Week 46: Trusted World

November 12, 2018

During Week 46 of my 52 weeks of service, my family and I collected clothing items for Trusted World. We first learned about this organization through their Disaster Services program following Hurricane Harvey in 2017. From August through November, Trusted World sprang to the forefront of the relief effort, being named the charity to handle the donation management of Harvey relief in Dallas. Over 20,000 volunteers provided more than 45,000 hours to help sort, pack, load, and deliver supplies to the affected areas. We enjoyed working in their huge temporary warehouse space, sorting items that had been donated. During the 2017 hurricane season, over 13 million items were donated and processed, resulting in 2,700 pallets that were shipped to more than 20 different cities in two states and three territories.

In addition to their Disaster Services program, the primary goal of Trusted World is the collection and distribution of goods, such as food, clothing, and personal care items. They provide local non-profits with the resources they need, at no cost, to ensure their clients receive the necessary items promptly. They work closely with school counselors, social workers, police departments, and other nonprofits who serve the community.

The organization receives donations from all over North Texas. Item are inspected and sorted by volunteers, then placed into an inventory system for other nonprofits to order online. By providing these resources to other nonprofits at no charge, Trusted World eliminates their need to collect, sort, and process items, giving them more time to focus on their core missions.

Donations of gently used and new clothing, shoes, and new travel- to full-sized toiletries are always needed.

Items currently in demand include:

Men’s Pants, specifically waist size 32 or 34
Men’s Pajamas, all sizes
Men’s Belts, all sizes
Men’s Work Boots, all sizes
Boy’s Pajamas, large and XL
Girl’s Clothing (shirts, jeans, shorts), sizes 6-16
Boxed food (spaghetti, rice, mac & cheese)
Canned Meats
Canned Fruit
Canned Pasta
Rice
Individual size cookies, fruit chews, chips
Peanut Butter
Jelly/Jam
Sunscreen
Bug Spray
Deodorant

Find a donation drop-off location near you.

Volunteer opportunities are available at both Trusted World’s Allen Service Center and its Garland Service Center. With food and clothing donations received daily, volunteers are always needed to check for quality, sort, and inventory items. Volunteer hours are Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and select evenings. Families are welcome. Volunteers under the age of 18 must have parent supervision.

Week 17: Vogel Alcove

April 23, 2018

Dallas, with the sixth largest GDP of any American city, also has the highest child poverty rate in the country among cities with more than one million people. Thirty percent of Dallas children grow up in poverty, with more than 3,000 kids in our city currently experiencing homelessness.

Vogel Alcove helps young children overcome the lasting and traumatic effects of homelessness. Their vision is that every child in our community has a home, a self-sufficient family, and a foundation for success. Their new facility, housed in the former City Park School, opened in Spring 2014. They now have the capacity to serve up to 200 children each day, and continue to be specifically dedicated to serving the needs of homeless children.

For Week 17, I collected new books and toys for Vogel Alcove. By providing education and a broad array of therapeutic services, Vogel Alcove is dedicated to helping children who are experiencing homelessness cope with the physical, emotional, and mental trauma so that they might succeed in life despite their circumstances.

I have volunteered at Vogel Alcove many times over the past 10 years. I have enjoyed sorting donations, packing diapers for distribution to families, and playing outdoors with the children. Vogel Alcove is a recipient each year of our Lakehill Preparatory School Toy Drive during the holidays. My Community Connections summer campers love volunteering there. In lieu of birthday gifts for themselves, some of my altruistic campers have requested diapers that they then donated to the organization.

In-kind donations allow Vogel Alcove to provide essential items like clothing, diapers, and shoes, as well as books and toys, at no cost to families experiencing homelessness.

The most urgent needs include:

  • Children’s Clothing (boys and girls sizes 2t-6t)
  • Children’s belts
  • New children’s socks and underwear (2t-6t)
  • New/Gently used coats, rain jackets, ponchos (Size 2T-6T, boys and girls)
  • New Children’s toys
  • Umbrellas

 

Working with homeless children requires highly-skilled staff with specialized training in trauma-informed care. But there are a variety of opportunities for both individuals and groups, such as serving as Backyard Buddies, sorting and organizing donations, conducting donation drives, and preparing Bye-Bye Bags (snack bags distributed to the children at the end of the day).

Find out how to get involved or donate in-kind goods.

 

Week 13: National Kidney Foundation

April 1, 2018

This week was a tough one to fit in a service project. Some weeks are like that, I suppose: something on the calendar every day and night. How do we find time to do something positive for others?

I was sorting through the mail, worrying about how to schedule a project, when I saw a postcard for the National Kidney Foundation Serving Texas (NKFST). There was a pick-up scheduled in my neighborhood coming up. My family and I spent the next several hours going through our closets with a fine-tooth comb. Items in good condition that my son had outgrown or that we no longer wore were perfect to pack up for NKFST. Organizations rely on these donations to support their mission. The donations really do make a difference.

In North Texas alone, there are 1.5 million people at risk of kidney disease. Throughout Texas, there are 3,000 people waiting for transplants and over 30,000 people on dialysis.

Donations of clothing and household items will allow NKFST to raise the funds needed to fight kidney disease in North Texas through early screening and education. It helps patients and families affected by kidney disease with aid and information. It also gives struggling families access to affordable clothing.

Clothes for Kidney is the pick-up service for NKFST. The donations are sold in bulk to area thrift stores. All proceeds from the sale of merchandise to area thrift stores benefit the National Kidney Foundation Serving Texas.

The National Kidney Foundation, Inc., a major voluntary health organization, seeks to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases, improve the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by these diseases, and increase the availability of all organs for transplantation.

You can schedule a pick up here. A list of acceptable items can be found here.