Helping the homeless through altruism

UTD

student, Dylan Miles runs non profit campaign for second year in row to clothe homeless in Houston

JACK SIERPUTOWSKI

Mercury Staff

FATIMAH AZEEM Mercury Staff

A UTD student is running a charity event to help clothe the homeless population of Houston.

Spring 2024

Johnson have worn BetOnYourself. However, success was not always automatic for Miles, which is where the brand name takes its inspiration.

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Dylan Miles, a junior majoring in business marketing, is running a non-profit event called “Hoodies for the Homeless” through his clothing brand where sponsors can contribute $30 to fund the creation of a hoodie for a person struggling with homelessness.

The event will take place on Dec. 23 at 11 a.m. at 2020 Congress Street in Houston, Texas. Miles is also seeking donations of toiletries and food to distribute. Students can make contributions by contact- ing Miles’ business Instagram, @BetOnYourself Clothing.

Miles started his brand BetOnYourself during his freshman year of college, dropping his first batch of clothing on June 11, 2021. He has received support from UTD students and the Houston basketball com- munity, who he played with in high school, helping him get the brand off the ground. Miles describes BetOnYourself’s style as streetwear, with t-shirts, hoodies, beanies, joggers and sweatpants for sale. Celebrities, including artists J. Cole and Fat Joe, and athletes Shaquille O’Neal and Andre

“The name came from me always being one of the smallest guys on the basketball court,” Miles said. “So that was some of the adversity that I always dealt with, just being told, you know, you can't do this because you're too small or you won't be this, you won't be that. So, betting on myself was something that I had to do a lot … when I was thinking of a brand name, I wanted it to be meaningful and something that a lot of people can relate to. And I know there's been a lot of people who, especially after the pandemic, that, you know, have faced hardships.”

The first Hoodies for the Homeless event was held in 2021, where organizers distributed over 90 hoodies in less than 30 minutes and provided bags of toiletries and snacks. Houston news outlet ABC13 covered the event. As motivation, Miles cites

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