DOTs — a faith-based nonprofit — exists to make groceries, clothing, and toiletries as accessible as possible for families that need them. It is located at 411 Commerce Drive, by Kroger off of East 4th Street.
Founder Addison Hearrin realized that she had a difficult time with families accepting free items.
“Something that really weighed on our hearts was families that we knew wouldn’t go get things for free. They knew they wouldn’t wait in line for these things that they felt like handouts. So we looked for a way for people who are maybe even middle class that are struggling with inflation,” she said.
So she sought a way that felt like purchasing and putting the families in charge of the items they receive.
But the involvement doesn’t stop there. Through the customer’s involvement, they can give back to local non-profit organizations and allow them to support organizations that have meaning to them.
“Why we kind of make it a full circle of shop here and give back to the nonprofits that are also in this community. Shop here and if we encourage that if you don’t find something for yourself with your voucher, always think of someone else, think of other people that can use these things when you’re shopping,” Hearrin said.
To shop at DOTs, customers must have a free membership, and as a member, they receive a voucher with 10 dots every week. With the voucher, the customers can purchase goods that cost an allotted amount of dots.
All products sold are donations from businesses or local organizations. Hearrin said that the main sponsors are Amazon, Delivering Good and Feed the Children. Each product is a new product donated by the organization.
And with Amazon’s partnership, Hearrin said that they receive a truckload of boxes, free of charge, that they call their mystery boxes. The mystery boxes do not indicate what’s inside, allowing for the customer to open them completely unsuspecting.
“We think that it just brings joy with the boxes,” Hearrin said. “…To see children and they don’t care if it’s a mystery, if it’s a TV, if it’s whatever, they are just so excited to have something to open something that’s just different than the day to day. It kind of breaks up just like their normal structure of life,” she said.
Hearrin is thankful to see the customers come in each day and the change that they are doing. Ultimately, she said that the feeling is incredible, however, she still feels there’s still more change that could come.
“We kind of feel like we’re always falling short of getting people what they really need. But to see people able to find things that they specifically needed, like being able to find a 10 dot-box of a $300 desk or an AC unit during the summer, it’s just one of the life-changing things to me that makes me pause and appreciate a little bit what’s been going on,” Hearrin said.
