Our duty as housing providers is to ensure that our residents and future residents 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
White Rock Clean Up Day
We will be supporting Paula Blackmon's District 9 this fall by beautifying the White Rock Lake area. Join us on October 9th from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm to complete a variety of tasks from weeding garden beds, picking up trash, pressure washing and painting. Click below to learn more or register so you can help rejuvenate the area for local residents and combat pollution.
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Costumes 4 Kids Bingo Night & Fundraiser
The AAGD NextGen Committee will be hosting this event in support of local nonprofit organizations looking to provide children in need with Halloween costumes. You can contribute by joining us at Hop & Sting Brewing Co. for a night of music bingo, costume contests, and prizes. All registration costs are considered a donation. Individual donations can also be made on the Costumes 4 Kids web page. Click below for more information.
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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 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.
Another way for our members to contribute is by making an online donation to our toy shopping fund. These funds will then be used by AAGD volunteers to purchase even more toys to be donated, which will also be put on display at the Christmas Reception. Supplier members can sign up to assist in transporting these toys to the event location. 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.
Last year, our members raised over $100,000 in toy donation funds and collected a countless number of additional toys at their properties so that every child could experience the joy of the holiday season. Learn more about the Toys for Tots program by clicking the link below. More information regarding how to set up a toy drive, make a donation, volunteer to transport toys, or register for the 2025 AAGD Christmas Reception will be available at a later date.
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Vogel Alcove
This year, AAGD is partnering with Vogel Alcove, a local childcare nonprofit that services children and families experiencing homelessness. Some of the ways we will be contributing to this center include performing necessary building renovations and putting together ‘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.
Contact Paula Kelley for more information on how to get involved.
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
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!
