#FrostItForward

What it's like to take on Frost's 30-Day Optimism Challenge

Since early summer, CultureMap has been partnering with Opt For Optimism by Frost Bank to spread generosity and give back locally. You might have noticed a few of these efforts, such as the Charity Guide, an editorial series that shines a spotlight on those making a difference, and pop-up events where unsuspecting folks get their day brightened with free swag and pre-loaded cash cards from Frost so they can pay it forward (follow CultureMap's Instagram for hints about the next event).

But for the past month, Frost has been encouraging even more community involvement and personal happiness through its 30-Day Optimism Challenge. Folks all across the country signed up to complete daily small gestures — think buying a cup of coffee for a stranger or thanking a mentor for their help.

These guided acts were delivered to inboxes daily and posted on the challenge's Facebook page, where a community of cheerful, hopeful people sprang up, eager to discuss their experiences.

What was doing the challenge like? Here are some of the things we learned:

An act of generosity takes no time at all
Many of the tasks took only a few minutes to complete, but their effect lasted much longer. The first day's instruction was to write down five things you're grateful for and post the list somewhere you'd see it every day. Other quick and easy challenges included introducing yourself to a neighbor you've never met (co-workers count, too!), scheduling dinner with someone you haven't caught up with in a while, and celebrating someone other than yourself on social media. All took less than five minutes but brought with them a boost in mood.

Money is nice, but it isn't everything
Not everything in life is free, and sometimes spending a bit of money on someone else delivers a warm, happy glow. It was gratifying to surprise someone with flowers, while leaving an extra-large tip surely brightened a server's day. One challenge was to take someone you wanted to know better to lunch — an ideal networking opportunity. And even if you give to charity regularly, donating to a fundraising campaign might have introduced you to a cause or business with which you were previously unfamiliar.

Take time to stop and think
Reflection was big, as several challenges focused on writing down goals and potential solutions to problems. What was one thing you could do to improve your emotional, physical, or financial health? What went well that day? Taking a beat and really considering these "big questions" that normally get brushed aside in the hustle and bustle of daily life was refreshing.

Sometimes it's what you don't do
A couple of challenges were about refraining from an activity: stay off social media for the day, for example, or leave your phone behind while you head out on a walk. Sounds easy — but it wasn't. Tech addiction is real, but having a purpose in putting down your phone made it easier to let go ... at least for a little while.

Things that take a while are extremely worth it
Some of the "bigger" challenges did require an investment of time, and some — to be honest — were just plain not fun. Tidying up a space before the day was out meant tackling a buried desk or overstuffed closet, but it was worth it 10 days later when the instruction was to donate unused items. Doing a favor for someone without their asking and cleaning up a mess you didn't make of course depended on the situation, but they were done in the spirit of making life easier for someone else. "It's called marriage," one participant joked.

You can still join the Frost 30-Day Optimism Challenge and receive the daily instructions by email. Be sure to tag CultureMap and use the hashtag #frostitforward when you're spreading optimism — you might be rewarded with things like exercise class passes and tickets to ACL Festival.

Day 2: Introduce yourself to a neighbor you've never met.

Photo courtesy of Frost Bank

Day 2: Introduce yourself to a neighbor you've never met.

charity-guide promoted

Park news

New I-35 deck park in southern Dallas moves closer to spring 2026 debut

Courtesy rendering

Renderings for Halperin Park.

A massive deck park spanning Interstate 35E in southern Dallas is set to open in late spring 2026. Called Halperin Park, the five-acre community space has been under construction since 2017 and will be completed in two phases:

Phase One (finishing in late spring) will include the section from Ewing Avenue to Lancaster Avenue and will feature a pavilion, amphitheater, playground area, interactive fountains, a second level overlooking the Dallas Zoo and the highway, and a large event room for every dining and special events.

Phase Two (to be completed over the next five years) will add the park section toward Marsalis Avenue, with an additional pavilion and extra gathering space.

The project is being developed by the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation and built by the Texas Department of Transportation. Funding comes from the North Central Texas Council of Governments, as well as the private Halperin Foundation, which donated $23 million in 2024 and secured naming rights.

In January, the Dallas City Council approved spending up to $8 million to complete Phase One for spring completion.

The public-private initiative will create $1 billion in economy impact over the next five years, according to a study by UNT Dallas.

Rendering of Halperin ParkCourtesy rendering

A park with purpose
Developers say the park aims to integrate the west side of Oak Cliff, which was somewhat segregated with the construction of I-35 in Oak Cliff in the 1960s, leading to low-income communities and generational poverty.

The project started nine years ago, when the Texas Department of transportation planned a reconstruction of I-35 and began gathering neighbors’ feedback. The result was a plan to widen bicycle and pedestrian lanes in the service roads alongside the highway, and to build a deck over the highway between Ewing and Marsalis avenues, adjacent to the Dallas Zoo. (Similar Klyde Warren Park's "deck park" concept.)

While the project faced some skepticism at first, it later gained momentum as private supporters continued to join.

“Forty percent of the Dallas population lives in South Dallas, yet this segment only accounts for 15 percent of the tax base,” says April Allen, President and CEO of the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation, citing the opportunity to address the economic equality in the area through the development of the park and all the business it can bring.

Rendering of Halperin Park.Courtesy rendering

Neighborhood pride
For Allen, this project is personal. The Toronto-born executive first moved to Dallas 22 years ago to work at Neiman Marcus, after getting her engineering degree in Canada and her MBA at Harvard. Oak Cliff felt like the right place for her as an intown neighborhood, with a confluency of cultures, local pride and an entrepreneurial spirit, as she describes it. Her first Realtor told her Oak Cliff was “not the right place for her." Instead of choosing a different neighborhood, Allen chose a new Realtor.

She has lived on the same street in North Cliff since, now raising her two kids with her husband, an Oak Cliff native, whom she credits for her further understanding of the neighborhood, its roots and civic dynamics.

Under Allen’s leadership, Halperin Park is focused on a community-first approach that provides support to the neighbors through programs around health and wellness, after-school activities, local food trucks and markets, and educational workshops to help expand homeownership and financial acumen.

To highlight the history and culture of Oak Cliff, they will feature an annual Walk of Fame, lifting up the stories of those who contributed to Oak Cliff history, with the first one happening as part of the inauguration of the park, organizers say.

They will provide their own 24-hour security team to ensure a safe place for families and kids, with clean and well-lit crosswalks.

Given their proximity with the zoo, parking will be available on the East side of the park at the zoo site, with a walkway to the park. They are working on parking options for the West side.

“We want to create a space for community growth and more business in the area," says Allen. "We are already seeing this come to life with projects such as East Dock, and we are excited for future investment that the park will bring."

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