ShareFest Texas has delivered furniture and household items for over 300 families since it started in 2020. What started as Thielman was donating goods to Safe Haven during COVID, has now turned into a non-profit helping to provide hope to the under-served through collaborative partnerships and community service.

“If you saw the level of gratification that pours out of the recipient mom and her children, and see the emotional transformation as they go from traumatic home environment to the shelters to their “model-like” apartment in very public space,” said Thielman, ShareFest Texas’ Founder and President. “That has an immediate impact on everyone involved.”

To donate or volunteer with ShareFest Texas, visit sharefest-texas.org or call (817) 369-8080.

ShareFest Texas’ Mission Statement:

To provide hope to the under-served through collaborative partnerships and community service.

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The post EXPLORE ARLINGTON PACKS UP AND DELIVERS FURNITURE WITH SHAREFEST TEXAS first appeared on Sharefest Texas .]]> https://sharefest-texas.org/explore-arlington-packs-up-and-delivers-furniture-with-sharefest-texas/feed/ 0 https://sharefest-texas.org/sharefest-texas-combines-safe-housing-and-wheels-in-motion-initiatives-for-its-october-19-move/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sharefest-texas-combines-safe-housing-and-wheels-in-motion-initiatives-for-its-october-19-move https://sharefest-texas.org/sharefest-texas-combines-safe-housing-and-wheels-in-motion-initiatives-for-its-october-19-move/#respond Mon, 21 Oct 2024 15:33:31 +0000 https://sharefest-texas.org/?p=4985 For the 106th time in 2024 we fully furnished another domestic violence victim mom and children apartment and we did so by providing furniture, household goods and “wheels” to loud screams of joy from everyone.  Our great team worked in tandem quickly arranging furniture, kitchenware and bathroom content at the direction of “boss-mom” completing the install in under 45 minutes.  In the midst  of foot-traffic were two little ones, given ride-able play motorcycle and car (pictured) they somehow managed to maneuver  without injuring anyone.  To say there was an abundance of smiles on everyone’s face is an understatement , especially the mom.  As our mission objective is to provide hope and while doing so initiate the erasing of the past, this day was one of our best and the end-result was as beautiful as the beautiful weather.  After wishing mom another “Happy Birthday” and see a few teardrops form, we know we have another “Mission Accomplished” to ShareFest-Texas’ credit.  The fulfillment received by today’s small-huge heart team of 9 (pictured) again provided fuel for our donated item collection activities being scheduled next week. If you’d like to receive some of that fulfillment on any given Saturday. please sign-up as a […]

ShareFest Texas provides stricken families with a welcoming home

Cold, rainy and little “blustery” some would say but a set of wheels brought out the warmth for two unsheltered homeless today so they can look forward to finding employment in a wider area. That’s what our “WIM Initiative” is all about where since early 2020 we’ve collected, repaired and distributed over 200 bikes. They find work where they can consistently get to, then earn enough to qualify for an agency-sponsored program apartment which we furnish via our “Safe-Housing” initiative. They then can come volunteer or work for us, paying it forward and voila, we have a transformed with hope individual thanks to a donated bike. These two also received new sleeping bags, tent, suitcases and blankets all of which were donated.

Doesn’t take much to make someone’s Christmas a whole lot better. Don’t have to look far for the opportunity. Doing so will make your Christmas as well!

If you’d like to add your hands to ShareFest-Texas’ volunteer squad for one of our 10 initiatives, call our new number at (817)-369-8080.

Due to the increasing costs of fuel, effectively immediately, there will be a $50 pickup charge for any donation pickup outside a 20 mile radius of our warehouse in Arlington. We appreciate your continued support as we work to continue helping those most in need.

Thank you!

• With our “Safe Housing” Initiative we fully furnished 85 (did 60 in 2021) apartments for Domestic Violence victims, a vast majority being Safe Haven clients. 

• Supported church partners’ refugee resettlement initiative with furniture and household goods 

• Supplied tents, sleeping bags, blankets to homeless; refurbed and distributed 25+ bikes that enabled them to get to work 

• New client interface structure had a very positive impact on the effectiveness and efficiency on our housing processes

• Added Arlington Housing and Arlington Night Shelter to the client supply side of our operation

• We closed out 2022 by forming a new alliance with the Salvation Army (Arlington) that will certainly bring multiple mutual-benefit opportunities

• We increased our storage capacity to almost 2,000 square feet to meet the increased demand but now are seeking contiguous storage of 3,000′ 

• Received almost $30,000 in cash donations.   November fund raiser delayed until 2023 due to low sponsorship level sales

• Received 44 mattress donation from Sealy and will receive additional early next year. 

• Partially furnished Foster and Adoptive Care family clients

• Continued to add volunteers but need some to take on formal roles.

• Donations-in-Kind volume steadily increased throughout the year and presented its own process challenges which we finally got under control

• Added retail and online auction service organizations to handle DIK that we couldn’t use in furnishing apartments; glass, size, damaged, etc.
• Engaged Arlington, Mansfield ISD and UTA Students to assist in support of “Safe Housing” Initiative activities; i.e., welcome home bags, hygiene kits, furniture collection and distribution

Colder weather brings on seasonal changes and hypes everyone’s expectations of the forthcoming Holidays that bring Peace, Love, Joy and pronounced feelings of HOPE. The latter is a key component of ShareFest-Texas’ mission statement; i.e., “To provide hope to the under-served through collaborative partnerships and community service.” Thus both of these “Safe Housing” events involved the assembly of pre-lit Christmas trees in addition to the “Welcome Home” bags, furniture and household goods for the two mom’s and their children. Children being children immediately responded to the lighting with screams of joy and excitement quickly followed by a quasi-circuitous running around the once bare living rooms, their displayed joy being obvious perhaps throughout the complex. Without exception, our events throughout 2022 have seen many levels of exuberance by everyone involved from donor to SFT Team member to recipient and highlighted each time by the children. Upon leaving, presenting our signature light to the recipient, wishing them a “Happy Birthday” (was in the correct month once!) that signifies the first day of the rest of their life and then having the team exchange success “high-5’s” in the parking lot. Although we’ve repeated this 80+ times this year, it’s never been anything less than exhilarating and for that reason we hope to see more volunteers join us next year in celebrating the delivery of hope to families, especially the children. They all have experienced trauma that, thankfully, cannot even be imagined by most of us. Whether an active housing volunteer, an item or financial donor or assisting in collections, knowing you have made an incredible difference will be very fulfilling.