This generous funding will directly support The Doctor Spot, our free pediatric clinic serving uninsured and underserved children and families throughout Dallas County.

For many families in Southeast Dallas, access to affordable healthcare remains a daily challenge. The Doctor Spot helps bridge that gap by providing free well visits, sick visits, immunizations, sports physicals, asthma management, screenings, and more, all delivered with dignity, compassion, and care.

Currently located inside the Inspired Vision Compassion Center in Southeast Dallas, The Doctor Spot removes transportation and financial barriers by bringing quality medical care directly into the community where it is needed most.

The support from Northwood Woman’s Club reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the local community through service, philanthropy, and compassion. The organization’s mission is centered around helping meet the philanthropic needs of the community while advancing opportunities for those in need through civic volunteerism and charitable giving.

“We are incredibly grateful to Northwood Woman’s Club for believing in the mission of LifeSavers Foundation,” said Kate Wood from LifeSavers Foundation. “This grant will help more children receive the medical care they need at no cost to their families.”

Every day, LifeSavers Foundation sees firsthand how access to healthcare can change the trajectory of a child’s life. Families who may otherwise delay care because of cost are able to receive professional medical attention, education, prescriptions, and preventive services in a safe and welcoming environment. Without access to early care, many minor health concerns can escalate into costly emergency room visits.

This grant will help ensure that more children across North Texas continue receiving care right when they need it most.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the members of Northwood Woman’s Club for their generosity, leadership, and ongoing investment in the wellbeing of North Texas families.

The post LifeSavers Foundation Selected for $15,000 Grant from Northwood Woman’s Club first appeared on LifeSavers Foundation.

The post LifeSavers Foundation Annual Toy Drive first appeared on LifeSavers Foundation.

Venafi provides innovative cybersecurity solutions to enterprise businesses and companies all over the world, including many of the Global 5000. In addition to their dedication to protecting their clients, Venafi is highly passionate about supporting local communities. Their executive team researched a number of nonprofits across northern Texas before choosing LifeSavers.

Recently, 120 Venafi engineers from around the world gathered in Dallas for a meeting. While they were in town, the Venafi team met with LifeSavers leaders to present the gift.

Venafi’s gift will go toward LifeSavers’ key mission activities, including free medical care:

The Doctor Spot

The Doctor Spot is a mobile health clinic that travels throughout Dallas County to administer primary care. Many of the Doctor Spot’s patients are women and children in need, especially those without insurance or access to reliable transportation. The Doctor Spot offers well visits, sports physicals, sick checks, immunizations, and other types of care. The Doctor Spot also provides asthma care and medication, such as albuterol and prednisolone, for children in need.

Mobile Sonogram Unit

Like the Doctor Spot, the mobile sonogram unit is a retrofitted vehicle that travels to patients in need. The unit is equipped to provide free sonograms to pregnant women and also gives out pregnancy tests.

Items for single mothers at Upscale Resale

Upscale Resale is a high-end consignment shop that sells donated clothing, furniture, home decor, books, and other items. Upscale Resale is also a major support center for single and underprivileged mothers with new babies or young children. Expectant mothers can earn vouchers and coupons by taking free childcare and life skills classes with LifeSavers. Those vouchers can be redeemed for free car seats, baby supplies, and discounted items at Upscale Resale.

LifeSavers Foundation relies partially on generous donations from individuals and businesses alike to support its mission and operations. But much of the operating budget comes directly from Upscale Resale. Everything sold at Upscale Resale is donated by a member of the community. Volunteers check every item before deciding what will go on the sales floor. The remaining items are sent to other donation centers or recycling centers, depending on the condition.

The Venafi team had a chance to spend time with LifeSavers staff and volunteers. They met the clinic team the Doctor Spot and employees and volunteers from Upscale Resale.

“We looked at many nonprofit organizations throughout north Texas,” said Mike Dodson, Vice President of Worldwide Customer Security Strategy & Solutions, Venafi. “We were moved by LifeSavers’ mission and work, which is making a real difference where it matters: directly with people in need, at the point of need.”

Venafi’s gift will make a profound difference in the lives of many women and children throughout Dallas county. Their donation will cover the costs of important medical care, critical baby supplies, and medications for children.

