Liberty Mutual agents in Dallas-Fort Worth have nominated seven local causes to receive $30,000 as part of the new Like My Community™ project. The program gives deserving organizations in three cities – Milwaukee, Dallas-Fort Worth and Baltimore – the chance to earn funding for improvements and renovations. Most nonprofit organizations could stand to put these funds to critical use, and now Liberty Mutual will award $30,000 each to the top three causes that receive the most votes on the Dallas Facebook page. Even if you can’t pull out a checkbook and distribute funds yourself, you can do the next best thing and help Liberty Mutual do it. You can vote once per day, per cause, until August 1^st.

Here’s an overview of the 13 Dallas agents and the projects that they’re committed to helping:

BIG THOUGHT

Both Dallas agents Brandon Weber and Gabriela Martinez attribute their success in life to programs similar to Big Thought. More than an afterschool program, they say, Big Thought develops programs in partnership with organizations all around the Dallas-Fort Worth area to encourage academic achievement, problem solving and life skills, providing children with pathways to success.

DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE

Liberty Mutual Agents Carlos Clark and Christine Richardson talk about the effect that The Dallas Black Dance Theatre has on their community. Encouraging children of all ethnicities to explore their creativity, the contemporary modern-dance company aims to help youth achieve artistic excellence through performances and arts education. “This is place where children can learn to do more than just sit at home and play video games,” Richardson says. And Clark adds that he’s seen the direct effect on his two kids’ grades, which have “skyrocketed” since they became involved in the theatre.

DALLAS LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND

Liberty Mutual Josh Ashford nominated the Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind, which he describes as giving purpose to the sight-impaired and helping them lead productive, normal lives. The Dallas Lighthouse is a nonprofit organization that has provided jobs and job training for the blind and visually impaired for 80 years, and the extra funding will help them continue their mission.

THE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER OF NORTH TEXAS

Liberty Mutual Agents Haley Mariam and Kim Atkinson talk about the importance of the Family Resource Center of North Texas, a private nonprofit formed by the community, whose goals are to strengthen and support families through education and advocacy. Mariam lost her father at a young age and says her family could have benefited from a strong community resource. Atkinson, the child of a very young single mother without the resources to care for her, says an organization like the Family Resource Center would have saved her mother from a desperate situation. Funds would help the center purchase car seats and provide prenatal training to those in need.

MARY CROWLEY CANCER RESEARCH CENTER

Unfortunately, everyone has been touched by cancer, say agents Rick Wilson and Terri Jones. As such, the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Center, which provides cutting-edge and “personalized” research options for cancer patients, is close to both their hearts. Most patients, they say, come to the center in the very late stages of the disease, with only four to six months to live. “The first thing they get when they walk through the door,” Jones says, “is hope.” Funds would go directly to patients on the 50-person waiting list to provide immediate therapy.

THE MIRACLE LEAGUE OF FRISCO

Liberty Mutual Agents Kyle Herring and Adam Bamford both grew up in sports-minded families, and know the benefit sports can have on a young person. The Miracle League of Frisco is a youth sports organization for children with special needs, who otherwise wouldn’t have opportunities to get out and learn to make friends, work in team situations, play by the rules and “be a real kid,” Kyle Herring says, without it. New funds, they urge, will help the Miracle League build a much-needed new basketball court.

THE SAMARITAN INN

The Samaritan Inn offers holistic programs that teach self-sufficiency and life skills to assist individuals and families before, during and after a homeless situation. As the only area shelter, the Samaritan Inn must turn away between 40 and 50 families each week. Extra funding would allow them to bring more needy families through their doors.