You Can Still Volunteer and Donate in North Texas While Social Distancing — Here’s How to Help

With widespread school closures, many kids around the country are losing access to the school lunches that they’ve relied on. Several local companies have begun pitching in, including Dallas’ The Biscuit Bar, which is offering free lunches (details here) for those in need at both their Hillcrest Avenue and Deep Ellum locations.

Dallas ISD schools are now offering students free meals during spring break at 14 (out of 230) of their campuses. Kids under 18 years old or with disabilities of any age from any area are allowed to pick up breakfast from 9 am to 9:30 am and lunch from 12:30 pm to 1 pm through this Thursday, March 19.

Some other North Texas school districts (Allen, Frisco, Fort Worth) are also putting together plans to feed their kids. But there are still several left out. I’ve even seen an old high-school classmate of mine post on Facebook about packing up breakfast and lunches himself to deliver to kids in town.

But, there’s always more to be done. Not all working parents can drive by a school during breakfast or lunchtime, while trying to take care of multiple children. Our seniors also need our help now more than ever so we have a way to help deliver food to them as well. And animal shelters need people to foster dogs and cats as shelters prepare for a decrease in staff over the next several weeks.

We will continue to update this list as we learn of new opportunities to give back.

Donate

No Kid Hungry is taking donations for children who are losing the healthy meals they depend on at school.

The North Texas Food Bank, which has encouraged donations instead of canned goods, is asking for help getting nutritious meals to kids, families, and seniors in need.

Children may also be in need of meals on the weekends. Help Blessings in a Backpack continue to feed kids on the weekends during this emergency.

When you donate to Save The Children, 87 percent of every dollar goes to keeping children safe globally.

Kids’ Meals help poverty stricken families impacted by fluctuations in the economy and changes in work hours. Here, every $2 you give feeds a child.

Another place to donate is the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ Coronavirus Relief Fund. Your contribution to the Coronavirus Fund will address immediate and urgent needs of all North Texans, as well as longer-term challenges that will affect education, income, and health outcomes across our community.

The Salvation Army DFW is taking donations.

Foster a Pet

The SPCA of Texas is looking for people to foster shelter dogs and cats during potential staff shortages in the coming weeks. The SPCA will give you all supplies such as food, toys, litter, medication that the animal may need. To sign up, visit spca.com/foster. The application process is currently expedited where you can be approved to take an animal home in the same day.

Check in on Seniors

Meals on Wheels are urgently seeking volunteers to deliver food to seniors who are homebound, have low income, chronic medical conditions, and no reliable source of food. The VNA is asking for social distancing precautions while delivering, as well as proper hand washing and sanitizing techniques if you are going to be delivering to seniors.

Give Blood

The American Red Cross has announced that there’s a severe blood shortage as people are social distancing. They are asking for blood donation as there is no evidence that coronavirus can be transmitted by blood transfusion. Make your appointment to give here.