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On 3/29/2022 at 9:41 PM, mdmost said:

In Dallas:

https://www.familyplace.org/ helps victims of domestic violence and their families by giving them a safe place to stay until a permanent option can be found.

https://thestewpot.org/ helps the homeless in downtown Dallas by providing meals, a safe haven to get a meal and essentials, has a free clothes closet to help their clients find necessities. They also provide basic necessities for their clients such as a post office address so they can get mail and sign up for work, dental care, and a health clinic. 

I'll tack on the Gatehouse Grapevine to these.  It is a lower-risk "shelter" more like assisted living in DFW for women coming out of shelters or at risk of going into one. Basically trying to fill holes in the system between shelter and independence.  I got acquainted with them when I lived in DFW through other charity work and friends, even got to know some of the women.

Gatehousegrapevine.com

Their endowment is still being funded and they are solidly an F on most charity watch sites.  If the finances make you nervous to donate cash, they maintain an Amazon wishlist to donate items directly.

On 3/30/2022 at 9:31 AM, Murfdogg21 said:

Dallas Scottish Rite Childrens Hospital

Can't say enough good things about them. I designated them as my charity for my Amazon Smile account. They get a small percentage of everything I buy and it adds up at the end of the year.

On 3/30/2022 at 9:25 AM, huge said:

Houston Food Bank

https://www.houstonfoodbank.org/

Donate $25 a month I think, it's an auto draft like TreeFiddy

Also volunteer there with my company.  Recommend

I used to be on their auto-draft plan but got annoyed at them because they also mailed me several donation requests every month. Asking for money didn't bother me, but I found it to be a waste of their money to send mailers to be who are already donating. Why give you $25 so you can spend $1 of that mailing me crap?

But I will give them credit in that one of their phone calls to me, I mentioned that I didn't want to receive any more mail. They were able to take me off the mailing list.

1 hour ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

But I will give them credit in that one of their phone calls to me, I mentioned that I didn't want to receive any more mail. They were able to take me off the mailing list.

One of my pet peeves is to see my special "one time donation" in honor of somebody that has passed be squandered in multiple additional requests for donations year after year after year.  To paraphrase Ronald Reagan -- being on a charity's mailing list is pretty close to having eternal life.

3 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I used to be on their auto-draft plan but got annoyed at them because they also mailed me several donation requests every month. Asking for money didn't bother me, but I found it to be a waste of their money to send mailers to be who are already donating. Why give you $25 so you can spend $1 of that mailing me crap?

But I will give them credit in that one of their phone calls to me, I mentioned that I didn't want to receive any more mail. They were able to take me off the mailing list.

They called me once on a funds push or something.  I told the caller to look me up and she did and confirmed and now I get nothing asking for more money.  They do however ask me to come volunteer more often, which is fine honestly.

On 3/29/2022 at 7:49 PM, HalfSack Horn said:

The SAFE Alliance here in Austin.  Had a friend who needed their services and they were exceptional.   Looked into them and they are well run.  

http://safeaustin.org

This.

  • 3 years later...

We've been fortunate in 2025, but also a little miserly with our giving.

Anyone want to recommend a charity that they're excited about this year? Historically, most of our money goes to UT scholarship fund (not thrilled with more this year), MD Anderson/misc cancer groups, Capital Area Food Bank, Human Rights Campaign (also annoyed with them for a huge volume of text solicitations), and the Trail Foundation/Conservancy.

We’re giving to the benevolent fund at our church, because every earmarked dollar goes directly to serving emergency needs. And Mobile Loaves and Fishes is always a great choice. They are some real rubber meets the road types. Manos de Cristo is another great rubber meets the road local outfit. A lot of outreach and service to the Hispanic community which…in these particular times…is important. All three will get dollars from us tonight, I had a good year. And if money ain’t for helping people, what the fuck?

Houston Food Bank. They'll send out promos matching x3 hour donation and I always give

2 hours ago, Samson's Wig said:

Dell Children's Trust

I think their kids are going to be just fine without your money.

4 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

Houston Food Bank. They'll send out promos matching x3 hour donation and I always give

My household has been monthly donors to Houston Food Bank for a few years now, always good to donate to and volunteer for the food bank

1 minute ago, Captainant said:

My household has been monthly donors to Houston Food Bank for a few years now, always good to donate to and volunteer for the food bank

they support many other counties

i should volunteer in 2026

just checked email and one more donation for 2025. id give a fellow my last dollar if they needed it.

HFB.png

i'm surly bottom 5%, glad I could pitch in $100 ...

Tx3putt, act now before the ball drops at midnight! Every $1 you give can provide 15 meals thanks to a generous $100,000 match by Chevron. Give now to 5X your impact and bring food and hope to our neighbors: houstonfoodbank.org/5xmatch

Stop2Endp

7 hours ago, LCHorn said:

We've been fortunate in 2025, but also a little miserly with our giving.

Anyone want to recommend a charity that they're excited about this year? Historically, most of our money goes to UT scholarship fund (not thrilled with more this year), MD Anderson/misc cancer groups, Capital Area Food Bank, Human Rights Campaign (also annoyed with them for a huge volume of text solicitations), and the Trail Foundation/Conservancy.

houston food bank is doing x5 your donation until midnight.

The HUB Houston. Educational programs for neurodivergent young adults. They have great programs for helping kids prepare for independence and developing skill for entering the workforce.

Citizens for Animal Protection. A great local no kill shelter

On 3/29/2022 at 11:01 PM, Your Mom said:

CASA.  Court Appointed Special Advocates.

https://www.casatravis.org/

These are volunteers who advocate in court, school, and in the community for abused and neglected kids who are in state-care.  These are trained volunteers, appointed by judges, who make real-world decisions and issue recommendations to judges that have immediate and direct results on the lives of the most vulnerable kids right here in our community.  

They are a worthy charity for your money and if you have a job or any training that is even remotely related to the welfare of people or dealing with judges and the legal system.... ahem... like lawyers for example... they are a worthy charity for your time.

Great organization. I worked very closely with them when my ex and I were foster parents they do good work

My wife makes sure every child at her east Austin elementary school get a Christmas present. She also runs a clothes closet there. I can post the link next year - realistically they cant handle too much money. It sort of only works when its not too flooded with money.

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