Story by Lawson Martin. Photos provided FACE Foundation.
In the Dallas community, where women are overcoming formidable challenges, a local nonprofit is a beacon of compassion, providing essential hygiene products and self-care items to those experiencing homelessness, human trafficking, or domestic violence.
Sometimes, the simplest necessities are taken for granted until you’re suddenly left without. FACE Foundation of Texas ensures that any woman going through hardships can smile and feel like a human being again, no matter what challenges they’ve faced or where they’re at in life.
Monica Buskuhl started the FACE Foundation of Texas four years ago to give back to the Dallas community. Monica realized one day she had a lot of hygiene products in her home that she didn’t want to throw away, and she wanted to give these products a purpose. She took the products to local shelters and understood just how appreciative the women at the shelters were of these gifts.
“I took the products to the shelters, and they loved them, and they were like, ‘These are exactly what we need,'” Monica says. “I started reaching out to others and realized that many people have similar product collections at their homes they were willing to donate.”
That led her to create the FACE Foundation of Texas, an organization transforming lives, one bag at a time, and rekindling hope and dignity for women facing adversity.
FACE Foundation organizes bags containing eight items – shampoo, body soap, lotion, deodorant, a razor, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and then a special item, like a makeup or skincare product.
“The shelters love receiving these bags because everything women need is right there in the bag for them,” Monica says.
Since its creation, the FACE Foundation has donated over 10,000 bags to women’s shelters, domestic violence shelters, and organizations helping women escape human trafficking throughout the Dallas community, such as Genesis Women’s Shelter, The Family Place, Mosaic Family Services, New Friends New Life, and more.
FACE stands for fellowship, advocating, compassion, and empowerment, which are qualities Monica holds dear to her heart.
FACE Foundation hosts bag-stuffing events for volunteers, which Monica says creates fellowship among everyone in attendance. Local Girl Scout troops, women’s organizations, schools, and bible study groups have attended bag-stuffing parties.
“Not only are volunteers able to give back, they’re also able to share that experience with others, which I think is super meaningful,” Monica says.
Members of the community are also encouraged to host their own FACE party. Your guests bring the donations, and FACE Foundation will provide you with the bags, ties, and sorting bins and include details and instructions for assembling FACE bags.
“This is a great reason to get together with girlfriends, to use as an activity for a birthday party celebration, church or school gathering,” FACE Foundation writes on its website. “Lastly, get your children involved! This is a fun and easy way for children of all ages to participate in a service project. The possibilities are endless!”
Organizers of the FACE Foundation hope their bags empower each woman who receives them.
“The bags are beautiful, and we want to make each woman who receives a bag know that there was thought and care put into them,” Monica says.
Monica says the bags may empower women and give them confidence before a job interview or a sense of peace where they can have a self-care day after a long week.
“(FACE Foundation) has been such a blessing to give back. It started just as this small thought, and it’s been incredible how it’s grown and how many lives have been impacted,” Monica says. “To date, we’ve donated 10,000 bags, so that’s 10,000 women we’ve helped.”
According to Monica, the nonprofit has received positive feedback and loving comments from many of the shelters to which they’ve donated.
” It just brings me such joy to know that these bags are blessing others and they’re making a difference even though they’re small,” Monica says. “It’s a small little gift, but it’s having this profound impact on these women’s lives.”
FACE Foundation of Texas accepts donations, including monetary donations and self-care products. Whether through financial contributions or unused products, your support can help women overcome adversity in the Dallas community.
If you have any unused self-care products you want to donate to the FACE Foundation, you’re encouraged to contact Monica at monica@facefoundation.org. Volunteers from the nonprofit will pick up any donations in Dallas and the surrounding areas within 30 miles. Once you contact Monica to arrange a pick-up time, you’re asked to leave the items on your porch, and they’ll take care of the rest.
Alternatively, drop off your donations at designated FACE Foundation boxes after contacting Monica for location details. For those further afield, Monica can guide you through shipping arrangements.
The organization accepts full or travel-sized products. The products must be sealed and in original packaging. They’re currently collecting feminine hygiene, oral hygiene, skincare, makeup, hair, nail care, and perfume samples.
Anyone who’d like to throw a FACE party to stuff their FACE Foundation bags should also contact Monica.
Lastly, the FACE Foundation has an Amazon Wishlist of products they use inside their bags. Purchases from the Amazon Wishlist will be sent directly to them to be included in the bags.
Click here to learn more about the FACE Foundation of Texas.
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