On this episode of Meet Houston Missions and The Simmons and Fletcher Local Missions Podcast, Paul Cannon, talks with Quincy Collins, founder of Families Helping Families. In 2013, Quincy and some friends helped out one family within his church that was struggling at Thanksgiving. From this a vision was born with the goal of feeding as many families in need in the Greater Houston area. What started out as a few friends and a genuine compassion for their fellow man has grown exponentially today into a full-blown non-profit organization that provides a weeks-worth of food to thousands of people in need each year in the week leading up to Thanksgiving. The goal for 2024 is to feed 3,000 families.

What Families Helping Families Provides

Families Helping Families Sort box provides families in need with 10 pounds of chicken, ground beef, hotdogs, and the makings for a turkey dinner. It amounts to one week of groceries for a family in need. Families are sourced through local school systems, city health services, and law enforcement who identify the families in need.

Each family is given a set time slot on the Saturday before Thanksgiving week in which to pick up their food at a set location. Any food not collected is given to alternate families and donated to Fort Bend Women’s Shelter.

How They Do It Today – Volunteer Power

Families Helping Families has partnered with HEB and a team of volunteer professionals from various fields ranging from shipping to logistics. They arrange refrigeration trucks to deliver the food to three distribution locations on the morning of Friday before distribution Saturday. The team, including Quincy, is 100% volunteer. In addition to this team, they rely on 300 plus volunteers each year consisting of individuals, corporate teams, and organizational teams to gather on Friday to unload, sort, and pack the food so it can be delivered to one of three distribution points in Alief, Stafford, and Richmond. On Saturday, those volunteers return to help coordinate the cars arriving for appointments and hand out the food. They fill 300 cars every 30 minutes.

How You Can Be a Part of Families Helping Families

Volunteer

Families Helping Families welcomes volunteers. It is a two-day commitment to get involved. If you have a group or organization, they will make sure your team is stationed together to work as a group. To volunteer, visit: https://www.fhfhouston.com/ and click on their volunteer sign up link. From there you can follow the organization in Eventbrite and will be notified when it is time to sign up.

Donate

If you would like to donate as an individual or to participate as a corporate sponsor, visit the website. There are several levels of sponsorships and various types of recognition for oyur donation. Not only are the donations tax deductible, but 87% of all of the funds received go directly to purchasing groceries and the other 13% goes to renting the equipment and putting on the event itself.

For additional information, email them at contact@fhfhouston.com.

Families Helping Families is a 501©(3) non-profit organization.

Meet Houston Missions and The Simmons and Fletcher Local Missions Podcast is presented by Simmons and Fletcher, P.C. Injury & Accident Lawyers. Host Paul H. Cannon is a partner in the firm.

On Meet Houston Missions and The Simmons and Fletcher Local Missions Podcast, your host, Paul Cannon, talks with Nicole Davis, the executive director of Operation: Achieve Independence. Operation: Achieve Independence was started in 2017 when its founder, Tina James, felt a calling from God to create a non-profit organization intended to help young adults preparing to leave or who have already left the foster care system. The mission is based out of Spring, Texas, and serves the greater Houston area by providing programs and assistance services to those needing guidance while leaving or after leaving the foster care system. Operation: Achieve Independence strives to provide assistance to people leaving foster care while allowing them to achieve the independence they desire. Operation: Achieve Independence provides transitional living support, education and career preparation programs, life skills classes, and mentorship programs to individuals leaving foster care who need a little extra help adjusting to society. Operation: Achieve Independence is open to any individual leaving foster care or who has previously been a part of the foster care system.

Operation: Achieve Independence Programs

One of the organization’s main programs is its education and career preparation program. In this program, Operation: Achieve Independence has volunteers go into high schools and work with youth aging out of foster care. Additionally, education and career preparation program representatives will visit local school districts and provide school faculty with a four-hour trauma-informed training course.

Operation: Achieve Independence’s second main program is its mentorship program. In their mentorship program, volunteer mentors are matched with a mentee leaving foster care.

Additional Services

Operation: Achieve Independence also provides additional services such as transitional living support and life skills courses designed to assist youth transitioning out of foster care who may not have all the tools necessary to be successful on their own.

