As the year winds down, Harris Family Dental is proud to announce our fourth quarter community initiative: we’re partnering with Milwaukee Street Angels to collect much-needed items for individuals experiencing homelessness in our area.
It’s one thing to talk about caring for your neighbors, and it’s another to roll up your sleeves and provide real, tangible help. At Harris, we believe small businesses can, and should, make a difference, especially during the season when warmth, safety, and dignity matter most.
What We’re Collecting
The list of items needed comes directly from Milwaukee Street Angels, an organization devoted to providing support, dignity, and essential services to those without shelter. Here are some of the items you can donate:
- Shelter Essentials: Blankets, sleeping bags, tarps, and tents (4-person max)
- Undergarments: New men’s socks & underwear; new women’s underwear in various sizes
- Winter gear: jackets and coats, boots, thermal tops & bottoms, hats, and gloves
- Hygiene items: travel-size shampoo, conditioner, body wipes, bar soap or body wash, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, alcohol-free mouthwash, and tampons or pads
- Other Essentials: Sweatpants, leggings, backpacks (no luggage), mini flashlights, and batteries (especially AAA)
Where & How to Donate
- We have placed a collection bin in the lobby of our office here at Harris Family Dental. Please feel welcome to drop off any items during regular business hours.
- We plan to collect all donations over the next few months and make a drop-off just before the holidays, ensuring that these essentials reach Milwaukee Street Angels in time.
- We’ve notified patients via email and posted on our Facebook page and Instagram to spread the word.
Why It Matters
As a small business, Harris Family Dental isn’t just about teeth and appointments; it’s about people. We serve families, children, seniors, and people from all walks of life who trust us with not only their oral health but also their comfort and well-being.
When we look around our community and see neighbors in need, lacking warmth, shelter, and basic dignity, we believe it’s our responsibility to respond. This donation drive is more than a seasonal effort.
It’s an expression of community care: gathering essentials, using our space (the lobby bin), our voice (email and social media), and our resources to support Street Angels’ mission of compassion and dignity for unsheltered Milwaukeeans. It reminds us, and hopefully our patients, that when we help lift others up, we all grow stronger together.
We hope you’ll consider donating something if you’re able. Every blanket, every pair of warm socks, every hygiene item makes a difference. Thank you for being part of this effort.