Community Service

Action Plan

Date Feb 3, 2025
Owner Perry Ortega

Background and context
For my action plan I chose to organize a group donation to a women's shelter. Living in Houston, working in pediatric home health physical therapy, and just observing daily life, there is an obvious need for support for these women and their kids. I was drawn largely to this project because I am a mom who has been extremely blessed by my friends and family supporting and gifting us things for me or my children and the amount of stress and strain it relieves from my family is unmeasurable.
Objectives
• Research Women's Shelters
• Make a post reaching out to moms in my community
• Gather donations
• Spread awareness
• Donate.

Discussion Q&A
Questions Answers
What health issue did you feel was most pressing for your community?

I found the biggest struggle in my community to be single moms, without work, support, and homes.
What impact activity (or activities) did you choose to address this health issue?

I chose to gather donations, research the best options, places, and facilities to donate at.
Why did you choose these specific actions?

I choose to do these actions because the free clothes, diapers, postnatal care we received as a family was beyond helpful to me.
How will these actions improve health and wellbeing for your community?

These actions will go to support women in need. The donations that the women's shelter did not accept went to a thrift store that sells donations to fund women's shelters.
What seem to be the root causes of the health issue you see in your community?

The root cause seems to be a lack of money, support and resources. We often see moms and their kids asking for help on corners.
How did this activity make your feel?  

This project made me feel good, accomplished, and fulfilled. I’m very happy I could pay forward the help we have received.
Has the experience affected your worldview? How?

No, I feel like I was very much away of the problem we face as women, I work with a lot of underprivileged individuals and families. This is what I expected.
If you could do this again, what might you do differently?

I would plan better. I had a very hard time finding shelters that take donations, most of them only take paper and cleaning products along with monetary donations.
Tell me about one meaningful, impactful interaction you had while completing this impact project. Be specific.

I enjoyed meeting up with other women that were willing to help me. Women that were planning on making the hour drive to donate themselves and wanting to take my stuff. I was also surprised by the amount of people wanting to do the same thing and also looking for information on where to start.
Complete this sentence: Because of this Lumberjack Impact Project, I am....

Because of this Lumberjack Impact Project, I am more aware of the challenges women face, the lack of shelters, and resources they have, and the distance they must travel to find shelter, pending the shelter has room for them.

Milestones
Completion date Project phase Description
Feb 3, 2025 Milestone 1 Create a post reaching out and gathering information
Feb 10, 2025 Milestone 2 Gather Donations, make lots of phone calls
Feb 17, 2025 Milestone 3 Donate.

Programs/Websites that helped or we donated to:
Free mommy Market

https://www.fullcirclefamilyserviceshtx.com/events/winter-baby-event-9yjzd-7e3el-zxylp  - Thrift store

https://www.rccgc.org   Church free-mom shop

https://www.embracegrace.com   Collections

Friends and neighbors Recruitment and spreading the word

Facebook

Pictures
Donation list- I did my best to document all things I received to donate
The post that started it all
• Look at the engagement and other people interested
Pictures of everything I had gathered.  

In summary
This project was a great experience and opportunity for me to pay it forward. I am very grateful for the opportunity to help other moms in need. I was challenged by the limited places willing to take clothing, toys, pails, home goods, and diaper bags. After a lot of research I found that most shelters only want paper products, cleaning supplies, and monetary donations. Most of their websites list out what your money will be used for and how much things cost. For example if you donate 2 dollars it will go towards a bib. I was surprised with the outreach of women wanting to help me and offering great options to donate too. I am also happy with donating what was left, deemed unfit for the free markets, to a thrift store that proceeds go to women's shelters.