Volunteer Opportunities

. As a volunteer, you might be part of the education and career preparation program where you will help youth leaving foster care learn about the benefits available to them, talk about their goals, and help set a plan for how to reach those goals. Volunteers may also serve as a mentor for an individual leaving foster care. Additionally, people can volunteer to provide transitional living assistance or teach life skills courses to youths leaving the foster care system.

Other Ways to Help

If you wish to help financially, you can donate from their website or participate in their hygiene drive or back-to-school drive. Additionally, you can enter a team in their annual skeet shoot or attend their annual Gala.

Contact and Info

The website address is https://www.oaicares.org or you can call (281) 825-7295 or email nicole@oaicares.org.

Operation: Achieve Independence is a 501©(3) non-profit organization. All donations made are tax deductible as per the IRS guidelines.

Meet Houston Missions and The Simmons and Fletcher Local Missions Podcast is presented by Simmons and Fletcher, P.C. Injury & Accident Lawyers. Paul H. Cannon is a partner in the firm.

This is a rerelease of the original video produced when Susan Leining a/k/a Cookies for a Cause came to the offices of Simmons and Fletcher to teach her cookie decorating classes as a way to raise money for Alzheimer’s research and awareness.

Cookies for a Cause by Susan is a mission to raise money to fight Alzheimer’s and bring awareness to the community about this illness. Through baking cookies for events and teaching courses on cookie making and decorating, Cookies for a Cause by Susan makes activism and education both fun and delicious!

Susan travels to businesses and offices who invite her and teaches cookie decorating secrets allowing your staff to learn to do the decorating themselves. While teaching the class, she lectures about Alzheimer’s and how it has impacted her family. Courses start at 30 per person.

Additionally, Susan takes orders to create cookies for events and celebrations.

Proceeds from her classes and her cookies go primarily to the Alzheimer’s Association and she does some events for cancer research charities as well.

Contact Information
https://www.facebook.com/CookiesforaCausebySusan/

email: cookiesforacausebysusan@gmail.com

Meet Houston Missions is presented by Simmons and Fletcher, P.C., Injury & Accident Lawyers.

This episode of Meet Houston Missions features Ryan Kreipe, the Manager of Braes Interfaith Resale Store & IT Director for Braes Interfaith Ministries. Braes Interfaith Ministries serves the needs of the southwest side of Houston providing food and clothing for less fortunate people as well as clothing for people transitioning from prison back to the workforce. They operate a food pantry at Willow Meadows Baptist Church as well as a Resale Shop on Post Oak which serves two purposes: clothing people in need and providing income to support the mission.

Braes Interfaith Ministries was started by the Southwest Ministry Alliance over 35 years ago and is supported by 14 area churches and synagogues. It is in the Braeswood neighborhood of Houston.

Donations Needed

Braes Interfaith Ministries regularly needs donations of clothing, household goods, and monetary donations to support efforts to help people recover from disaster, fire, or loss. Monetary donations are always needed to support the mission as well. They also accept donations at the Resale shop of household goods and clothes that can be sold. For every $1.00 of profit, Braes Interfaith Ministries generates, they are able to purchase $27.00 worth of food from the Houston Food Bank which the ministry then distributes through the food pantry.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are always needed to sort, stock, unload, and/or deliver food and clothing between the food pantry, Houston Food Bank, and the resale shop. To learn more about these opportunities, please visit the Braes Interfaith Ministries website at https://braesinterfaithministries.org/ or visit the resale shop website at https://www.braesresale.com. You may also call Ryan at the shop at 713-723-3841 to coordinate a time to volunteer.

Locations

The Food Pantry is located at Willow Meadows Baptist Church, 4300 W Bellfort in Houston, Texas.

Braes Interfaith Resale Shop is located at 10814 S Post Oak in Houston.

Meet Houston Missions and The Simmons and Fletcher Local Podcast are brought to you by Simmons and Fletcher, P.C. Host Paul H. Cannon is the Managing Partner.

This episode of The Simmons and Fletcher Local Missions Podcast features Mark Brown, CEO of West Houston Assistance Ministries (WHAM). WHAM is a place of hope and respite for those in need. By providing responsive support through short-term assistance with food, rent, utilities, disaster relief, seasonal programs (eg. Thanksgiving and Christmas Meals), as well as access to education/employment resources, WHAM moves families from crisis to stability, and toward self-sufficiency, and away from crisis and homelessness.

