. >>
PATH. >> WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THIS
BEING A SECOND CHANCE BUT FOR +@
MOST OF THEM IT IS A FIRST
CHANCE AND THEY DESERVE IT.
+@
CHANCE AND THEY DESERVE IT. >> WHEN THE FOURTH-GRADERS AT
WESLEY PREP HEARD THAT, THEY
KNEW THEY COULD FIND COMMON
GROUND.
GROUND.
GROUND. >> THEY +@DON'T REALLY HAVE
ANYONE THAT IS LOVING ON THEM. @
>> AND WE DO NOT WANT ANYONE TO
FEEL LIKE THEY ARE NOT
APPRECIATED OR THEY ARE NOT
WORTH ONE ANOTHER PERSON IS
WORTH.
WORTH.
WORTH. >>
WORTH. >> Reporter: THEY ASKED THE
STAFF FROM CAFI MOMENTUM AND
BON TON FARMS TO J+@OIN THEM IN
MAKING THE COOKBOOK.
>> WHAT DOES THE RECIPE SAY?
>> Reporter: THE STUDENTS
+@
>> Reporter: THE STUDENTS INVITED THE STAFF INTO THEIR
HOMES TO LAUGH, TEST RECIPES,
AND SURE THE FRUITS OF THEIR
LABOR.
LABOR.
LABOR. TOGETHER.
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. EVERY PENNY FROM THEIR COOKBOOK
WILL GO TO WRITE TO CAFI
MOMENTUM AND BON TON FARMS.
>> THESE KIDS ARE THE F+@UTURE
SEEING THOSE WALLS FINALLY GET
TORN DOWN AND EVERYBODY HAS A
FAIR SHAKE AND OPPORTUNITY.
>> I FEEL HAPPY JUST CONNECTING
WITH THEM AND GETTING TO KNOW
THEM AND KNOWING THAT WE ARE
HELPING THEM JUST AS MUCH IS
THEY ARE HELPING US.
>> TOO OFTEN, WE EXPECT PEOPLE
IN OUR SHOULDERS AND ON OUR
STREETS TO BUILD A BETTER LIFE
WITHOUT EVER GIVING THEM THE
TOOLS.
TOOLS.
TOOLS. BUT IF THESE FOURTH-GRADERS
HAVE SHOWN US ANYTHING, IT IS
+@
HAVE SHOWN US ANYTHING, IT IS THAT IN ORDER FOR OUR HEARTS
AND STOMACHS TO BE FILLED, WE
HAVE TO AT LEAST BE WILLING TO
+@
HAVE TO AT LEAST BE WILLING TO COME TO THE TABLE.
>> OH MY GOSH, THIS LOOKS
GREAT.
GREAT.
GREAT. >>
GREAT. >> Reporter: IN DALLAS, I AM
SEAN