Sara Button
““We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.””
It is that time of year again, y’all. Students are moving in, kiddos are loading busses, teachers are stressing out, and local bars are filling up again (well, on Thirsty Thursday’s at least..wait, is that really a thing?). Denton will soon wake up from its summer slumber and resume normal speed as it is Back to School time yet again. I can hear the townies crying from miles away... With all of that said, we wanted to highlight some ways that you and your friends can get involved in the Denton Community or be charitable without dumping ice water on your head. These are all different entities that will allow you to help out and give back to our community in the form of volunteering.
Volunteering is not only a great way to feel good about your place in life, but it's also a great way to meet people, network and learn about the community in which you are currently residing. Denton has plenty of opportunities for you to volunteer. Below, we've highlighted a few of our favorite Denton organizations that are in need of able bodies, but there are several more beyond this list and we encourage you to do your research and find one that speaks directly to you.
A poster for Mentor Denton
Mentor Denton – One kid. One hour a week. One year. This organization is one of my favorites in town. You can sign up, get trained & really impact an at-risk student in Denton ISD. If you are not a fit for the hours needed, that is ok! You can donate monetarily to sponsor a child. For more information and the sign up forms, check this out.
Bank On Denton County – Are you good with math? What about finances? Do you like helping people? If you answered yes to the aforementioned questions, Bank on Denton County seems like a good match for your volunteerism. Volunteer for a few hours a month conducting financial workshops for low income families in Denton County. To sign up, click here.
Denton Community Food Center – Did you know that 19% of our community population lives in poverty? That is 1 in 5 families in Denton County. Denton Community Food Center actively seeks donations year round to help feed our families. The top 3 items they ask for are: peanut butter, breakfast cereal, and canned fruits. They ask that you try to avoid glass containers when possible. If you choose to donate monetarily, you can find can click here for info. DCFC feed approximately 35-50 families a day and provided 240 TONS of food to local families last year.
Keep Denton Beautiful – You can join the KDB organization for dues as low as $10 (for students) and help out in an array of beautiful ways. Help our community stay clean by volunteering for a litter pickup day, gardening at different places around town, or you could even be a yard of the month judge! To learn more, check out their website here.
The volunteer photography crew from Help-Portrait: Denton 2013.
Help-Portrait: Denton – Denton’s second annual Help-Portrait event is just right around the corner! We posted a video earlier this year that shares more information and takes you behind the scenes at the first annual event that was actually held earlier this year (no thanks to Icemageddon 2k13). We here the volunteer application will open up very soon, and hope to see you all on December 6, 2014 at Calhoun Middle School. Follow Help-Portrait: Denton on facebook to stay up-to-date on what is happening this year! If you are able to donate photo paper, food, make up, or hair products please contact Sara Button.
Festivals - While you may not be serving the needy, we always love having festivals around town and in order to keep them going, they need help! Oaktopia, 35 Denton, Thin Line and more (we have a lot of festivals in town if you didn't already know) all need volunteers. The best part is that volunteering with these festivals normally gets you a free pass. Check out their various websites for more info.
If you want to stay hip on other volunteer opportunities in Denton, check out the sites below:
Denton Animal Shelter Foundation
Volunteerism is cool. It’s what all of the cool kids in Denton are doing this year. Tell us about your favorite volunteer experience in the comments below!
Sara Button would best be described as a professional homebody. She has been involved in an on again/off again love affair with Denton since the fall of '04, with her most recent choice to be "on again." When she is not adventure thrifting around the metroplex, she can most likely be found giggling to the goings-on of her two small chiweenies, Stevie Butts, and Lindsey Buttingham.