Holiday Hunger Project
Red Bag Food Drive & Holiday Gift Baskets
Red Bag Food Drive
For over 20 years, Altrusa DFW has held our Red Bag Food Drive and has donated THOUSANDS of pounds of food to local food pantries and families in need.
In late November/early December, we organize an army of volunteers to hand-deliver rolled Red Bags to thousands of households in Southlake, Keller, Trophy Club, and other surrounding communities. We include a flyer with each bag that asks our neighbors to fill the Red Bag with non-perishable food items and put them by their front door the following week for pick up. Our amazing group of volunteers picks up the filled bags and takes them to a centralized location, where several area food pantries have their vehicles ready to be loaded up.
In 2022, we collected approximately 25,000 pounds of food, and in 2023 that increased to 28,000 pounds— yes, 14 TONS! In 2024 we plan to hand-deliver 9,000 Red Bags to area neighborhoods, and hope to collect even more TONS of food for those experiencing food insecurity.
Our volunteers who make the Red Bag Food Drive such a success by delivering and picking up Red Bags include Altrusa DFW members and their families, CSHS Young Men’s Service League, Trophy Club National Honor Society, CSHS National Charity League, CISD ASTRA, CSHS Girls’ SASO, and more. We sincerely thank them for offering their time and efforts to this cause.
We also wish to thank Southlake Women’s Club for underwriting a portion of this project with a grant from their Art in the Square fundraiser.
Beneficiary Quotes
Stepping Stones Foundation January, 2025 Newsletter
“Special thank you to Altrusa DFW for the 216 bags of food for our clients.
As we approach the end of the year, we want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve shared together in 2024. This year has been one of growth, resilience, and meaningful impact, and none of it would have been possible without your unwavering support and belief in our mission.
Thanks to you, we’ve been able to expand out programs and increase our outreach efforts. Each step forward is a testament to the power of community and the shared dedication to making a difference in the lives of those we serve.
When we look ahead to 2025, we are filled with hope and excitement for the possibilities that lie ahead. Together, we will continue to build on this year’s successes and create even greater opportunities for those in need.”
Nicholas Powell, CEC Executive Director of Operations
“The incredible generosity of Altrusa DFW through their Red Bag Food Drive and highlights the profound impact of community partnerships in transforming lives. This year, Altrusa raised an astounding 4,469 pounds of food. This contribution will directly feed and support 63 families of three, for two weeks each—impacting approximately 160 individuals in need. Beyond meeting physical needs, Altrusa has brought hope and stability to families facing challenging times. Thank you for your partnership, and your wonderful hearts to serve the community. We look forward to your organization joining us in service for many years to come.”
Lisa Silverman, Stepping Stones Foundation Community Outreach
“We are so grateful to be partnered with Altrusa DFW for the Red Bag Food Drive. This impacts our client families, our teens, and our single moms so much because they have to make a decision daily on whether to feed their family or pay for transportation or their electric bill. So for them to be able to come and get non-perishable food from a pantry, even though it seems small, it makes a huge impact in their lives. Thank you.”
Dr. Jeremy Glenn. CISD Superintendant
“We are so grateful to Altrusa DFW for supporting the events today and just want to encourage all community members, all CISD stakeholders to be aware of what they do and how important they are to our community. We appreciate you being willing to support this wonderful organization because they mean so much to so many, and make an impact on so many lives.”
Louise Baker, Community Storehouse Nutritional Director
“This event has meant so much to us as an organization for over 13 years because with the donated food we are able to help so many people that are in need, especially around holiday time.”
Our 2024 Red Bag Food Drive Flyer
Holiday Gift Baskets
2024 will be our third year of Altrusa DFW providing Holiday Bags of Joy to 150+ hourly support staff (custodial, nutritional services, maintenance workers, groundskeeping) at all CISD campuses.
Each Holiday Bag of Joy will include plenty of both fresh and non-perishable food items to make a wonderful holiday dinner, including fresh fruit, canned goods, side dishes, sweet treats, and more. In addition, each Bag of Joy will include a gift card to be used toward purchasing the main entree. One special touch we add to each bag is a hand-written note from CISD Students expressing best wishes for the holiday season.
Altrusa DFW members and their families assemble each Bag of Joy in a festive reusable bag, and deliver them to CISD Administration, where they distribute them to the support staff members.
Beneficiary Quotes
Dr. Jeremy Glenn, CISD Superintendent
“We are so thankful to all the community members, volunteers, students, and especially Altrusa DFW who came out today to give back to our community. We appreciate the support to our ancillary staff members at CISD. Especially in this season of Christmas, giving back to our community and giving back to our staff means the world. So on behalf of all stakeholders in Carroll ID, we are grateful to Altrusa DFW and everyone who put this together, and we wish everyone a Merry Christmas.”
Amy Houlihan, CISD Administration Marketing
“The first year that Altrusa DFW brought this generous project to us, one of our employees came up to me and said that receiving this gift had allowed her to do one additional thing, provide one additional gift, for her child before the holiday. That story never gets old, and it is touching and heartfelt. I can guarantee that it affects everybody every year that you provide these family-size meal baskets. Everyone in the district recognizes the great job Altrusa DFW does for our community, but mostly for how you impact the lives of individuals and their families. Y’all are a blessing to us and we are grateful to have this partnership with Altrusa DFW. I appreciate you, we all do.”
