DatamaxCares, and so should we.   

Let's face it, it's tough out there for many folks right now. Just as an example: According to statistics, In America, 582,462 individuals are experiencing homelessness right now.  Sixty percent of the homeless population finds refuge in sheltered locations (like emergency shelters, safe havens, or transitional housing programs). The other 40% spend nights unsheltered (often on the street, in abandoned buildings, or other places not designated/suitable for human habitation).

To add, 12.8 percent (17.0 million) of U.S. households were food insecure at some time during 2022. One could argue there's no better time to help fill that gap (or any other dear to our hearts) than this season... a Season of Caring.

At Datamax, it's part of our culture to "recognize and accept the responsibility of being an involved corporate citizen in the community." Our DatamaxCares program over the years has offered time, contributions, and leadership to a variety of nonprofit agencies and community organizations.

"If we’re not actively finding ways to give back to the community, be it by sponsoring an event, helping a local charity, or volunteering our time in our local areas, we’re not living out our cultural mission," Datamax Inc. President Barry Simon said in his monthly letter in this newsletter.

So how can we get involved? Below are just a few that Datamax has been a part of over the years. If you feel compelled this holiday season to give back, here are some great places to start.

In Arkansas:

• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas - This organization provides a home away from home for families of critically ill children being treated at local hospitals while offering programs that benefit children’s health. https://www.rmhcarkansas.org/
• Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute (CARTI) - CARTI offers cancer care with the resources, team and technology needed to find – and treat – your cancer. https://www.carti.com/
• Camp Aldersgate - Camp Aldersgate creates life-changing experiences for individuals with special needs, enabling them to expand their worlds and express their unique voices. https://www.campaldersgate.net/
• Children's Tumor Foundation - The Children's Tumor Foundation is a 501 foundation dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by NF, a group of genetic conditions known as neurofibromatosis or schwannomatosis. www.ctf.org 
• Children’s Protection Center - The mission of Children’s Protection Center is to provide a child-friendly facility where professionals work together to protect and treat child abuse victims and their families, to prevent child abuse in all its forms, and to hold offenders accountable. www.childrensprotectioncenter.org
• Methodist Family Health - Methodist Family Health provides comprehensive psychiatric and behavioral healthcare to Arkansas children and their families. https://www.methodistfamily.org/

In Dallas/Fort Worth

• North Texas Food Bank - Founded in 1982, the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a nonprofit hunger relief organization that distributes donated and purchased foods through a network of nearly 500 Partner Agencies and Organizations in 13 counties. www.ntfb.org
• Camp Summit - Camp Summit is a one-of-a-kind camp for individuals with disabilities where the emphasis is on each campers' abilities rather than their disabilities. www.campsummittx.org
• Jonathan's Place - Jonathan's Place provides a safe place, loving homes and promising futures for abused and neglected children, teens, and young adults. www.jpkids.org
• Tarrant Area Food Bank - The primary source of donated food for hunger-relief charities and feeding programs in Tarrant and 12 surrounding counties, serving 1,000,000 meals each week. https://tafb.org/
• Texans Can Academies - We are firmly committed to the belief that every young person can learn. Our combination of a rigorous yet nurturing environment, outstanding teachers, and a unique teaching method allows us to help young people most would regard as the least likely to succeed. www.texanscan.org

In East Texas

• East Texas Food Bank - The East Texas Food Bank was created in 1988 by a group of community leaders in Tyler to fight hunger. ETFB started with 17 partner agencies in 10 counties and now operates with over 200 partner agencies and feeding programs throughout 26 East Texas counties. www.easttexasfoodbank.org
• Camp Tyler - Camp Tyler provides outdoor learning experiences in a natural environment as it is critical to the totality of a person's education. www.camptyler.org
• Hope Haven of East Texas - Hope Haven of East Texas is a Christian based non-profit organization devoted to providing residential care services to girls who have come from hard places. https://www.hhofet.org/
• Mercy Ships - Mercy Ships helps provide free lifesaving surgeries for people where medical care is nearly non-existent. www.mercyships.org
• Salvation Army Tyler - Every program the Salvation Army offers is rooted in its passion to serve the lost, the vulnerable, the needy, the poor, the hurting, the helpless, and the hopeless. https://www.salvationarmytexas.org/tyler/

In Saint Louis

• Covenant House - Covenant House Missouri welcomes youth who are runaway, trafficked, at-risk, or experiencing homelessness with unconditional love, absolute respect and a place to call home. https://www.covenanthousemo.org/
• Food Outreach - Food Outreach’s mission is to provide nutritional support and enhance the quality of life of men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS or cancer www.foodoutreach.org
• Humane Society of St. Louis - Since 1870, the Humane Society of Missouri has been dedicated to second chances. We provide a safe and caring haven to all animals in need – large and small – that have been abused, neglected or abandoned. www.hsmo.org
• Toys for Tots - The Marine Toys for Tots Program has been delivering a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters since 1947. https://www.toysfortots.org/