Our members have a duty as housing providers to ensure that all current and potential residents in their areas have the resources they need to thrive. That is why each year, the AAGD Community Service Committee coordinates opportunities for our members to give back to underprivileged communities in North Texas.
Thanks to the generosity of those members, we have been able to perform renovation services, provide supplies, and collect charitable donations to support local women’s shelters, homeless shelters, food pantries, and children’s service centers.
Scroll below to learn more about our upcoming 2025 community service initiatives and previous projects.
2025 Initiatives
Toy Drive Benefiting the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots Program
Each fall beginning in October, our members have the chance to contribute to the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots program through AAGD. One way they can contribute is by making an online donation to our toy shopping fund. These funds are used by AAGD volunteers to purchase toys to be donated to the Toys for Tots program and will be put on display at the Christmas Reception.
Another way for our members to contribute is by setting up a toy drive at their property. We encourage participating properties to further embrace the holiday spirit by decorating their toy collection box and entering our Box Decorating Contest. All decorated boxes will be put on display at the AAGD Christmas Reception taking place on December 4th, where the winner will be announced in a fun and festive atmosphere. U.S. Marines and a local ROTC class will be present at the event to collect all donated toys so they can be dispersed to local children in need just in time for the holidays.
Click HERE to learn more about this event, or make a difference today by clicking one of the buttons below.
Partnering with Child Advocacy CenterS
IN 2025
Improving the Lives of Abused Children
After working with the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC) and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County last year, we are now expanding our partnerships to include similar organizations that serve Denton, Rockwall, and Kaufman Counties.
The main areas of support these centers are in need of have to do with building renovations, landscaping, and storage upgrades. We are currently looking for volunteers with the following skills or interests:
- Handy with tools
- Capable of manual labor
- Strong organization skills for stocking supplies
One of the biggest projects we have been tasked with is constructing a new fence at the Children’s Advocacy Center for North Texas so that children have a safe place to play outdoors.
If you think you would be a good fit for this project or possess any skills from the list provided and would like to participate in these initiatives, please contact Paula Kelley.
PREVIOUS INITIATIVES
Vogel Alcove 'Bye Bye Bags'
This year, AAGD partnered with Vogel Alcove, a local nonprofit that services children and families experiencing homelessness. Thanks to the generosity of our members, we were able to gather enough donations to pack and deliver 850 'Bye Bye Bags'. These bags are made up of multiple food items that children at the center can take home with them to ensure they do not go hungry. In addition, our members also assisted the center in completing building renovations and landscaping projects.
White Rock Lake Cleanup Day
For the third year in a row, AAGD has partnered with the Dallas Parks & Recreation Department by gathering volunteers to complete a variety of landscaping and beautification tasks. Together, our members weeded garden beds, picked up trash, pressure washed stained surfaces, and re-painted railings and posts.
Costumes 4 Kids Bingo Night & Fundraiser
AAGD hosts the Costumes 4 Kids Bingo Night & Fundraiser each year to raise funds for local nonprofit centers looking to purchase Halloween costumes for children in need. All registration costs are divided among multiple family-centered organizations so that every child can experience the magic of the season. This year's Costumes 4 Kids' beneficiaries were CASA Denton County, Hope's Door New Beginning Center, Nexus Recovery, Shared Housing Center, Inc. and Genesis Women's Shelter & Support.
Lake Highlands PID Trunk-or-Treat
AAGD is proud to have participated in the Lake Highlands PID 2024 Trunk-or-Treat event. The organization aims to foster connection among neighbors in the Dallas area with an emphasis on community engagement and public safety. Our members contributed to this initiative through a mix of monetary donations and their time by decorating their cars and passing out treats to children and families in a fun and festive environment.
White Rock Lake Cleanup Day
After partnering with the Dallas Parks and Recreation Center in 2023 to perform landscaping and restoration tasks at White Rock Lake, AAGD has made a commitment to return annually to help further beautify the lush reservoir. Our goal is to maintain a clean environment and create a more aesthetically pleasing outdoor space for nearby residents for years to come.
Dallas Children's Advocacy Center
One of our largest donation initiatives in 2024 was to raise money to purchase hundreds of goods for the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center (DCAC), which serves children and families facing abuse. The purchased items were safely stored in a Maintenance Supply Solutions facility and then personally delivered to the center by our association's leaders.
Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County
AAGD 2024 Community Service Co-Chair John Brandes and member company Matrix Supply Solutions worked together in 2024 to complete a variety of building renovations for the Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County. Collectively, they removed sound-absorbing panels and repaired and repainted walls throughout the center.
Refuge City Construction Project
AAGD member companies Maintenance Supply Solutions, Clozzits, Matrix Construction Services, and T-Rock Contracting worked as a team to tackle multiple construction projects at Refuge City. Together, they completed much-needed upgrades to the kitchen, bathroom, and storage areas. Refuge City is a nonprofit that provides a safe place for child sex trafficking victims to heal and re-integrate into family-focused environments.
Austin Street Center Donation Drive
In 2023, we launched a member-wide donation drive to support Austin Street Center and the Sisterhood Program. Our mission was to raise money to purchase items needed by individuals as they transition out of the shelter. Donations also went toward the creation of an outdoor shelter for residents to use during personal breaks and inclement weather.
White Rock Lake Cleanup Day
AAGD partnered with the Dallas Parks and Recreation Center to perform landscaping and restoration tasks at White Rock Lake. Such tasks included weeding garden beds, pressure washing paved trails, repainting worn-out posts, and picking up litter. We believe in the importance of ecological conservation and ensuring that community members have a safe, clean place to enjoy our city's natural attractions.
Inspired Vision Compassion Center
Food Drive
In 2022, we launched a food drive so that AAGD members could support Inspired Vision Compassion Center, a local food pantry located in southeast Dallas. By setting up on-site food drives at their properties, our members were able to provide countless baskets of groceries to families and individuals in need.
Carter BloodCare Blood Drive
AAGD partnered with Carter BloodCare in 2022 to host a blood drive at the AAGD office. Everyone in our community plays an important role in saving the lives of patients in need of blood transfusions, and our members are no exception. Thank you to all who generously gave the gift of life.
Jonathan's Place and Buckner International
Reverse Auction
In 2021, we worked with two organizations, Jonathan’s Place and Buckner International, to help stretch their grant funds for onsite renovations. In order to accomplish this goal, we hosted a reverse auction in which the needs of these organizations were divided into smaller, more feasible projects. This gave our members the chance to donate supplies and/or labor to help lower the cost of these upgrades.
Between cash, supplies, and labor, our members donated a staggering total of $178,000!
Union Gospel Mission Fundraiser
After AAGD's 2020 community service project was put on hold due to the pandemic, we decided to shift our focus and contribute to the Union Gospel Mission of Greater Dallas. UGM Dallas's mission is to minister to the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of the homeless in Dallas County. Our member's donations helped make it possible for the organization to continue to reach those in need in the the wake of COVID-19.
Between $6,228 raised by our Community Service Committee and a $5,000 match from AAGD, we donated a total of $11,228 to the organization!
