USA. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport will next April open The Bridge News and Convenience travel essentials store, a joint venture with R.S. Harris and Gideon Toal Management Services (GTMS). The store will support local homelessness services.
The 800sq ft shop, featuring space designed in a market style, will be located in Terminal A. It will offer a selection of grab & go refrigerated snacks, personal care items, and local souvenirs and memorabilia, all locally-sourced.
“This collaboration gives us a significant opportunity to have a positive impact on a social issue. The initiative will help to extend a level of sustainability as people transition from homelessness” – Gideon Toal Management Services CEO Alvin Brown
The partners are linking with The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center in Dallas and Presbyterian Night Shelter’s Upspire in Fort Worth to establish a concession concept that creates jobs and funds services for local non-profit homelessness service providers and their clients.
The licensing fee for use of The Bridge brand will fund the homeless recovery support network in the Dallas area. Upspire will provide staff through its workforce programme that helps individuals facing barriers to employment.
Throughout the seven-year contract, 5% of revenue will be donated to The Bridge. That is expected to generate roughly US$200,000 for the charity annually through the duration of the contract.
R.S. Harris and GTMS have formed a joint venture retail company, with franchising The Bridge the first idea and concept to be created through the partnership. R. S. Harris will oversee the day-to-day operations.
R.S. Harris CEO & President Ronnie Harris told The Moodie Davitt Report that the partners plan to take the model to airports across the US, with the aim of giving back to surrounding communities.
His business partner, GTMS CEO Alvin Brown, told us: “This collaboration gives us a significant opportunity to have a positive impact on a social issue. The initiative will help to extend a level of sustainability as people transition from homelessness.”
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said: “Dallas is at its best when we work together to solve our most significant challenges. Through this creative partnership, one of our city’s most important homelessness services centres will receive a major boost that will help get people off our streets and back on their feet.”
He added: “I hope this concept serves as a model for how we can help move Dallas forward while helping us serve the most vulnerable people in our city, and I look forward to shopping there before my flights out of the second-busiest airport in the world, DFW International Airport.”
The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center President and CEO Dr. David Woody III said: “We at The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center are so excited that the proposed social entrepreneurship project, The Bridge Travel Essential Store at DFW Airport, has been affirmed for implementation by the DFW Airport Board of Directors.
“I have been crafting a relationship with Dr. Alvin Brown of Gideon Toal Management Services, and Mr. Ronnie Harris of R.S. Harris, LLC for nearly two years to help their business ventures have an indelible impact upon our community and to move citizens experiencing homelessness into sustainable employment and a home of their own.”
He added: “The Bridge travel essentials store will provide a medium for communicating The Bridge brand and marvellous social impact model of homeless recovery to literally the world, while also establishing a revenue stream to help offset operating expenses through the partnership with Gideon Toal Management Services and R.S. Harris LLC.
“We look forward to pursuing opportunities to grow this unique business, social entrepreneurship, and revenue building model, while continuing work with The Bridge guests and facilitating their recovery from homelessness.”
