GIVING BACK

When Smoot and I started The Vintage Round Top in 2012, it was a second business to our main income generator, State Contractors…and still is! It allowed us to make unique decisions that we would not have otherwise been able to do if it had been our bread and butter. One of those things was using this new business as a way to give back in as many ways as possible.

In addition to offering our spaces to be used for respite and to grow businesses, we also picked a few charities that were near and dear to our hearts that we could spotlight and/or donate to.

With everything going on in this world today and the pandemic taking so much from everyone, it felt right to revisit our initial intentions and find ways where we could help and try to make an impact.

We’d like to take this opportunity to re-introduce a few of the initial charities and if you feel so inclined, please consider donating to any one of them to help further their mission! Click on the charity names for more information.

Also…read on to find out where our ceiling wood came from in our original cottage (now called No. 1450) and how you could find some great materials as well.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that "helps families build and improve places to call home." Families who partner with Habitat for Humanity work alongside volunteers to build their home, and then pay an affordable mortgage. Their organization believes that affordable housing plays a critical role in strong and stable communities.

We are proud to donate a portion of our profits each year to Habitat for Humanity's efforts. During our renovations of the original cottage, now known as No. 1450, we donated the original building materials and any that we had left over after our projects. We also purchased from their ReStores (with locations all over the U.S.). In fact, the reclaimed ceiling pieces in our No. 1450 cottage came from a Habitat for Humanity ReStore and ultimately inspired the entire color scheme of the home! Each store's stock will vary, but you just might find some treasures of your own.

TEXAS TICKIDS

An organization out of Houston, Texas TicKids provides sports team or performance hall tickets to kids who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to attend such an event. Both individuals and corporations can donate tickets to Texas TicKids, who will then offer the tickets to affiliated children's charities. You can also make monetary donations or participate in their annual golf tournament to raise funds for the organization!

THE DEPRESSED CAKE SHOP

Born out of a desire to raise awareness about mental health, The Depressed Cake Shop was started by Emma Thomas in 2013 in the United Kingdom. The cakes were intentionally gray with just a pop of color to symbolize hope. After a successful launch, The Depressed Cake Shop began to catch on among other bakers who wished to host a pop-up shop of their own. Today, shops have popped up all over the globe, in places such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Glasgow, Houston, Seattle, Kuala Lumpur, Atlanta, Australia, and India.

Their motto is "Where there is cake, there is hope...and there is always cake." We love their mission and that the movement has stimulated a discussion surrounding mental health, with many pop-up leaders having experience firsthand or with family members with mental illness.