Kinsta Gives Back to the Homeless for Thanksgiving

Here at Kinsta, we try to give back to the community as much as we can. This year alone we’ve sponsored 28 WordCamps all around the globe: Helsinki, Bordeaux, Torino, Rotterdam, Paris, Bari, Managua, Asheville, Berlin (WCEU), Ottawa, Montréal, Singapore, San José, Zurich, Nijmegen, Pontevedra, Hong Kong, Panamá, Dallas, Tokyo, St. Louis (WCUS), Stuttgart, Sydney, Milano, Udaipur, Marseille, Osaka, and Ahmedabad.

But sometimes we give back to the non-WordPress community as well. Especially around the holidays, there are many that need additional help. Even if it’s just something small.

This year we decided to help the homeless in the Dallas, Texas area by donating food and supplies to The Samaritan Inn. They have active programs to try and get people back on their feet.

The reason we chose this program is that we love their mission and the work they are doing for the community. As they state on their website:

The Samaritan Inn is more than just a place to spend the night. It is a comprehensive program that teaches self-sufficiency and life skills to meet the needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness. We help willing people gain dignity and independence. On a given night, approximately 160 people sleep at the Inn, of which 1 out of 3 are children.

We actually have a few Kinsta team members in Texas, so this isn’t just an organization we selected at random. Last weekend our Chief Customer Office, Tom Sepper, headed to Costco.

Tom filled up a grocery cart with the following:

• 204 oz coffee
• 20 dozen eggs
• 8 gallons of milk
• 40 lbs flour
• 40 lbs sugar
• 320 styrofoam cups
• 180 fl oz dishwashing liquid
• 520 cough drops
• 20 fl oz cough medicine
• 1,060 antacid tablets

Want to do something similar? Here are a few tips:

1. Take a look at the needs list at the shelter or give them a call to find out what they need. We did, and it worked out great.
2. If anyone on your team has a Costco or Sam’s card, it will allow you to get far more food than a typical grocery for whatever your budget is (we spent several hundred).
3. Be sure to check expiration dates if you are doing the purchase in advance to make sure the food will last at least a couple of days beyond Thanksgiving.
4. You will most likely want to focus on items that don’t require refrigeration unless they specifically list such items. Things like Turkeys are typically delivered the day of by large providers that specialize in that. Many shelters lack extra refrigeration space.

Are you or your company giving back during the holidays? We’d love to hear about it!

If you want to learn more about what The Samaritan Inn is doing, make sure to check out their website at saminn.org.