Getting Together for a Good Cause

Group photo of VMware team

These Austin groups might just know the secret to building a strong team! By working together on a shared goal, they made a huge difference for families and individuals in our community. Though all of their groups and service projects looked unique, each one helped support the transition out of homelessness for the people we serve.

Youth Service Makes a Difference in the Community

We are always so inspired by young community members helping end homelessness! St. Francis 5th grade Girl Scout Troop 45402 put together five new Welcome Baby Baskets stocked full of items to support families in our Youth Program. “I wanted to help them because they’re not that much older than us. It was empowering to work on this together as a troop,” says troop member Rebecca.

Often, young families with babies need more than just general household items to feel stable in their new home–diapers, bottles, onesies, and wipes are essential to support the entire family’s comfort and well-being.

Linda, a troop leader, says, “The girls were absolutely unified by the purpose of helping out in a very real, concrete way. Some of them reflected that the best thing about being a Girl Scout Junior was that they actually got to ‘help people.’”

Every spring, KIPP Austin Obras Elementary stops instruction for their Day of Gracious Living. This year, teachers and students worked together to host a hugely successful hygiene item and food drive and donated 168 pounds of canned and dry food items, shampoos, soaps, detergents, and other home essentials for our Pantry!

“During this day we do projects simply for joy, as well as ones to give back to our community,” said Gabrielle Grossman, assistant principal. “It brought us together around something we all felt very passionate about and taught kids to be active members of their community.”

Our heartfelt gratitude to these two youth groups for helping build a more vibrant Austin for all!

Team Building for a Cause

VMware takes their community involvement seriously—this spring, their team assembled and donated dozens of cleaning supplies baskets for the people we serve! These baskets are given to families and individuals as they move into housing to help create a safe, clean space they can call home.

“Our goal is to make every community we participate in a better place by giving our time, talent, and energy,” the group shared. “Not only was it an easy and fun way to give back, but it also allowed employees to meet new people and make new connections.” Hosting an on-site workplace project can be a great option to allow for more employees to participate in volunteerism together during part of the work day.

Recently, employees of A+ Federal Credit Union donated their time to assemble 20 Welcome Home Baskets for families and individuals as they move into housing. These baskets include items like brand-new linens, kitchen equipment and utensils, cleaning products, shower curtains, and Tupperware sets to help make a new apartment feel more like home. The A+ Federal Credit Union team also held a hygiene drive and donated four baskets full of shampoos, toothpaste, soaps, and more, in addition to donating $240 in cash. Watch a time lapse video of their project!

We are so grateful to the individuals and groups who help end homelessness for people in our community. Your time, energy, and commitment are creating a stronger Austin for all who live here! For more information about ways to serve, visit the Get Involved page of our website.

If you are interested in a group activity, contact Emily Lewis at elewis@caritasofaustin.org.