Meet Erin Wilkerson, Development Coordinator at Dallas 24 Hour Club
- Feb 13
- 4 min read
Erin joined the Development team at Dallas 24 Hour Club last year as a part-time Administrative Assistant and quickly became an integral part of the organization. In January, she officially stepped into her full-time role as Development Coordinator, where she now supports fundraising, partnerships, and outreach efforts that sustain our life-saving recovery services.
With nearly three years of sobriety, Erin brings both professional experience and lived understanding to her work. She knows firsthand the dedication and perseverance recovery requires, and that perspective fuels her passion for supporting the mission of Dallas 24 Hour Club. Her combination of heart, experience, and commitment makes her an exceptional addition to our team.
Where's your favorite place in the world?
Home with my family. Safe, cozy, together. Mornings are my favorite—quiet time with God, coffee, and a sunrise before my son wakes and we rock to Ms Rachel. No more perfect way to start the day. Other happy places include a good walk, hitting a meeting, or curling up with a good book (coloring books included).
What are you passionate about?
God. Recovery. Family. In that order—because without God and recovery, I wouldn’t have the third, nor the presence and grace to navigate and truly appreciate motherhood the way I do today. I live for allowing God to work through me in ways only He can. My role is simply to be myself and remain open—to hear, see, and feel His prompting and direction.
That’s why I begin each morning with the following prayer, which my late mother—who was also active in recovery—sent me years ago when I was searching for work after college:
Lord, take me where You want me to go;
Let me meet who you want me to meet;
Tell me what You want me to say;
And keep me out of Your way.
If you could visit anywhere in the world, you've never been, where would you go?
Italy. In a heartbeat. The sights… the ambience… the FOOD. Give me all the pizza, pasta, coffee and gelato! Not together. But maybe. When in Rome!
What was your first job?
My first job in high school was far from typical—it was a dream, and one I didn’t take lightly. As an aspiring writer, I was fortunate to work as a newsroom assistant at the Omaha World-Herald, a role that demanded great responsibility while immersing me in a fast-paced world I had long admired. In fact, I wanted the opportunity so badly that I half-jokingly offered to scrub the floors just to get my foot in the door. Experiencing the daily rhythm of the newsroom and learning alongside writers and columnists I had grown up reading gave me a deeper appreciation for collaborative, deadline-driven work and helped me grow as a communicator.
As for my drive and work ethic, I credit my father, who set the ultimate example while I was growing up. (and side note, celebrated 30 years of sobriety this year)
I have vivid memories of him coming home exhausted after a full day’s work, yet always finding the energy to catch pitches in the yard, shoot hoops in the driveway or coach our little league teams.
We didn’t always have everything we wanted, but we always had everything we needed. He worked hard to make sure of that.
His greatest gift to us was—and still is—something money can’t buy: his time.
If you could pick up a new skill in an instant, what would it be?
SINGING. Like, well. 😉 What I would give to be able to grab a mic and belt like Carrie Underwood or Lauren Daigle, expressing myself and carrying the message through music. Throw in the ability to play piano or guitar, and we’ve reached nirvana.
Who is someone you really admire?
My late mother and my sister.
Mom lit up every room she entered and made you feel like the most important person in it. Her cackle was contagious. And wherever she was, she was all there. What a gift.
My sister Amy reminds me so much of her—especially now as a mother herself. It’s such a joy to watch my little sister live out her calling as both a mama bear and a nurse, balancing both so beautifully with such grace.
Amy has served as an oncology nurse for more than a decade, after spending her formative teenage years helping care for our late mother through a nine-year battle with cancer. That experience inspired her and certainly shaped her path into nursing school. I like to say she lived the role long before she ever studied it. Attending school by day, caring for mom by night. Exhausted, stressed, hurting, she never once complained. In fact, she made it look easy. Or at least possible. But it was hard. The kind of hard you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy.
And while enduring one of life’s greatest losses midway through nursing school, she finished—because it’s what Mom would have wanted. (A truth made evident when graduation fell on Mom’s birthday.) And because in the end, it was never about the test scores or the grades. It was always about the people. And people—in the words of Maya Angelou—"will forget what you said, will forget what you did, but will never forget how you made them feel."
Here’s to celebrating an angel on earth who lives that, and a mother who set the example.
What's the best advice you've ever heard?
Add ‘get to’ before everything you think you have to do. There is someone out there who wishes they could. (Thanks, Dad)
When looking back at your youth, what was your silliest fear?
That Santa Claus wouldn’t be able to get into our house because we didn’t have a chimney. Turns out some of our greatest fears are the mind’s greatest trick.
What made you decide to work for The 24?
A spiritual awakening, if you will. A profound pull to the recovery space. And a God-led opportunity.
The 24 has been near and dear to my heart for several years. I volunteered here, sponsored women here, and attended meetings long before I ever considered employment. When the opportunity within the Development Department arose, it felt divinely aligned with my purpose. It felt less like seeking a job and more like stepping into a calling to serve in a place that has profoundly impacted my life.
