On the Board
R E V. S . M . W R I G H T I I
FROM THE CHAIRMAN
Rev. S.M. Wright
At the age of 19, Rev. S.M. Wright II was ordained, anointed and voted to be the
successor of his late father, Reverend Dr. S.M. Wright Sr., as Pastor of People’s
Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas. This appointment made him the youngest
pastor in the church’s history, allowing him to lead his congregation and continue
his late father’s legacy of providing support and stability to his congregation
through hunger relief, economic empowerment and assistance in the areas of
education, health and social services.
Rev. Wright, along with his mother,
Debra, and his brother, Calvin, established the S.M. Wright Foundation in
1998 to keep his father’s legacy alive. As
co-founder, president and CEO of the
S.M. Wright Foundation, Rev. Wright
initially created a food bank to help families in the neighborhood. However, he
understood that the needs of the community were greater than just providing
food. After knocking on more than 300
doors in South Dallas, he talked to countless residents and assessed the true needs
of those living in the area. As a result of
his findings, the foundation expanded its
offerings by providing a tutoring center,
clothing center and furniture bank. It
also launched a program called Beds for
Kids in 2010 after Rev. Wright learned
that thousands of children in South
Dallas slept on the floor each night. In
2013, the foundation celebrated its 15th
annual Christmas in the Park, which
includes a college and job fair and has
provided more than 25,000 people with
toys, bikes, books, clothing and food.
“At the end of the day, what’s really
important is touching a life, making a
difference,” said Rev. Wright. “You can
unite a community and really make an
impact on the lives of children and families. By encouraging others, you are
rewarded by watching those lives transform in a positive way, right before your
eyes.”
What is your connection to
Baylor Health Care System?
I have been making pastoral visits to
Baylor on behalf of my church members
for years. Baylor is a cornerstone in the
South Dallas community, and in my role
“At the end of the day,
what’s really important
is touching a life,
making a difference.”
– Rev. S.M.Wright II –
as pastor, I am blessed with the opportunity to bring prayer and comfort to members of the community in their time of
greatest need. In 2006, I joined the Baylor
Health Care System Foundation board
and am so honored to serve in this
capacity.
What are your goals in life?
In life, we all have our ups and downs.
I have learned that I want to continue to
help, encourage and provide hope and
guidance to those in need. If I’m able to
help others, my life shall not be in vain.
To what do you attribute
your success?
First, that God has given me the wisdom and guidance to help others in need.
Second, the wisdom and teaching of
my dad – that has been priceless. And
third, the support of my family and
friends.
The Power of Human Spirit
As I watched the Olympic coverage recently, I was impressed by the power of the human spirit and what
can be achieved when people come together, united in a single vision. For many years, $