If your business would like to learn more about LifeSavers and make a donation, get in touch >

The post LifeSavers Free Medical Care Program Receives $10,000 Award first appeared on LifeSavers Foundation.

Of course, we hope you’ll choose to donate to LifeSavers, but we understand that giving away money is highly personal. So we put together this brief guide to help you find and choose the right charities for you.

Make a list of Dallas charities you care about.

The truth is that you can’t give money to every cause out there, unless you have the net worth of Jeff Bezos. Best to get clear on what causes are really important to you.

Think about the people and issues that tug at your heartstrings. What problems do you want to help solve? Which demographics of people do you want to support? Are there particular charities or nonprofits that helped you or a loved one through a tough time? Write down your thoughts so you can do some research.

Another thing to consider is the size and footprint of the charities you want to support. Some nonprofits do work on a global scale, while others maintain a hyperlocal focus. Keep in mind your geographical preferences when researching charities.

Research their business and political affiliations.

Not all charities have a political agenda, but many do. Research and make sure the charities you choose are a match with your beliefs.

The most accessible place to start is with their website. Their mission statement and their About page will tell you most of what you need to know, but you might also find pages titled “Affiliations,” “Views,” “Beliefs,” or similar. Also, look for a list of board members, donors, and sponsors to see who they’re aligned with.

Check out the charity’s social media presence and see who they interact with. If they follow politicians you don’t like or public figures with shady backgrounds, pay attention to that.

Learn where your money will go.

Important causes need money for a variety of different initiatives, and every nonprofit is involved differently. For example, some nonprofits use donations to fund advocacy work and political action. Some support research. Others route money directly to those in need. All of these things have value, but only you can decide which is most important to you.

A charity’s annual report will be your best resource for determining exactly how they spend their money. Most will have complete budget breakdowns and in-depth reports of everything they accomplished in the last year. Review these things carefully so you can decide where you want your money to go. You might be able to find these numbers on their website, as well.

One thing to keep in mind: Overhead is inevitable. Just like regular businesses, charities have to pay salaries, provide insurance, and buy office supplies. These things keep the nonprofit going and drive progress toward meaningful goals. But keep an eye out for too much overhead.

And remember, when donating, you can usually choose a specific designation for your gift. So, for example, a general operating gift is an excellent choice if you want to help pay for good employees. But if you want every cent to go toward a specific initiative, you can choose that too. So do what feels right for you.

How to spot red flags when researching Dallas charities.

It’s heartbreaking to say it, but there are a lot of scam charities out there, and they’re not as easy to spot as you might hope.

One huge red flag is a charity whose actual impact or purpose is almost impossible to understand. Nonprofit organizations should be proud of the work they do, so proud that they’re practically shouting it from the rooftops! If all you’re finding are vague stories with no clear, quantifiable impact, you should be suspicious.

Here are a few other things to keep an eye out for:

• 501(c)(3) status. A charity’s website should be clear that they are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. If it’s not mentioned anywhere, it’s probably not a legitimate charity.
• Founders’ Syndrome. Sometimes a charity is just a platform for a particularly charismatic leader whose credentials may be unclear. Be wary if their entire website is just a shrine to one person, with very little content about their mission and impact.
• Endless gimmicks to get you to donate. The right gift can be a nice incentive to donate, but a nonprofit shouldn’t rely on trinkets alone to attract donors. The cause should be reason enough.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the many worthy Dallas charities seeking our attention and resources. But with a little research and a clear perspective on what’s important to you, you can be confident that your donations are aligned with your heart.

The post A Giver’s Guide for donating to the right Dallas charities first appeared on LifeSavers Foundation.

LifeSavers is proud to be part of North Texas Giving Day 2021, an annual fundraising event across twenty counties in northern Texas.

On September 23, 2021, generous Texans will gather virtually for a one-day giving event to raise millions of dollars for important causes throughout the Lone Star State. Over 3,350 nonprofits will be part of North Texas Giving Day this year, and the LifeSavers Foundation is honored to be one of them.

