LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – What started as a simple conversation between a mother and daughter has grown into a mission that continues to change lives years later.
The Daisy Project was an idea more than a decade ago by Haley Steele, who wanted to find a way to help families struggling to care for their pets during financial hardship, but about six years ago, Haley died in a car crash before that dream could become a reality.
Rather than let the idea fade, Haley’s mom Erin Irwin turned heartbreak into purpose.
“I’m just a regular old person who was missing my daughter, and I made this happen for her, you know,” Irwin said.
Keeping pets and families together
Irwin says the goal of The Daisy Project is simple — to make sure financial hardship doesn’t force someone to surrender a beloved pet.
“When they are struggling financially, the animals can be fed, they don’t have to find new homes, rehome them, abandon them, send them to the shelters, reach out to rescues to find somebody, that is what we do,” Irwin said.
Keeping Haley’s memory alive
For Irwin, every bag of food, every donated item and every family helped is more than an act of kindness. It’s a way to carry on the compassion her daughter Haley shared with others.
“Just having this community that is willing to drop their spare change in a bucket at Secondhand Art Depot or Crest Tires or wherever, and trust we are going to do the right thing with it, that’s amazing you know, that’s amazing to do that, but usually if I reach out and say I need anything, people show up,” Irwin said.
Near 78th Street and University Avenue, The Daisy Project offers canned goods, toys, leashes, grooming supplies, food and more.
“This is all because of a vision she had years ago, and all of it is in her memory, it’s all for her, so I get to tell people her story and tell who she was and how she was with animals, and I still deal with some of the same people who supported her back then, and it’s amazing. It’s wonderful to get to do it every day,” Irwin said.
As The Daisy Project continues to grow, so does the legacy of a daughter whose dream is still making a difference, one pet and one family at a time.
How to help or receive assistance
The Daisy Project is open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. If you are in need of assistance, you must bring a photo ID and proof of address.
Erin says if you have any questions or would like to donate, to not hesitate to reach out or to come see her during operating hours, which are posted on the Daisy Project Facebook page.
For more information on the Daisy Project, click here.
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