More Information About WHAM

In the fiscal year 2020, WHAM provided services to 115,857 individuals, compared to 42,000 served in 2019, demonstrating how disastrous the pandemic has been to the livelihoods of local families. Since March 2020, when WHAM jumped into action in response to COVID-19, WHAM helped over 200,000 individuals, with over $1.7M to prevent evictions and disconnections. From its inception, WHAM has partnered with churches that contribute financially and refer their parishioners to WHAM for help. WHAM also collaborates with community partners like the Houston Food Bank, grocers, and restaurants that provide WHAM with food for the food pantry, as well as organizations and corporations that provide funds, drives, and volunteers.

Locations Supported

WHAM primarily helps zip codes 77036, 77042, 77057, 77063, 77072, 77077, 77082, 77083, and 77099 with financial assistance for rent, mortgage, and utilities; however, they can help those in other Harris County, Fort Bend, and Montgomery County zip codes on a limited basis, depending on the types of grants available.

WHAM Office Locations

WHAM administration offices, Resale Store (Second Blessing Resale Store), Client Services, and Food Pantry are located at 10501 Meadowglen Lane, Houston, TX 77042. WHAM also has a Satellite Food Pantry at Church at the Cross, located at 3835 South Dairy Ashford, Houston, TX 77082. Financial assistance, and employment and job literacy assistance are also provided virtually and over the phone.

WHAM Benefits

WHAM’s Annual Faith, Hope, and Love Benefit Luncheon is held in November. WHAM also holds two drive-thru Shred Days. The Chevron Houston Marathon’s Run for a Reason program benefits WHAM by allowing people to participate and fundraise for WHAM. Runners can sign up and choose West Houston Assistance Ministries as their charity and fundraise--WHAM will pay for their registration. Finally, there is the Spring Dash, a 5K/1K held anytime between April and June.

Donor and Volunteer Information

Monetary donations can be made online at https://www.whamministries.org or by mailing a check to our address. However, WHAM also constantly needs donations of food and supplies for our food pantry to keep up with the great need we see every day at our doors; WHAM also needs donations of furniture, clothing, household goods, books, etc. for their resale store.

WHAM has a constant need for volunteers, especially in the food pantry, and during the 3x/week drive-thru food distributions (where WHAM feeds between 160 and 250 families at each). WHAM also needs volunteers in their Employment and Adult Literacy program, as well as interviewers to help vet clients who request financial assistance. Finally, WHAM always needs volunteers to work in the resale store and warehouse.

Contact:

Volunteer Coordinator, Ella Clark e.clark@whamministries.org,
or visit https://whamministries.org/volunteer

In this episode, we revisit Melinda Stephenson, the Executive Director of Clothed by Faith. Our original visit with her took place on November 19, 2021, when we were only doing Zoom episodes. We rereleased the episode in April of 2024 as a podcast and have since learned that Clothed by Faith has grown exponentially in the past 3 years as a mission that provides 1 week's worth of clothing to people in need.

In this podcast, host Paul Cannon and Melinda discuss the growth of Clothed by Faith from 3 school closets to 20 and more in the works. Additionally, the mission is reaching all the counties surrounding Harris County, including Fort Bend, Galveston, Brazoria, Chambers, and Montgomery Counties. In 2023, Clothed by Faith helped clothe over 24,000 people.

Clothed by Faith serves schools of all grades as well as their families. In addition, they provide clothing to numerous other missions and agencies including mental health agencies, non-profit missions, human trafficking shelters, homeless organizations, prison release programs, juvenile probation services, domestic violence shelters, and victim's assistance programs.

To make donations, find out more about the needs, and sign up to give, volunteer, or receive assistance, please visit the website: https://www.clothedbyfaith.org/. They are a 501c Charity so all donations are tax-deductible.

Meet Houston Missions is presented by Simmons and Fletcher, P.C., Injury & Accident Lawyers. See more missions and/or learn how to get your Houston mission featured by visiting: https://www.simmonsandfletcher.com/meet-houston-missions/

Ron Peters, the Executive Director of Katy Responds talks with us about the various disasters they have provided recovery assistance for in this Episode of Meet Houston Missions. Katy Responds is a nonprofit organization that restores homes destroyed or damaged by disaster by seeking funding, and then coordinating the work with local volunteers and staff. They serve homeowners primarily in the greater Katy ISD area.

