...for City of Southlake news, business, and community happenings.
-
- non-profit
Friday, April 19, 2024
Nothing tastes as good as a homecooked meal, and although it’s not mom’s signature dish, many Southlake residents cherish the main ingredient of Metroport Meals on Wheels – the love of service.
To get into the giving spirit this holiday season, Mayor John Huffman checked in with Mary King, the Executive Director of Metroport Meals on Wheels (MMOW) on this week’s episode of Minute with the Mayor. The partnership between the City of Southlake and Metroport Meals on Wheels has gone on for decades, beginning in the mid-1980s to provide meals and support to homebound and mobile senior citizens.
In 2023, Metroport Meals on Wheels has provided over 2,000 home-delivered meals to 14 Southlake residents, but it doesn’t stop there! Over 3,500 meals have been dished out at The Marq during their Monday luncheons this year alone.
“Some of the most meaningful times as Mayor are the days I get to go deliver with you guys,” said Mayor Huffman.
Although the program runs all year, the holidays prove to be a special time for the program and for the seniors they serve. “The holidays can be extremely lonely and isolating for homebound seniors,” said King.
“Our aim is to help these residents feel engaged and loved during the holidays, especially those that may not have family around or at all.”
To engage these seniors, Metroport Meals on Wheels is hosting a campaign called Stockings for Seniors this year. Stockings for Seniors encourages the community to remember these special neighbors and brighten their holidays. With this program, members of the Southlake community, and beyond, can sponsor stockings filled with practical gifts like clothes, towels, heated blankets, and more.
Stockings are available for adoption at Sadie’s, MMOW’s consignment and resale store, in Roanoke or through their online Amazon Wish List.
As the bells of the holiday season ring, the heartwarming message of the partnership also rings true. “MMOW is Neighbors Helping Neighbors to alleviate hunger, isolation, and loneliness in our communities, and to foster the independence, worth, and dignity of each individual we serve,” said the MMOW website.
If you’re interested in supporting homebound seniors this holiday season, check out MMOW’s Amazon Wish List or sponsor a stocking. Details can be found here.
To watch the full episode of Minute with the Mayor, click below:
Local nonprofit, NotLess.org is dedicated to providing hope and finding help for people struggling with homelessness, poverty, and doubt in the DFW area. Created by high school students Abby Detrich, Eric Hassett, and Zach Saxion, NotLess exists to encourage, inform, and invest directly into getting people off the streets.
“People tend to do charity out of pity, but it is incredible to work with a group of motivated people that do it out of love. I think this is what came to create NotLess. We are all driven and we all have the mindset that we can change the world starting now, ” said Abby Detrich.
NotLess.org funds care packages by selling shirts and taking donations. One shirt is equivalent to one “care package,” which consists of basic necessities like clothing and sanitary items to provide for the homeless.
Zach Saxion said, “God calls us to help the poor. I’ve always had a heart for helping people who may seem to be an ‘outcast’ in society. So when Eric called me one summer night proposing the idea for me to start NotLess, I jumped right on board! I was raised in an entrepreneurial household, so if I ever wanted to make a difference, in my life or others, I needed to pursue that in my own way. We started this organization with the little money we had in our saving and have now grown a ton! I am super excited for where NotLess is going and the lives that will be touched.”
“I started this because I have been there. And I know how much it can mean to someone. I know that I want to give hope to those who need it.” added Eric Hassett.
You can purchase or donate by going to www.notless.org.
Carroll Middle School Student Council and National Junior Honor Society students helped out with Christmas is for Children this year and adopted angels that benefited the HOPE agency.
Christmas is for Children 
(CIFC) is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing all children the love, care, and joy that comprise the spirit of the holidays. Since 1991, CIFC has supported over 40,000 underprivileged children dealing with poverty, AIDS, domestic violence and substance-abusing parents.
This year CIFC will serve up to 1,400 children in Southlake, Keller, Grapevine, and the Metroplex, including CISD. CMS contributed to a total of 35 angels.
Click here to read what other campuses are doing this time of year to support individuals in need.