Juliette Peak married Achibald Fowler, and the couple had two children before Archibald was killed in a land duel. Both children later died of diseases prevalent at the time.
“I think we are so inspired by Juliette because it would have been easy for her to just retreat into her family and not have to take on the world,” President and CEO Nicole Gann said. “But her response was, ‘I’m going to figure out how to serve the world because of what I have.’”
When Fowler died, her will dictated her acreage in East Dallas and a trust fund she had established be used to start a community of care for widows and orphaned children.
Gann said their modern-day version of widows are low- to moderate-income seniors, while today’s orphans are the children they support through foster care, the youth support center and a transitional living center for girls.
There are three buildings that offer subsidized senior housing apartments and a new building, The Peak at Fowler, is due to open in the fall. There are also a variety of living options that are not government subsidized.
“You can live on this campus if you’re homeless, and you can live on this campus if you’re a millionaire, and we have both,” Gann said.
Children, youth and family services at the nonprofit include foster and adoption services; a residential program for women ages 18-24 at risk for homelessness due to neglect, abuse and aging out of the foster care system; and a Youth Support Center to help young people escape or avoid human trafficking and exploitation.
“I see the beauty of [Juliette] Fowler [Communities] is [that] at the core it’s about protecting the people who are marginalized and at risk,” Gann said.
Juliette Fowler Communities
1234 Abrams Road, Dallas
214-827-0813
www.fowlercommunities.org
