Advertisements
Red Bag Campaign!
Dsquared Homes For The Homeless unintentionally ignited a campaign for the homeless community. It all started with one bag ordered as a thank you for our secretary who lives in Texas. I initially ordered the keychain light for my first few supporters which unfortunately was considered a “package” by the post office and costs a ridiculous $3.74 to mail!!! That fact required a Plan B because I’d ordered 50! It’s redonkulous that I saved more money by ordering and shipping a specialty item, but it paid off in the end by creating quality relationships. After posting a photo of the bag online, another board member thought it would be a great idea to request donations for the bags and deliver to the homeless. Given she didn’t have a car, my mind immediately translated that as more work for me and I initially said no. I had proudly decluttered my entire home and wasn’t about to backslide! Thankfully a strength is my ability to say no without guilt. I’ve learned YOUR idea shouldn’t be detrimental to MY peace.
However, God worked on my heart as time went by, and supplied the answer while I was over in left field minding my business. IF the bags are no cost for us, possible now that we are tax exempt, and we only request donations when we have bags, there’s less risk of reaching hoarder status. I split the cost with a friend, thinking not only is a worthy cause but it might also provide much-needed exposure as a new nonprofit. Unexpectedly, ALL twenty bags were gone within the first week! Supporters picked up bags to fill and return, others met me all over the planet with their donations. Marlene, the first to respond, filled her bag the same night and returned it the next day with an order of an additional eight for friends that saw her Facebook post. She also volunteered to run what I’ve dubbed the Bag Detail so that the program could continue. Apparently, it was meant to be!
The last three days have been overwhelming with gifts and today was my third donation by a teenager!! I wasn’t expecting mini-me’s to be interested in making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate, based on today’s trend in society. All ages appear to be obsessed with either self or social media and relationships have diminished to text messages. Quality time now seems old school, even in families, and this trend is killing future generations. What we don’t discuss, like mental health issues (depression has become an epidemic and a silent killer) and even what healthy relationships look like, sends the uninformed online for answers. Social media a cesspool for the REAL fake news, and sadly, a comparison trip!
It’s an unexpected honor to spark change in an unexpected way. Not only in the lives of the mental health/homeless community but the younger generation who are desperately in need of role models! A thirteen-year-old donated today, and a fifteen-year-old created and manages our D-squared Pinterest account. Based on mom feedback, I’m creating a summer volunteer program for students! It’s a beautiful thing!
DSquared Mission Statement!
With God, there are possibilities! My team is growing and our goal is not to change the system, but make a difference in the lives we can! If enough individuals combine their talents, a positive impact WILL transform the mental health community!
Dsquared4homeless.org Go Live Day!
I’m extremely excited to see my vision come to life in two short months! Dsquared Homes for the Homeless was inspired by my son’s current situation, homeless with mental health challenges. I’ve heard comments that I can’t change the system, but those people are missing my intent. My mission is not to change a system as challenged as the clients they serve, it’s to make a difference in the lives that I can. My idea is to assist the SMI individual in their goal to remain self-sufficient who, like my son, are already contributing to society. I’ve started over a few times as a result of a job loss, and divorce but was able to regain independence with support. Bypassing homelessness completely is better for the economy, and a state of mind.
A criticism received is that I won’t receive the funding required to make this happen. It might be true, if I were petitioning the government. A Veteran myself, it would be redonkulous to expect help from that arena when those who’ve fought for our country aren’t prioritized. My support will come from families impacted by mental health, who are as frustrated with the lack of resources as I am. 1 in 4 adults are emotionally fractured, and emotional challenges are more of a drain on the economy than major health challenges like cancer or diabetes. More families are involved in the dysfunctional relationship I’ve been in for 11 years when my son was first diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia. Those families are my people. Evidence they exist is from the support received so far. My nonprofit was made possible via my Gofundme page in two months. I had the vision, but not the finances. Being an FPU graduate (and Coordinator), I will never go into debt for anything again. Dave Ramsey cured my tendency to make decisions based on emotions.
My team is strong with Grant Writers and other family members willing to share their skills to provoke change in the lives of forgotten voices. Yesterday a Real Estate Agency and Loan Officer also joined my team. It might take a minute, but we are heading in the right direction and there’s HOPE! Please support our cause and share our mission. Dsquared4homeless.org
