KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
November 29, 2022
By Natalie Cook Clark
There are many ways to give and help Katy Families this Giving Tuesday and throughout the holiday season. Get the family involved in the spirit of giving and make plans to volunteer.
Student athletes from Memorial Parkway Junior High recently made a donation to the "Pack the truck for Special Pals" drive for Special Pals. Photo credit: Special Pals
Katy Gives Back
Whether you make a monetary donation, collect needed supplies, commit to volunteer, or organize a mission project with a group there are many ways to help in Katy this season.
1. Katy ISD Food For Families 2022
Help provide gift cards to Katy ISD families in need. The District is accepting donations with a goal set of $25,000.
Katy ISD campuses identify students for the program and Partners in Education collects individual and corporate donations. $60 grocery gift cards along with a note of support from the Katy ISD community are then delivered to each student by a campus staff member.
Food For Families started out as a simple concept that has grown to a successful community campaign. The program has donated over $393,000 to more than 7,800 families in the past 19 years!
2. Help Katy Area Pet Shelters
This year all local pet shelters have exceeded capacity. There is always a need to foster/adopt, but there are other ways Katy families can help local shelters.
Many shelters take donated (unopened) pet food, blankets, kennels, cleaning supplies, and puppy pads. Some even have Amazon and Chewy wishlists that you can see on their websites (listed below.) Monetary donations are always welcome.
3. Katy Christian Ministries
Katy Christian Ministries was founded 35 years ago with a mission to help transform lives. Now, the organization serves more than 8600 households in Katy and its surrounding communities. To keep up with the area's growth, KCM recently opened their second resale shop on Kingsland Boulevard. Proceeds from the sales of donations go to support KCM projects and programs that provide immediate and long-term crisis interventions and counseling for victims of domestic and sexual violence.
Donate
Katy residents can take donations to the new resale and donation center at:
23232 Kingsland Boulevard
Open Monday to Saturday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm.
Patrons can shop at the Kingsland location as well as the Old Katy location at 5510 1st Street.
Donations Accepted
Quality used furniture
Housewares
Home décor
Working electronics
Linens
Books
Clothing
Shoes and accessories
Some toys
Working appliances
KCM can respectfully decline items that they do not feel they can sell. They also can't accept items that are damaged, broken, dirty, wet, have excessive pet hair, are incomplete, worn-out or not working.
If you have at least 10 trash bags worth of items to donate, furniture, etc., you can schedule a KCM truck to make a pickup. Call 281-391-7400 to arrange for the pickup. To learn more about Katy Christian Ministries visit their website.
Volunteer
KCM can always use more volunteers. Find out how you can help by filling out the brief application here.
Clothed by Faith accepts new or gently-used clothing and distributes it to those in need in the greater Katy area. This charitable organization gives Katy families the opportunity to give back to others through their donations or by volunteering.
Last year, the Walker family collected 700 socks to donate to the homeless through Clothed by Faith. Be inspired by their story.
How to Donate
Clothed by Faith asks that donated clothing is clean, without tears, in bags (not boxed or on hangers) and sorted by size and gender.
Donations can be delivered to their office:
802 Dominion Drive, Suite 100
Open Monday to Friday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.
Donations Accepted
Clothing - NEW or very GENTLY used clean clothing in all sizes and both genders. No rips, tears, stains, broken zippers, etc.
Shoes - NEW or very GENTLY used shoes. No holes, broken heels, rips etc. Soles should be intact and shoes should not be dirty on inside or out.
Other items - NEW or very GENTLY used purses, belts, hair accessories and jewelry
Volunteer
There are many ways to volunteer and help at Clothed by Faith. The staff asks that volunteers sign up for a minimum of two-hour shifts. Warehouse volunteers must be at least 14 years of age, all 14 and 15-year-old volunteers must be accompanied by an adult, who must also volunteer.
Clothed by Faith offers three weekly shifts for volunteers, Monday to Friday:
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
To learn more about volunteering opportunities, to sign up, and see a training schedule, visit their the Clothed by Faith website.
5. Hope Impacts
Hope Impacts provides support for Katy's homeless community and they are always accepting donations.
Donations Accepted
Thermals
Coats
Adult blankets
Gently used tennis shoes- men and women
Hot hands - foot warmers
Boots- men and women
Beanies
Gloves
Christmas trees for housed clients, ornaments
Offices will be closed for Thanksgiving November 23-25, 2022 and December 21- January 2, 2022 for Christmas and New Years.
Learn more about Hope Impacts by visiting their website.
The Ballard House provides housing for patients and their family members who have come to the area to receive medical treatment for a life-threatening illness. The Ballard House is always seeking donations to supply and operate their 20,000 square foot hospitality house.
Donate
21421 Cinco Park Rd.
281-717-4670
Donations Accepted
Gift cards to Lowes, Target, or Walmart
Toilet Paper, Face Tissues
Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Window & Glass Cleaner
Liquid Hand Soap
Dishwasher and Liquid Dish Detergent
Small Kitchen Trash Bags
Paper Towels
HE (high efficiency) Laundry Detergent, Bleach and Fabric Softener Sheets
Pine O’ Pine. Furniture Polish
Disposable Cleaning Cloths, Handy Wipes and Sponges
Comet or Ajax Cleaner
Lysol Cleaner and Clorox Wipes
Regular Coffee and Tea Bags – Individual
Sugar, Sugar Substitute
Creamer
12-cup Coffee Filters
Canned Soup and Vegetables
Condiments
Single Serving Cereal
Volunteer
The Ballard House needs volunteers and they will work with your schedule and work preference. They also will work with individuals, groups, civic organizations, and businesses.
Fill out the Ballard House volunteer application to get started.
Learn more about The Ballard House at their website.
7. Goodwill
Goodwill offers multiple drop-off locations in the Katy area.
Where to Donate
2201 South Mason Rd.
21930-B Kingsland Blvd.
20507 FM 1093 #B204
2401 N. Fry Rd.
24413 Katy Fwy.
27131 Cinco Ranch Blvd. #550
Open Monday to Sunday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Donations Accepted
Cars, RVs and Boats
CDs and DVDs
Clothing and Shoes
Flat Screen TVs
Holiday Decorations
Housewares
Office Supplies
Pictures
Frames
Small Appliances
Sporting Goods
Toys
Upholstery Fabrics
Usable Furniture
Goodwill and Dell have partnered to form RECONNECT, where residents can donate old computers and computer parts that will be refurbished or recycled. Any brand computer is accepted and can be taken to any Goodwill store or donation center.
Learn more about Goodwill at their website.
Other Katy Donation Opportunities
The Katy community is home to many other donation opportunities. Find a charity and cause that you are passionate about and get involved to make a difference. Local churches often know of families in need too, or other donation opportunities.
Many Katy neighborhood host local holiday events that tie into a charity. Ask your HOA how you can get involved.
Did we miss your favorite Katy charity that accepts donations? Share it with us in the comments.
Comments