New Trusted World Board Member

  Trusted World’s Board of Directors has a new member. As Assistant Superintendent of Operations and Safety at Garland ISD, Dr. Shelley Garrett brings a wealth of knowledge of school systems to the board.   

   “It’s pretty unusual, I think, for somebody with their heart in the right place, to also be this logistics freak (laughing) and be able to do what he’s done here is incredible!” says Dr. Shelley Garrett, jokingly referring to Trusted World Founder and CEO Michael Garrett, to whom she is not related. 

   She says, “I showed up here for a tour and truly was blown away.” With a Ph.D. in education, Dr. Garrett is passionate about Trusted World’s mission of addressing situational poverty by partnering with more than 800 schools, nonprofits, and police. Dr. Garrett says, “Just connecting with the other agencies so that now you can get this, this, and this because of our partners. And it’s not partners you’ve never heard of, you know, it’s the United Way.” Other familiar partners include the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, and about 300 other nonprofits, along with 425 schools and roughly two dozen law enforcement agencies across North Texas.  

She says, “That’s what’s so comprehensive and awesome; this is like a wrap around the whole family. We’re going to help the whole family, everybody that’s in that house,” 

   Dr. Garrett believes Trusted World’s operational formula of providing critical resources on demand to professionals who are among the first to see signs of need is a powerful tool that could break the cycle of situational and even generational poverty. “With these trusted partners that you’ve heard of every single one of them, it’s focused. You’re getting what you need, that kid, that kid, that kid, Grandma, everybody in this house, here’s food, here’s clothes, here’s shoes, here’s mental health help, here’s financial literacy so, we won’t be here again. I can’t imagine anyone saying no to that.”

    Dr. Garrett is most impressed with how Trusted World brings innovation, efficiency, and collaboration to the nonprofit sector in an easily replicated way, saying, “I think that this is going to be worldwide. I think the only barrier is the people who have not heard about it yet.”

Employee Perspective

  Trusted World employees, like volunteers, often see and feel the impact of their efforts. A new Trusted World employee says working as a picker-stocker is her dream job. 

   “I remember a friend telling me, she said I think I see you as a personal shopper,” Says Paula Laghery. After nearly 20 years working in health insurance, she says finding a job with meaning and purpose is refreshing. “I really like seeing the requests people have on my screen. If somebody wants colors, I want to give them the colors. I also am going for that wow effect. When somebody opens that bag, I want them to have a big smile on their face and go, wow!” she says.

   As a Trusted World picker-stocker, Laughery fulfills orders, making her a personal shopper of sorts for the good of the community. She says, “Who doesn’t want a unicorn on their shirt?” 

   She goes the extra mile with each order, ensuring the items go into the orders. Laughery loves picking out fun clothing for kids and inspirational messages for adults, saying, “I really like when we have the notes. I feel directed which one each person needs.”

   Trusted World is a data-driven organization with dashboards showing the real-time impact of people being helped. Laghery says, “We get those numbers, and we get to find out what we’ve been doing, and it kind of explains why I might feel tired at the end of the day.”

“Helping people help People.” Volunteers shout out Trusted World’s motto after learning how many people they helped while sorting clothes. “When volunteers come in, and we hear them having fun, and you hear all the talk and them working together, I think that really fuels the rest of us,” she says. 

   Laughery enjoys learning how many people she helped and seeing the improbable become possible as she says, “There’s the unicorn,” holding up a pink shirt with a unicorn logo. 

“I want them to open that bag; I want them to be happy to be jumping up and down! I feel like if you have a purpose, you have a reason to get up in the morning. Helping people, that’s my purpose.”

September Impact Numbers

   Trusted World provided resources valued at $193,890.83 for September, helping almost 2,077 North Texans. 

   Since January of this year, the organization provided partners with resources valuing $1,302,649.87, helping 13,065 North Texans.

Make a Difference

   If you’d like to help make a difference, go to TrustedWorld.org, click on volunteer experiences, and sign up. If you’d like to explore other ways to help, you can go to the same website, and under the ways to give link, click on needs to find the items the Network most needs. For clothing donations, one of our key sponsors, the Credit Union of Texas, has donation dropoff bins in every one of their North Texas branches. Next to the bin is a banner with a QR code if you want to donate money.

    You’ll find a complete list of dropoff bin locations on the Trusted World website.

   That’s a look at the headlines from around the Trusted World Network, where you can join us in helping people help people.