Central Texas Gets Creative

The Order of Malta Central Texas is developing a service partnership with Saint Louise House in Austin, an organization that serves women and children experiencing homelessness. Even with local stay-at-home orders, members have found creative ways to support these families.

The first project was a cleaning supplies drive. Nearly 150 individual items were purchased online, sorted and organized at a member's house, and delivered in a single, low-contact drop-off.

Each Saint Louise House family lives in supportive community housing, and the supplies are crucial to maintaining cleanliness at home during a pandemic. In July, members purchased and assembled 20 backpacks, filled to the brim with nearly $2,000 worth of school supplies, each personalized to the needs of a particular child in grades K-12. Again, assembly and delivery were centralized to minimize risk.