Item 11A Charity InfoMETROPLEX COMMUNITY SERVICES
705 Directors Drive . Arlington TX 76011
Phone 817 265 -4900 . Fax 817 608 -0885
www.metrocharity.org
- A Non - Profit Organization -
A WORD ABOUT US
For nearly thirty years, the people at Metroplex Community Services have been
successfully providing clothing, food and support services to thousands of people in
need, in the State of Texas. In early 2002, we began to extend our experience and
integrity into the communities of the Greater Dallas /Ft Worth area to provide much
needed services to local residents. Our existence as a relief agency relies solely on
our ability to involve city councils and zoning officials, business owners, property
managers and citizens with vision. We are extremely proud of maintaining the highest
operational standards in this genre of non - profit organizations and are always open
to your input on ways to improve. It is our goal to work together with you to ensure
that your needs are met, in the process of us serving the community.
OUR STANDARDS
Unlike many other charitable organizations who rely on volunteers, Metroplex
Distributing uses a full -time, professional staff of paid employees who are charged
with the responsibility of maintaining our high standards of quality service. Because
we recognize that citizens of the community, our sponsors and property management
firms have the exclusive right to judge our performance, we will remain
uncompromisingly committed to maintaining our collection standards in a consistent,
responsible and professional manner, at all times.
Please consider the following operational standards we use, designed to ensure that
properties are maintained at highest level:
- Check every donation box, at a minimum of five days per week, 52 weeks per year.
- Consistently maintain the structural and visual integrity of each donation box.
- Maintain liability insurance for each donation box at a minimum level of $2,000,000.
- Keep each donation box area clean and free from all debris, trash or any other
items that may impair the visual appeal of the general area.
- Promptly respond to your concerns, as we view your continued support as our top
operational priority.
- Provide any necessary permits.
- Relocate or remove any donation box within 24 hours, for any reason.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
We believe that this great country in which we live, has plentiful resources to help
those in need. And given these resources, no man, woman or child should go hungry
or suffer from extreme financial hardships due to circumstances beyond their control.
We believe that we will continue to be an effective agency at the local level as we
contribute to a greater quality of life, for virtually everyone in our communities. As a
community services agency, our doors remain open to people from every culture,
religion and background. We believe that no human being should be turned away
from having basic needs met.
OUR PROGRAMS
We are focused on providing these services within the Greater Dallas /Ft Worth area:
- Clothing and food for families and individuals in need.
We distribute through local churches and directly to individuals, food and clothing
based on need. Very often a pastor or religious leader in a church will identify families
that are experiencing economic difficulty and come to us for help. Also individuals call
on us every day for help and we consistently meet the challenge of providing these
people with necessary relief. Food and clothing are delivered directly to those
requesting our help.
- Temporary relief from loss of income or other hardships.
Although Metroplex Community Services rarely provides cash to recipients, we often
can delay utility service from being interrupted, for example, or provide other vital
services by referring people to other social agencies that can intervene on behalf of
the client.
- Disaster relief from floods, tornados and other natural disasters.
Natural disasters can and do occur at anytime, without warning, leaving potentially
many families without food, water, clothing and shelter. Our list of volunteers is
constantly growing with people that are willing to help when disaster strikes. These
unfortunate events not only require donated products, but also people that are willing
to generously give their time.
- Educational initiatives to help people become self- sufficient.
Through the use of volunteers, we sponsor health and nutrition events as well as
literacy programs. It is our goal to help families become stronger through education,
thereby creating people that have better marketable skills, enabling them to better
help themselves in this sometimes difficult world.
- Help for the elderly and children.
We actively seek volunteers that are able to provide transportation services for the
elderly along with helping to maintain homes for our aged. The elderly are often left to
themselves with little or no resources and need our help. Also we are active in
providing a toy drive for children at Christmas time, through the help of our sponsors
and volunteers.
HOW WE ARE FUNDED
Although we receive some funding through private individuals, most of our funding is
derived through the donation of clothing. In Dallas /Ft Worth, we have over 200
clothing donation boxes placed throughout the area. These clothes are collected and
distributed to those in need. We also ship some of these clothes to third world
countries in Central and South America, which provides us with funding for our local
programs here, while helping indigent families who would not otherwise have an
opportunity to provide their families with clothing.
RESPONSIBLE ADMINISTRATION
In 2001, non - profit organizations received over 29 billion dollars in donations. We are
aware of many charities that are doing great work in our communities and across the
country. One of the major differences between Metroplex Community Services and
others is that our programs are acutely focused at the local level, which means we
are creating an immediate positive impact in our neighborhoods and cities. The
questions for many donors are, "where does my donation go? How does it affect me
directly? How much of my dollar is being spent directly on the programs I am
donating to "? Our actual operating and administration expenses are very low; as we
understand that charitable giving demands responsible fiscal management by the
receiving charity. In fact, over 80% of the revenue generated by Metroplex
Community Services, goes directly to our programs and services — in our community.!
It is our goal to create and maintain professional and ongoing relationships with city
officials, business owners and property management companies. Together we can
find mutually beneficial solutions and make a positive difference in our communities.
We thank you for your consideration and look forward to working with you.
Metroplex Community Services
is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a
501(c)(3) non - profit organization