Katy Responds

brought widespread flooding to the Katy, Texas area. Homeowners living in places that were not considered “in the flood plain” found themselves completely underwater as excessive amounts of water breached flood control dams and bayous. The extensive flooding from the storm left thousands of people with severely damaged homes that were not covered for hurricane, wind, and/or flood damage. As a result, a number of people were left without the means to repair the damage. Katy Responds was formed shortly after Hurricane Harvey to help to identify and obtain funding through grants and private donors that can be used to repair Katy Area homes after disaster strikes. When a family in need is referred to Katy Responds after a disaster, the organization seeks and obtains the funding and then seeks to engage volunteers from area churches and private volunteers to do the labor required to bring the home back to a livable condition.

Volunteer Opportunities

Katy Responds needs volunteers as well as financial support in order to succeed in its mission to help its neighbors in the Katy Area. If you would like to be a part of Katy Responds or to donate, please visit KatyResponds.org. Individuals, church groups, organizations, and groups from private businesses are encouraged to sign up on the website to participate individually or as a part of a larger group.

Contact Information:

Katy Responds
KatyResponds.org
22765 Westheimer Pkwy.
Katy, TX. 77450
281-305-8545

Meet Houston Missions and The Simmons and Fletcher Local Podcast are brought to you by Simmons and Fletcher, P.C. Host Paul H. Cannon is the Managing Partner.

In this episode of Meet Houston Missions, we meet Mark Martin, the Vice President of Community Engagement for Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star--an organization that aims to build relationships between mentors adults, and children in grades K through 12 that will empower the little brothers and sisters to reach their full potential in life. They do this by screening and training big brothers and sisters, matching them with little brothers and sisters with similar interests and/or goals, and placing them in one of three mentor programs that best suits their needs.

History

Big Brothers Big Sisters was founded in 1904 by a court clerk who saw kids in the criminal system and decided there had to be a way to give them a positive influence to show them a better way. The organization grew beyond kids in the legal system to kids all over the United States with a need for mentoring in their lives. In 1977, A merger with Big Sisters led to the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America that continues today and has local divisions across the United States.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters Lone Star – Greater Houston

Big Brothers and Big Sisters Lone Star – Greater Houston came to Houston in the 1950s and has helped thousands of mentors and youth pair up. The mentors provide a safe outlet for conversation, guidance, and friendship that for many last a lifetime.

Opportunities to Get Involved

There are several fundraising events and volunteering opportunities for individuals and businesses to get involved. You can learn the full details of these events by visiting the website and selecting “Events” from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. Each of these events has sponsorship opportunities, fundraising opportunities, and the opportunity to participate either individually or as a sponsor team. These include:

• Swing for the Kids Sake—An annual golf tournament to raise funds and awareness for Big Brother and Big Sisters Lone Star.
• Bowl for Kids Sake – A team bowling tournament where your private or corporate team raises funds and participates in a bowling tournament.
• Pickleball for Kids – For those into Pickleball, this is a great opportunity to build your team and compete at the extravagant Houstonian Club.
• Corn Hole for Kids – Another creative and fun fundraiser team opportunity.

Each of the above events allows people to form teams and raise money through donations and sponsorships of at least $1,000.00. Those teams then meet and compete for a great time and a great cause.

The Annual Gala

If you prefer to get dressed to the nines and celebrate as a way of raising support and awareness, An Evening for Potential is the event for you. This annual Gala and afterparty is a great opportunity to get dressed up for a fancy dinner and a great cause.

Event Space Rental

As a unique way of raising funds, Big Brothers and Big Sisters Lone Star-Greater Houston also offers the use of its event space. Boasting a comfortable 250-person seating space or 300 standing, this space is perfect for weddings, lectures, ceremonies, reunions, anniversaries, and other events. A full kitchen for catering and a balcony overlooking downtown Houston make this space perfect for any nice occasion.

Contact:

To learn more call 713-860-8226 or visit:
https://bbbstx.org/greater-houston/.

Mark Martin
Vice President of Community Engagement
Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star - Greater Houston
1003 Washington Ave.
Houston, TX. 77002
Email: Mmartin @bbbstx.org

The Simmons and Fletcher Local Podcast is presented by Simmons and Fletcher, P.C.