North Texas Giving Day was started in 2009 by the Communities Foundation of Texas. That first year, 6,500 donors gave $4 million to 345 nonprofits. Those numbers have grown dramatically in the past twelve years.

In 2020, 106,000 donors gave $58.8 million to 3,242 nonprofits in northern Texas, bringing the twelve-year total to $375 million and making North Texas Giving Day the largest community-wide giving event in the United States. And 2021 is expected to be even more spectacular.

LifeSavers has a few specific plans for North Texas Giving Day gifts and donations:

Operating expenses for The Doctor Spot.

The Doctor Spot is a pediatric clinic on wheels that travels throughout Dallas County to provide free medical care for children in need. Lack of reliable transportation is a major barrier to healthcare for many families, and The Doctor Spot offers a solution that helps keep kids healthy.

The Doctor Spot is fully equipped for:
Wellness and athletic exams
Sick checks
Immunizations
Screenings for vision, hearing, lead, and obesity
Prescriptions
X-rays

The LifeSavers Foundations covers the cost of lab fees, prescriptions, and x-rays for children who are not insured.

Operating expenses for the mobile sonogram unit.

Another on-the-go medical service provided by LifeSavers is pregnancy screening. The mobile sonogram unit travels throughout Dallas County to provide free pregnancy testing sonograms to women in need who might be unable to get themselves to a clinic. Women who visit the mobile sonogram unit can also receive counseling about their pregnancy and help with Medicaid enrollment, including referrals.

Another way to support LifeSavers, the Doctor Spot, and the mobile sonogram unit year-round is to shop at Upscale Resale. All proceeds from this luxury consignment shop go directly toward funding these important programs that support women and children throughout DFW.

Upscale Resale also accepts donations of gently used items, many of which will go to women, children, and families in need of supplies. Read about our voucher program and our donation guidelines.

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North Texas Giving Day is a virtual event, but there are a lot of ways to celebrate in person at events throughout the month of September. Nonprofit organizations, generous sponsors, and community members gather to:

• Meet, mingle, and learn more about each other.
• Work on volunteer projects together.
• Experience live music and entertainment.
• Enjoy a delicious meal or snack from local food trucks.
• Play games and win prizes.

Early giving has already started. To learn more about North Texas Giving Day, find an event, and make a donation, visit www.northtexasgivingday.org or LifeSavers Foundation North Texas Giving Day page.

The post Support Your Community and LifeSavers: North Texas Giving Day 2021 is Coming Up! first appeared on LifeSavers Foundation.

As the Christmas and New Year’s holidays approach, the Board of Directors has been notified of a $20,000 matching gift opportunity that will be available through December 31, 2018. Receiving funds to match this gift would be the culmination of a successful year ministering to underserved women, children and families in the Dallas area.

God has allowed LifeSavers to offer services with its two programs:

1. The Doctor Spot Mobile Pediatric Clinic which offers free medical services to uninsured children ages 0-18 in Mesquite and Garland ISD’s and, beginning January 1, 2019, Dallas ISD. The Board is expecting a 10% increase in patients from 2017 which totaled 1,364. To date, the number of children treated stands at 1,372!

Chandra, the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, encountered a seventeen-year-old girl who came to the unit because she had missed a vein while shooting up meth. Her father had “introduced” her to meth when she was 12, and she has been using it ever since. Her physical injury was a hematoma, but her mental and psychological injuries are more far-reaching. Chandra spent time counseling her and praying with her. The Doctor Spot is reaching many forsaken teens. “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” John 4:35

2. LifeSavers Upscale Resale store has had over 860 clients in 2018 comprised of single moms, children and families who come to the store for assistance. That number is 15% more than 2017.

A young woman named Nahid came with her 3 children to the store. She is a victim of family violence and was in need of assistance for herself and her children. “Being kind to the poor is like lending to the Lord. He will reward you for what you have done.” Prov. 19:17

Will you join with LifeSavers Foundation to make the $20,000 matching gift a reality? For your convenience, you may donate online here. The Board is grateful for your consideration.

Merry Christmas!

Barbara Boren, CEO

The post Matching Gift A Lifeline For Those In Crisis first appeared on LifeSavers Foundation.