Barbara Coombs
Materials Management For Good!
Updated: Mar 3, 2019
Support of Non-Profits – We have resources that could save the city money and help folks as they work to improve their lives, or transition out of homelessness. The Texas Furniture Bank, Hope Supply, Design with Dignity, Vogel Alcove and many others are a network of support to the most vulnerable population. But, I am surprised how many folks do not know about these resources as potential recipients or supporters
Texas Furniture Bank needs more mattresses and a larger facility to serve more families– there is an answer for that. Yes, I have answers to finding additional mattresses and a larger location. Hope Supply would like to use a local supplier – they are currently working with a supplier out of – get this, and say it with your best Texas Twang - New York City! Hope Supply delivers diapers and children's clothing to those in transitional housing. There are over 20 fortune 500 companies that call the Greater Dallas area home. These companies are a tremendous support to our community and frequently all we need to do is let them know of the need and the supply will be provided. But, we need to be organized in clarifying the needs and it is not clear that the non-profits have an efficient way to find where the resources are to support their needs. (The other day, I learned that a large soup kitchen needed more staples - they spend over $10,000 per month on purchasing food for meals, I know the food processors here in Dallas we can connect them to. As Wayne Walker, the executive director of Our Calling said to me "It is not as much of a food problem as a logistics problem". We are smart - we can solve a logistics problem in Dallas. We got this!
These are just a few of the non-profits that help to provide services to the most vulnerable citizens of the City of Dallas. We should rigorously support them and get the word out when they are in need. Instead, many of these organizations go without - while they are the CIty of Dallas' greatest ally!
With my background in waste reduction – I know how to “connect the dots” of resources and needs. This will reduce the stress on the landfill and postpone the cost of opening a new one which will cost one billion dollars when the time comes in 25 years, at our current waste disposal rate. Who’s neighborhood should it go in? Lets just reduce the waste and redirect it and we will all win.

