It's Free to Save a Life: Levels of Life
Three years ago, Dorline Levels didn't know what fentanyl was. Today, she and her daughter carry boxes of Narcan everywhere they go, and they make sure everyone they meet knows how to use it.
At the September DFW Cyber Lions Club Lunch & Learn, we were honored to be joined by Dorline Levels and Shalonda Levels, the mother-and-daughter team behind Levels of Life. Dorline is a mother, community advocate, and the organization's founder and CEO. Shalonda, her daughter, is co-founder and president.
After losing Dwan Henry, Dorline's son and Shalonda's brother, to fentanyl poisoning on his 31st birthday, they chose to turn their family's heartbreak into a mission to help others. Both have since gone back to school to study Behavioral Science so they can better support individuals and families facing addiction, grief, and trauma. They lead from the heart, and they believe every conversation has the power to save a life.
"This is my way as a mother of giving back," Dorline shared. "When I open my eyes, I pray that God says, 'Well done.'"
A Mother's Question That Became a Mission
When the morgue told Dorline that her son had died from fentanyl, she had to ask what it was. In the middle of her grief, a realization took hold: "If I didn't know, so many other parents and families did not know what it was."
That question became the foundation of Levels of Life. Dorline began learning everything she could about fentanyl and opioids, then found a way to get Narcan at wholesale so she could hand it out to families, churches, and businesses. As she explained, when someone is overdosing on fentanyl, CPR alone won't bring them back. Narcan can.
The stakes are painfully real. Dorline shared stories of very young children in our area who have been harmed or killed after accidentally coming into contact with fentanyl, a reminder that this crisis reaches far beyond people struggling with addiction.
Going Where Others Won't
"We go to places nobody else will," Dorline said. Levels of Life shows up in apartment communities and neighborhoods across Dallas and Fort Worth where help rarely arrives, including places where even emergency response can be slow.
In those communities, they meet children who dream of becoming engineers, and a young boy who told them he prays every night. They hear from mothers who have found pills and fentanyl bags near where their kids play. Those children are a big part of why Dorline and Shalonda keep coming back with food, new clothes, school supplies, and a message they hope will steer young people away from these drugs.
Feeding Bodies, Rebuilding Families
Education is only part of what Levels of Life does. Every other week, Dorline and Shalonda prepare around 350 meals, along with snack bags, clothing, and personal essentials, often serving in downtown Fort Worth and Dallas. With help from volunteers, they also bring food and water to local cooling stations during the summer heat. Along the way, they connect people with recovery and mental health resources, meeting them without shame or judgment.
Their care extends to families working to rebuild. Each Christmas, Levels of Life provides dinners, toys, and new clothing for more than 300 people living in shelters with their families. Through their tax business, they also help parents in recovery file so they can use their refunds for apartments, furniture, and a fresh start with their children. "Every child needs to be with their parent if they can come into recovery," Dorline said.
Know the Signs, Carry Narcan
Shalonda walked us through how to recognize an overdose: a person who can't be woken up, slow or difficult breathing, and discolored lips or nails.
Narcan is a simple nasal spray. Call 911, spray one dose into one nostril, and if the person doesn't respond after a couple of minutes, give the second dose in the other nostril. Because you rarely know what someone has taken or how much, and increasingly potent synthetic opioids are appearing in North Texas, more than two doses may be needed. That's why Levels of Life encourages people to carry more than one box.
Narcan can be costly at the store, but Levels of Life gives it out for free. Dorline also reminded us that Narcan won't hurt someone who isn't experiencing an opioid overdose, so there's no reason to hesitate. As Shalonda put it, "Why wouldn't you choose to save a life if it is free for you to have?"
An Evening of Awareness and Healing
Levels of Life will host its Annual Awareness and Healing Gala on Saturday, October 17, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Epic Center, 2950 Epic Place, Grand Prairie, TX 75052. The evening brings together families, community leaders, and professionals to honor lives affected by the fentanyl and opioid crisis and to inspire change.
Guests can expect Narcan training and a demonstration from Unity Recovery, testimonies, community resources, a memorial table for families who have lost loved ones, dinner, live performances, and a silent auction. Tickets start at $100, and sponsorship tables range from $1,000 to $5,000.
How You Can Help Levels of Life
Volunteer at the Gala: Levels of Life needs at least eight more volunteers to help with setup, check-in, serving, the silent auction, and cleanup. Lions Maryann, Rose, and Marilyn have already signed up to help with registration. Want to join them? Reach out to Shalonda Levels at 682-221-3652.
Attend or Sponsor: Buy a ticket, sponsor a table, or introduce Levels of Life to a business or organization that might want to get involved. "I can promise you, we will be back and transparent, and you will see the jobs that we are doing," Dorline said.
Donate What You Can: Every gift counts, whether it's a dollar, a silent auction item, or in-kind support. Levels of Life is also looking for a donated truck, any year, to help haul the food they pick up for outreach. They'll handle the repairs.
Every Conversation Can Save a Life
Dorline and Shalonda didn't set out to lead a nonprofit. They set out to make sure no other family would have to ask the question they once did. Every box of Narcan they hand out, every meal they serve, and every child they encourage is part of Dwan's legacy.
For DFW Cyber Lions Club, Hope 4 All, and our wider network, their message is simple: learn the signs, carry Narcan, and show up for the families in our community who need to know they are not alone.
Around the Room
DFW Cyber Lions Club and Hope 4 All are all about commUNITY! Here's what attendees shared at the Lunch & Learn, and where you might be able to lend a hand:
PlayGrand Adventures Meetup – Marilyn Alagaban invited everyone to meet up at PlayGrand Adventures, Grand Prairie's all-abilities playground, on Friday, October 2, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. to see the sensory art wall DFW Cyber Lions Club is helping fund; the club has committed $5,000 and still needs to raise $3,600 by the end of the year, so bring your own dinner, come play, and donate through Zelle to info@dfwcyberlions.org if you're able. Keep scrolling for the event flyer.
Operation Cuddles for Cops – Esmeralda Rodriguez shared that Cameron County Community Lions will host a Community Wellness Fair in San Benito on November 14 from 10 a.m. to noon, with free HIV, glucose, and blood pressure testing, alongside a drive collecting stuffed animals for police officers to give children experiencing trauma; DFW Cyber Lions Club members are invited to lead drives for their own local police departments (Maryann is heading one for Mansfield and Marilyn for Grand Prairie), and Hope 4 All will share an Amazon wish list for donations to local police departments. Keep scrolling for the event flyer.
Neighborhood Safety Community Impact Initiative – Conrad invited everyone to a free public safety event on Sunday, September 27, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Lost Cowboys in Grand Prairie, featuring Grand Prairie Police Chief Daniel Scesney and city council members, as part of the Dallas Rescue Initiative with Levels of Life and the CPA Community Impact Team.
Build a Bed Day – Marilyn Alagaban and Rose Shrestha encouraged everyone to join an upcoming bed build in Irving on [date], from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., where hundreds of volunteers build beds for children who don't have one of their own; you don't have to be a Lion to participate, but advance registration is required.
Hope 4 All will be highlighting the DFW Cyber Lions Club Lunch & Learns throughout our Executive Director's presidency. Wish you were there to hear from Dorline and Shalonda? Catch the recording below, and consider this your invitation to join us next month!
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