Why.

Typically each week we like to bring you a story about an individual or person that is making a difference in our community. However; a question was posed to me during a recent visit to one of the stores our shirts are currently in that got me thinking...

The manager asked me: Why did I start Try Change T-shirts? Is it for the money ? Or is it to get my name out in the business world?

I've told the Try Change story a hundred times...How Chrissie and I spotted a young lady wearing an offensive (with curse words) shirt at a supermarket on a Sunday afternoon then ran into a young kid (around 7-8) wearing a shirt with a marijuana leaf with the slogan -just hanging out with my bud on the back. But having someone ask me whether I did it for money or personal attention really made me think again how everything started and what still motivates me today.

So here's why we continue to promote Try Change T-shirts and donate 10% of our sales to Volunteers of America, adopt an homeless family during the holidays, donate clothes and conduct a Charity Yard Sale.

• The number of homeless families in the Washington Dc Region increased 15% in the last year.
  
  
• The actual number is 5,263 families and 6,749 individuals counted...that's 12,012 and this includes children. Something many people do not realize considering that we live in one of the richest areas in the country.


• Area Food Banks have seen an increase of families, even middle class families at their facilities.


• How many more variations of Skulls can we possible put on T-Shirts?


• How long can we continue to believe that the images of sex, drugs and violence has no effect on our young people? Really, come on now...


• Why not try something different?


• How can we observe, then support, businesses that do not give back to the communities that they profit from?


• It's the right thing to do.
  

These are just some of the things that still motivates us today. We believe that it's our obligation to speak out. We do not believe in a overall censorship of music, film or the arts. What we believe is that we as a people should offer a product to those that would like to promote a message of Hope, Peace, Faith, Diversity and Positive Change while at the same time helping the homeless in the DC,VA and MD area.

We don't care about your political or religious affiliation, sexual preferences or racial makeup. We care about helping those who need it while inspiring change in others. On our shirts are various positive quotes that we hope will inspire the person wearing the shirt as well as individuals seeing the shirt.

One such quote is:

"Every saint has a past and ever sinner has a future"

It's never too late for change :-)

You can find our shirts at:

Fashion Mechanics in the Springfield and Manassas Mall
Evado in the Fair Oaks Mall
Shadows in the Forestville Centre
SWANK in the Pentagon City Mall
Millennium in Georgetown
Sport Zone- Selected locations
D-Block-Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
First Thangs First- Waldorf MD
Next Level Clothing- Ellicott City MD
Turning Point- Laurel Centre Mall, Laurel MD
New York Fashions- Charlottesville VA
Fashion Kings- Brudgeport WV
Hot Stepper -Martinsburg WV
Urban Flavor- Old Town, Manassas, VA
Heartbeat- Lake Forest Mall, Gaithersburg MD
Fashion World- Hurlock MD
City Wear- Farmville, VA

Help us pass along the Try Change message by joining one of our blog communities and asking your blog community members to visit our blog.
My Space
Razoo
Idealist
Change.org
MyBlogLog
BlogCatalog
Try Change Newsletter