Our Impact
We change LOCAL lives in ways big and small from rescuing single moms and their kids from homelessness and abuse to helping families facing eviction due to a medical diagnosis to providing Blessing Bags to homeless kids to helping local school counselors to provide kids with the basics their parents can’t afford – food, clothes, shoes, needed items for school, etc.
64% of people come to EXPOW via referrals from social services providers such as: Charities, Churches, Police, Cities & Schools
Single Moms
“One day, I was the mom of two great kids, living in a nice home in a nice neighborhood. The next, my husband tells me he doesn’t want to be married anymore. Then the guy who was never home, always working, never went to a single parent teacher conference or kids’ doctor appointment, fought for custody and won!!!
Given my career was taking care of my family, I had no career, no credit, no income and no money to fight back. Now every time I see the kids they cry and beg to come home with me. I want that more than anything in the world. Our lives are devastated.
Now at age 42 I am working, going to school, applying for student loans and can barely afford to live near my kids. I save every penny I can to fight for custody, but it seems impossible. He earns a lot, thanks to me supporting his career and I’m starting from zero.
I never thought this would happen to me!”
As a community, we can’t let a single mom with a great job fall into poverty and lose everything because she got sick.
- 64% of people that we have helped are single moms
Thank you for the job resources!! Thank you for checking on the girls and I, we are doing well. Thank you so much for showing up in our lives. Thank you for your role and responsibility in the dance of life.
Homelessness
Thankful for ExpowWhen a homeless single mom of two was finally able to move into an apartment with her 2 girls during the week of Thanksgiving, we reached out to our community to provide the needed kitchen supplies at the last minute when no other service providers were open. Because of our community’s donations, this sweet family was able to enjoy a family Thanksgiving.
OUR IMPACT
- Pulled our community together in the very last minute to enable us to compile over 250 Blessing Bags containing over 2,000 items for homeless youth
Many needy families within our community go without food, clothing, shelter and other basic necessities. Thanks to EXPOW I am able to help families with resources and services that will help them satisfy those needs. With the generous donations and support from EXPOW we as a community are able to help those in need and make a positive difference in the lives of many families.
Abuse
A mom who escaped a horrible domestic abuse situation in the middle of the night and fled to her hometown of Allen with only the clothes on her back. Her son did not even have shoes and she had left without her lifesaving medication. We were able to refer her to medical assistance and pull together their immediate needs while they were waiting for their appointment at other local service agencies.
“I am a single mother running from my abuser and didn’t know where I was going to go or who was going to help. My kids had never gone to school, because my husband feared that they would tell someone what was happening at home. When I finally was able to escape, the police could not find any other services to provide immediate help, and they referred me to EXPOW. No other service would help me, but you guys did. Thank God for EXPOW. Thank you for also helping me find furniture, household goods and having someone to talk to when no one else would. I will forever be grateful & thankful. We now have somewhere we can call home thanks to your help. “
It’s an ongoing battle to try to find resources for victims in the interim of waiting for help from the state. It’s hard because we have a lot of miscellaneous things that come up with nowhere to turn them to for help. It’s frustrating to say the least, but I’m very thankful your organization was able to help.
EXPOW is the real deal!! They have touched many of my families’ lives in ways that they never thought possible. The only catch is – you have to ask because you never know how they could help you.
School Support
Not all schools can afford to love on their teachers and students like they would like to. We reach into the community to get business and individuals to help these students and schools. Our assistance ranges from providing snacks to t-shirts to filling volunteer needs. When a 6th grader wanted to join choir, but couldn’t afford the required shirt, we stepped in and purchased it for them!
- To ensure hunger doesn’t impact test scores we donated over 1,100 snacks and water bottles to local schools
- Sent 5th Graders in need to camp when parents couldn’t afford to send them with the rest of their class, we cover the gap
- Recruited 95 volunteers who worked 185 hours to make prom possible for local students in need
- Engaged over 150 kindergarten moms. Provided all of the food, drink and volunteers for their Mother’s Day Tea
- Collected over 270 cookies and juice boxes to welcome kindergarten families to school
Community Support & Volunteerism
When a grandmother was a victim of a violent crime, P.D. crime victim’s unit called us. We picked up the phone and were able to schedule a social worker to immediately pay her a visit. This later resulted in her case being turned over to Adult Protective Services. She was able to get her urgently needed pain reduction procedure, and now this grandma can enjoy life once again.
- Made prom possible for local teens in need by helping to inspire a community response to “save prom” when all of the inventory was ruined one month out resulting in collecting over 2,100 dresses/suits/accessories valued at $138,200 across Collin County.
- Days after opening, a hurricane hits and we jumped into action. We collected over 57,000 items worth over $40,000 in just 4 days, and recruited 69 people ages 6-70 to volunteer, including 30 kids.
- When Toys for Tots had no one to serve Allen kids, they asked us to fill the gap. We served 770 children and had over 233 volunteers age toddler-age 71, including 106 children volunteers.
We should ALL be thanking YOU EXPOW for your vision and great efforts of not only helping others but bringing more of us together. I love being a tiny part of what you have started.