Being a vibrant mission is not just about caring for the homeless in our city, it's about serving our friends who support our ministry. One of the ways we do this is by sharing the wonderful things that are happening in our shelters to encourage and prepare our clients for re-entering society, with obtainable goals for self-sufficiency.
As you read the blogs written by our staff and guest bloggers, your heart will be touched by the stories about life in the shelters and the experiences of the men, women and children living in them. You will find ways to connect that meet your charitable ideals and many opportunities to deepen your involvement with Star of Hope Mission.
About four years ago, I was led to the Star of Hope Mission to work with youth (ages 13-17) through a three month internship between my junior and senior year of college. After graduation, I began to work full-time in the position I have now- Youth Minister. And through these years I look at these youth and the same thought comes to mind, "I cannot say enough!" It would be impossible for me to say all the great and marvelous things that God is doing with these precious teenagers at the Star of Hope Mission.
Our group of teenagers has grown and changed so much through the years. For example, last year we officially named this teen ministry the Stars of 2morrow along with a cool logo. This captures the vision and heart of our staff. To learn more about the Stars of 2morrow visit Christian Ministries Houston.
Our group of teenagers has grown and changed so much through the years. For example, last year we officially named this teen ministry the Stars of 2morrow along with a cool logo. This captures the vision and heart of our staff. To learn more about the Stars of 2morrow visit Christian Ministries Houston.
I spent some time last week editing a video that we are producing for Star of Hope's HR department. As I listened to my colleagues talk about what brought them to Star of Hope and how God is using their skills and talents, I found myself feeling... grateful... and thankful. Watching, I remembered back to my first days around the Mission.
Catherine Taylor, VP of Human Resources, was the first person I met and interviewed with. She was the first who explained to me the depth of the programs offered here.
I joined Marilyn Fountain, Director of Community Relations, for a Graduation at our Transitional Living Center. After the celebration, she look me on a tour of the facility. It was an eye opener! I had volunteered at Women & Family Emergency Center several times, but didn't know anything about Star of Hope's Substance Abuse Recovery Program for women... New Hope. I remember how impressed I was when I learned about GED/ABE Training, Personal Development, Career Development and more.
Then there is Dick Druary, Director of Men's Development Center, who walked me through MDC, explaining the ministry and programs offered to the homeless men of Houston. As he told me about the first time he preached at Star of Hope as a teen, I remembered back to my first visit as a teen and playing guitar at a chapel service.
Back to the video... it will be completed in a few weeks. Until then, take a look at our Career Page at Christian Ministries Houston and consider a career with a ministry in Houston, that truly offers help, hope and life to the homeless in our community.
My family and I had a great Spring Break this past week, so glad to have time together and no homework! Have you ever wondered what Spring Break might be like for a homeless teenager living in a shelter? Well, here’s what Star of Hope’s teenagers did last week. Below is a short summary by Chad Smith, one of Star of Hope’s Teen Ministers, of the fun and educational week they had together with our “Stars of 2Morrow”:
“To summarize what we did for spring break, Tuesday morning we went to Carino’s Restaurant. One of the servers took them on a tour of a working restaurant. They were able to meet all of the staff of Carino’s and ask questions. After that, they went to the tables and made their own personal pizzas starting from the dough adding any topping they wanted. Then, of course, when they finished the pizzas, they baked them and ate them! It was a lot of fun."
"Wednesday morning we took them to the University of Houston and met up with the soccer team staff and a few of the players. They told us about the athletic department in the University of Houston and then they gave us a tour of the facilities where the athletes train and play. At the end of the tour, the staff answered more questions and then they gave us U of H t-shirts. On Wednesday evening, the teens went to the Rodeo. The seats were amazing and the food was incredible (hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken fried steak). They were able to see the cowboys lasso the bulls and other typical rodeo events followed by the musical performance of Gary Allen. Overall the teens had an amazing day."
"The neat thing about Wednesday is I have a 13 year old girl who loves soccer and has wanted to do nothing this month but go to the rodeo. And she has diligently tried to go with family or friends, but with no success. And let’s just say Wednesday was a very special day for her. She was able to interact with the UofH soccer team and then head to Rodeo for an amazing evening! It was kind of a dream come true for her."
"Friday, we took the teens on a hiking trip. They love those trips and they are always so surprised the places you can get good exercise around the city."
"Saturday evening they went to a Hope for Youth event where they enjoyed barbecue and fellowship with other teens and volunteers from Second Baptist. So that was our eventful spring break."
We are very thankful for Chad and our Teen Team, and especially thank the very special sponsor organizations mentioned above, and so many of you in our community who offer your time and resources to positively impact the lives of our Clients!
Learn more about Stars of 2morrow, Star of Hope's minstry for teens, at
Christian Ministries Houston.
Christian Ministries Houston.
All of us know how difficult the job market is in the United States at this time. And for someone who is recovering from homelessness and is preparing to re-enter the job market, the prospect of finding gainful employment is daunting to say the least. But I am excited about new initiatives, led by our Board of Trustees, to build the network of employers who will put our Star of Hope graduates to work! Our goal is to increase the number of jobs found in 2010 by 30% over 2009, and to double that number in 2011. Is this ambitious? Yes. Is it impossible? No!
Finding meaningful work is so essential for all of us. It is especially important to the success of an individual or family who fall into homelessness, to achieve normal living capability once again.
If you have job openings and would be willing to consider Star of Hope clients, please contact Dick Druary at ddruary@sohmission.org. “For nothing shall be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37
Learn more about Star of Hope programs and family of ministries
by visiting Christian Ministries Houston.
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