As the holidays approach, it is the time of year when we think of others – families and friends in our lives as well as those in our communities who are facing challenges.
This past month, so many opened their hearts and gave graciously during North Texas Giving Day – breaking a record with more than $68.3 million raised for North Texas nonprofits, including a number who serve Denton County. This will serve a lot of needs across our growing region.
Though the official North Texas Giving Day has passed, the need continues to be great as more individuals seek assistance from all our Denton County non-profits.
United Way of Denton County has launched its annual campaign to raise funds for 18 non-profit partners across the county for 2024. Last year, donations to United Way of Denton County helped an estimated 53,543 of our residents.
Major employers, including Denton County and several of our municipalities, are conducting employee campaigns to raise funds for a wide range of agencies that provide family and victim services, health and wellbeing, financial security, and education and youth opportunity.
In our ongoing meetings with local food pantries and other non-profits, we have learned that as more people come to our region, some arrive needing an extra hand to get settled. Others who have been here awhile are facing new problems never experienced before.
The rising cost of inflation coupled with increasing rents from the high demand for housing have left many struggling to make ends meet. We have learned some of our elders face tough decisions on whether to pay for medicines or buy food on their fixed incomes. We have also heard about families who are seeing higher bills – from electricity to weekly grocery costs – and finding funds not stretching as far as they did a few years ago.
Our food pantries continue to share how new families arrive each week in need of grocery assistance, continuing the increased demand first seen more than four years ago.
And while all of us are feeling the impacts of higher prices, many of us are more fortunate to have a little extra cash on hand or funds in our savings accounts.
For the cost of one cup of coffee per week, you can help feed a family, provide socks to the homeless, cover tutoring costs for a struggling student or even clothing for a mother who is looking for work to feed her family after escaping from a violent domestic situation.
There but for the grace of God go any one of us. We each face challenges in life and there is no way to avoid them. But, if you will take a moment to reflect on how you were helped in your time of need, it may very well remind you of how important a little bit of your help can be for someone else.
I sincerely hope that you will consider setting aside a few extra dollars to help someone else as we head into the holiday season – a wonderful time of hope and happiness with family and friends.
Connect With Us: Be sure and connect with Denton County on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DentonCountyTX and on Twitter @DentonCountyTX. You can also follow me at www.facebook.com/DentonCountyCommissionerBobbieMitchell. My email is [email protected] and my office number is 972-434-4780.
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