Meet Stay Fresh | Nonprofit Organization

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stay Fresh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stay, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
For quite some time, we all shared the same bus stop and every morning, we saw homeless people along the sidewalks while getting onto the bus. Once COVID-19 hit, we soon realized that while we have the luxury of a clean home and sanitary supplies, many individuals, like the ones we saw, did not have access to those items. We investigated multiple homeless shelters in our area and discovered that many were in need of supplies to keep the shelters running safely and cleanly. As a result, we focused on centering our organization around both finding and distributing sanitary products to the people who needed them.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Today, over four thousand people experience homelessness in just Dallas alone. Moreover, many lack the sanitary supplies they need to stay hygienic, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. While there are homeless shelters around the DFW metroplex that try to alleviate this problem, many are either underfunded or under-resourced. Therefore, Stay Fresh was born. Stay Fresh is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that garners hygienic essentials to later distribute to both homeless populations and shelters. Although it hasn’t been easy to get to this point, we’ve continued to grow with the help of our sponsors and supporters. So far, we’ve run multiple events, gathering over $25,000 in supplies, forming over 15 corporate sponsorships, and helping over 750 people. In the near future, we hope to host more events and expand our influence – whether it be through opening new chapters or hosting food drives. If you want to find out more about us, feel free to visit us at stay-fresh.org!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One place that we at Stay Fresh would recommend is The Sound at Coppell. It is a very beautiful venue with various things to do. For example, you could take a nice walk, discover a local artist, or grab tasty food. In addition, the management at The Sound is very welcoming and attentive to your needs. Personally, we’ve held multiple events there to gather donations for our nonprofit so we know just how great it can be! As well, we would definitely recommend the Asian market area in Carrollton Texas! There isn’t a specific name for the area, but the spot has a variety of Asian cultures all packed into one. There are stationery stores, Japanese restaurants, Korean restaurants, kpop stores, and much more! There are so many food places there that you could never get tired of going to and trying something new! There is definitely something that caters to everyone’s liking in the area and is worth exploring for a day. The team’s personal favorite part of the spot is the boba shops. We love going there after a hard day of working together and relaxing with a nice boba drink.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First off, we would love to shout out our corporate sponsors. They play an integral role in our events, and without their donations, we wouldn’t come close to creating the same impact we have today. It’s surprising to see how companies around the nation share our interests, and we hope to partner with more corporations to better serve our community in the future. Next, we would like to thank our friends, families, and supporters. We realized that starting a 501(c)(3) nonprofit as high-schoolers is no easy feat, so we appreciate the guidance and support we received from everyone along our journey. We especially admire how willing our supporters were to sacrifice countless hours to help us run and pack at events. Without your donations and influence, Stay Fresh would not have had as many opportunities as it does today. Finally, the team at Stay Fresh would like to thank the homeless shelters we have partnered with. Oftentimes, the work that homeless shelters put in to serve those in need goes unrecognized. We want to applaud you for all your hard work and we hope to help you achieve more of your goals in the future.

Website: stay-fresh.org

Instagram: stayfreshnonprofit