As the year begins to close, people turn their attention toward the giving season. In addition to the presents expected under the tree this time of the year, many charities also rely on the months of November and December to help fund their worthwhile operations year-round.
There are numerous worthy charities in Dallas as well as excellent charitable organizations in Houston. At Darling Homes, the company trains its focus on being good partners in the community throughout the year. Nevertheless, the holiday season always makes for a festive time to do even more.
In December, team members from the builder’s Frisco office wrapped gifts and donated cookies and other snacks for Dallas Life, the largest homeless recovery center in North Texas. This is the second year Darling Homes has participated in the gift-wrapping drive for the group’s Christmas Toy Store. The store allows parents to shop for their kids, picking out special gifts for their family which are then wrapped on-site by volunteers, giving the children a special surprise waiting for them under the tree.
The Taylor Morrison sales team also staged a food drive for Frisco Family Services Food Pantry in November, creating ready-made cookie kits from the more than 600 pounds of flour, sugar and baking items that the team received in donations from the Dallas Division staff. The kits were free for shoppers at the pantry and the contents in each kit did not count toward the weight of the food allotted each family per visit, giving each family a special treat for the holidays.
For the ninth straight year, Darling employees rounded up coats and outwear to help the less fortunate combat the area’s coldest months. This November, they donated approximately 300 coats to the Transition Resource Action Center (TRAC), a CitySquare program that aids young adults who have aged out of foster care and are integrating into society. The remaining coats will be distributed through CitySquare to men, women and children in need throughout the Dallas area. To date, more than 6,000 coats have been donated.
Meanwhile in Houston, the giving continued. Houston team member, Michael Carroll, hosted a party at his model home where he collected toys to send to Texas Children’s Hospital for their treasure chests. The toys were a welcome sight for the children, many of whom were battling life-threatening illnesses. The treasure chests allow children staying at the hospital to pick out a special toy for the season.
Michael’s idea to give back also inspired other Darling Houston team members. For Michael and his co-worker, Brandi Parker, Texas Children’s Hospital had been an important part of their immediate family. Each had seen their sons diagnosed with cancer and treated by the hospital.
To give back, Michael and Brandi collected toys during an event hosted at Darling’s Woodforest 65s model and at their team Sales Rally on December 5. By the end of the day, they were able to deliver an SUV full of toys to the Texas Children’s Hospital Downtown.
Inspired by what Brandi and Michael had done, David Vigil collected toys at an event with over 60 attendees at Darling’s Waterbridge model home. David’s nephew is currently battling Neuroblastoma, a cancer that attacks the adrenal glands. The toys collected at the event were delivered by Brandi to the Texas Children’s Hospital in The Woodlands.
Not only did the Houston division demonstrate their generosity by donating toys to various Texas Children’s Hospitals, but they also gave back to the Gamez and DeLaCruz families through the Houston Children’s Charity Outreach 2018. The two families were emotional and grateful as a parade of team members guided carts full of presents down to family’s vehicles.
There are many charitable organizations that Darling Homes contributes time and resources to each year. For the Texas homebuilder, the giving season lasts all year long.
