October Stand Downs are Coming Up

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! It’s October which means Stand Downs! There are several Stand Downs that we are serving that are happening in just a couple of weeks! We want offer a heartfelt thank you to all of our awesome crafters who have donated so far in preparation for these Stand Downs. Your donations are deeply treasured by the veterans and their dependants who receive them. For those crafters who have not donated yet, but would like to donate to our cause, there is still time to help us reach our goal in supporting our veterans and their dependents at these Stand Downs.

If you’d like to donate a hat, scarf, face mask, or other handcrafted garment to our cause, please remember that the dear veterans and their dependents prefer dark colors, e.g. blue, black, green, grey, and all-time favorite, camouflage. If you would like to knit, crochet, or sew a garment in a brighter color, red or deep purple are always popular bright colors. We cannot emphasize this important point enough: please do not use sparkly or overly decorative yarns and fabrics. While they have their place, they are simply inappropriate for the veterans and their dependents (including children because of potential choking hazards). 

If you are not a crafter, but would like to help, there are still many ways to support our cause! Please consider donating materials and/or making a monetary donation to help us cover the costs of materials, shipping, and overhead. Please remember you can support our cause by shopping on AmazonSmile. See the “Shop for Our Cause” blog post for additional information.

If you need yarn, or other supplies, please contact us through email at thriveassociation@thrivevets.org or by phone at (469) 427-9654. Please be aware that any communications are recorded. If you have donations and cannot make it to one of our in-person knitting groups, we are still continuing our policy of curbside pickup. Please contact us to schedule a pickup if you are in the DFW area. If you reside outside the DFW area and would like to make an in-kind donation, please contact us to make arrangements. Remember, even one lovingly handcrafted hat or scarf can make a huge difference in the life of an underprivileged veteran or their dependent(s).


Alachua County Stand Down

Happy Friday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! T.H.R.I.V.E. Association was able to gift our lovingly hand-crafted goods to our partners at the Alachua County Veterans Center Stand Down in Gainesville, Florida. We were able to provide 21 blankets, 100 hats, 18 slippers, and 120 masks to our veterans and their dependents. We would like to express our deepest thanks to our partners at the Alachua County Veterans Center as well as to all of our donors who made this possible.


Adult Mental Health First Aid

Happy Friday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to our community partners at the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority for graciously providing the much needed Adult Mental Health First Aid training course. We are so grateful for having the opportunity to attend. We would also like to thank our instructor, Mr. Josh Munkeby, who was very knowledgable about the course material and willing to share his experience as well as best practices. As an Organization with lived experience in helping individuals experiencing mental health crises, we know first-hand that it is very difficult to know what to do when these delicate situations arise. They are sometimes terrifying and can catch anyone off guard. However, we strive to be better prepared so that we are more able to serve both our community and stakeholders.


Armed Forces Bowl 2021

Happy Holidays, T.H.R.I.V.E. family! Thank you for coming out to support us at the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth. We still have several mystery gift boxes and stress footballs, so please head on over to our online gift shop at https://thrivevets.square.site to continue to support our cause of helping to end homelessness among our veterans and their dependents. All donations are tax deductible and greatly appreciated!


Operation Care’s Annual Christmas Gift

Happy Friday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We hope that you are all enjoying this lovely festive season. Earlier this week we had the great privilege of serving Operation Care’s Annual Christmas Gift here in Dallas. We were able to provide 200 hats and scarves to the wonderful veterans who are scheduled to attend this incredible event. Our work is still far from over! We still have many more Stand Downs coming up, so please keep sending in your donations so that we can continue to serve those who so admirably served this great nation! Again, we have had a very special request for lap blankets from one of our long-time Stand Down partners. 

If you would like to donate a hat, scarf, face mask or other handcrafted garment to our cause, please remember that the dear veterans and their dependents prefer dark colors, e.g. blue, black, green, grey, and all-time favorite, camouflage. If you would like to knit, crochet, or sew a garment in a brighter color, red or deep purple are always popular bright colors. We cannot emphasize this important point enough: please do not use sparkly or overly decorative yarns and fabrics. While they have their place, they are simply inappropriate for the veterans and their dependents (including children because of choking hazards).

If you are not a crafter, but would like to help, there are still many ways to support our cause! Please consider donating materials and/or making a monetary donation to help us cover the costs of materials, shipping, and overhead. Please remember you can support our cause by shopping on AmazonSmile. See the “Shop for Our Cause” blog post for additional information.

If you need yarn, or other supplies, please contact us through email at thriveassociation@thrivevets.org or by phone at (469) 427-9654. Please be aware that any communications are recorded. If you have donations and cannot make it to one of our in-person knitting groups, we are still continuing our policy of curbside pickup. Please contact us to schedule a pickup if you are in the DFW area. If you reside outside the DFW area and would like to make an in-kind donation, please contact us to make arrangements. Remember, even one lovingly handcrafted hat or scarf can make a huge difference in the life of an underprivileged veteran or their dependent(s).


Trunk or Treat!

This past Sunday, October 24, T.H.R.I.V.E. Association was thrilled to be able to participate in the Trunk or Treat event held by our wonderful partners at the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Metrocare. We had a great time giving out word searches, sweets, fun, and good vibes! Thanks for having us; we had a ball!