JustServe Volunteers Uplift Others for Refresh NTX
Stephanie NielsenProsper, TX — Local charities and nonprofits provide essential items, including food, clothing, books, and furniture, to fill the needs of adults and children. One such organization, RefreshNTX, found an unfulfilled need essential for children’s dignity, confidence, and growth during their most formative years.
And that need is personal hygiene items.
Frisco resident Elizabeth Watkins started the nonprofit Refresh Frisco in November 2019 to gather full-sized hygiene products for youth. Each “Refresh Pack” contains a host of necessities like shampoo, soap, shaving cream, hair combs and toothbrushes. Volunteers also include in each pack a handwritten note of compassion and encouragement to uplift the recipient’s day.
In 2019, Refresh NTX only served about 200 students each quarter, but by 2023, it had grown to serve 1500+ students each quarter, reaching 95 schools in Frisco, Little Elm and Denton.
JustServe youth volunteers from Prosper spent Saturday night making handwritten notes to encourage other youth they may never meet. Regarding the project, volunteer Brooks Campbell reflected on times when he needed a word of encouragement and said he felt “a sense of light” as he created cards of motivation and kindness for someone else.
Fellow volunteer Abby Martino said about the experience, “This was my first project for FSY and JustServe. I was just glad I could do something uplifting. We would write messages [on the cards] to strengthen the kids, like ‘you are loved’ and ‘you have purpose.’”
You have purpose is a message everyone needs to hear; and when children receive encouragement and the proper self-care thanks to the hands of many volunteers, they can move forward, deciding where their future will take them.
Those who wish to help fulfill ongoing needs of Refresh NTX can visit their website or JustServe.org.
All photos, provided by Angela Loertscher, depict some of the teens who gathered to create encouraging and uplifting notes for future recipients of “Refresh Packs” sponsored by Refresh Frisco.
