What gives?

Small ways that you can make a big difference for nonprofits

Pass the syrup ...

... to send Bryan Adams High School students to college or on a trip to Washington D.C. The White Rock Kiwanis Club hosts a fund-raising pancake breakfast at Lakeside Baptist Church Family Center at 9150 Garland from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on July 20. Chubby’s Restaurant on Northwest Highway will donate the food and cook. The event will raise money for Bryan Adams High School’s Key Club. The Kiwanis Club also supports White Rock Center of Hope. Visit whiterockkiwanis.wordpress.com or call 214.364.0770 for more information. Breakfast is $5 per person.

Pull on your gardening gloves ... … and volunteer at the Dallas Arboretum. What’s a better way to enjoy the summer than with the flowers? If you have a green thumb, become a garden and greenhouse worker to help plant, trim, weed and many other tasks. If you don’t have a green thumb, don’t worry; there are opportunities for everyone. Volunteer in the gift shop, office or visitor services. For more, visit dallasarboretum.org, or contact Sue McCombs at 214.515.6561 or smccombs@dallasarboretum.org.

Go shopping ...

… at Second Chance Treasures at 10101 Garland to benefit homeless pets. The store is owned and operated by East Lake Pet Orphanage, a no-kill, non-profit organization that houses dozens of dogs and cats. If shopping isn’t your thing, you can also donate or volunteer at the shelter. Visit secondchancetreasures.org or call 214.660.9696 for more information.

KNOW OF WAYS that neighbors can spend time, attend an event, or purchase or donate something to benefit a neighborhood nonprofit? Email your suggestion to launch@advocatemag.com.

Skyline on a shirt

T-shirt design stirs online buzz

Sometimes it’s the simplest idea that catches. It’s hard to tell what will hit the internet and take off, but East Dallas neighbor Palmer Dean seems to have stumbled onto the cyber jackpot with his new T-shirt brand, OutlineTheSky. “It’s growing pretty rapidly,” Dean says. “It’s starting to take up more time than my full-time job.” In March, Dean conceptualized the design idea and sketched it out on his iPad. It wasn’t complicated, just an outline of the Dallas skyline, complete with notable buildings such as the giant globe of Reunion Tower, the sharp structure of Fountain Place, the rooftop spires of the Renaissance Tower, and the grand layers of Bank of America Plaza. “I was originally going to color it in, but I decided to leave it blank against the background,” he explains. With help from designers and a lot of social media networking, Dean was in business. He started on Shopify, an ecommerce website that allows businesses to create online stores, and he sold out of 75 percent of his shirts within the first day. Investors approached him about the project, so he worked with a designer to revamp the store on Shopify, which he launched on April 12. It all happened really fast, Dean says, but he has big plans for the future of the business. He’s already identified 25 U.S. cities for which he wants to create his signature OutlineTheSky designs. Eventually, he’d even like to go international “because Cairo is awesome,” he explains. “And you’ve got London and Paris.” But for now, he has to tackle Texas, which he’s doing largely through social media. His website features designs for Dallas and Austin, as well as Los Angeles and New York City. —Brittany Nunn

CHECK OUT DEAN’S DESIGNS at outlinethesky.com, find him on Facebook or follow @outlinethesky on Twitter or Instagram.