Annual Partners Card: Saving lives, money at the same time
DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) — It's an opportunity to save money and lives at the same time—just by visiting your favorite stores.
This week is the annual Partners Card, where more than 750 retailers and restaurants offer a discount, with card proceeds going to the largest family violence agency in Texas.
The holiday shopping season is already in full swing at Nicholson-Hardie Nursery and Garden Center in Dallas.
"We literally bring on every cashier we have on staff," said general manager Greg Boggan. "Two and three tag-teaming at a register, wrapping, some ringing."
The early rush is thanks to the tradition of Partners Card, where a $75 card grants holders a 20% discount at stores and 10% at restaurants for ten days during the fall. And every dollar goes directly to the Family Place.
This is the 31st year of Partners Card. Last year, it raised $1.2 million, which provided more than 15,000 nights of shelter for survivors of domestic violence.
"Every card is a night of safety," said Liz Robinson with The Family Place. "That means we can keep the door open when you buy a Partner's Card."
And the need, she said, is especially great now. Brighter Tomorrows, a women's shelter in Irving, closed its doors this year. The Family Place assumed its hotline and has seen an almost 25% increase in calls.
"It's us making sure that when somebody calls us, we are fully equipped, have the personnel the resources to make sure that that person is connected where they need to go. We have about 80 to 100 people a week that we turn away because we don't have space," she said.
It's also a boon for retailers like Nicholson-Hardie, who will ring up around 40% of their annual sales during Partner's Card. A win-win for them and for the families who need it most.
"Partners Card is such a part of the community, and we always love launching it and being a part of that. And, at the end of the day, we absolutely love what it stands for," Boggan said.
Partners Card runs through Sunday, Nov 5. Cards are available online or at participating retailers.