Community Service Houston

Stephanie McMath joined Star of Hope's Volunteer Services team last fall - just in time to work with all of our holiday volunteers.  From the beginning, we knew her time with us wouldn't be long.  Her temporary assignment was scheduled to end right after Christmas and she already had big plans for the future.  Stephanie, who has lived abroad and traveled much of her life, has a real heart for people of all cultures.  Her dream is to become truly fluent in Spanish while teaching English to the people in Argentina. 

Stephanie did an awesome job during our busiest time of the year and immediately built strong relationships with many of our volunteers.  We were thrilled when she agreed to work a little longer while she prepared to move.  I left work with a heavy heart the day she told me she had purchased a non-refundable plane ticket.  The time passed quickly and tomorrow is Stephanie's last day.  

When asked what memories she will take away from Star of Hope, Stephanie talked about the hearts of our volunteers, "There's a desire to help and contribute that's really inspiring.  It's just so special.  It's going to leave a mark.  You can't work here and not be touched.  God is working here and you can't ignore it."

Although sending Stephanie off on her new adventure is bittersweet, we are very excited to welcome Courtney Hill to our team.  Courtney brings many wonderful gifts, talents and experience to the table, including experience in volunteer program management.  When asked why she enjoys working with volunteers, Courtney said, "Volunteers are the most selfless, giving people.  I love how they restore my faith in humanity."  As our newest volunteer liaison, Courtney joins Julia Peterlin, Billie Tully and me in meeting the needs of our mission through the incredible volunteers God brings through our doors.

Please pray with us as we ask God's blessings on Stephanie's new life in Argentina and Courtney's work here at Star of Hope.  These two amazing women are going to accomplish great things for His kingdom as they joyfully minister to others right here at Star of Hope and in places faraway.

Volunteer with Star of Hope Mission.
Discover volunteer opportunities of interest to you at Community Service Volunteers Houston.

• Families looking for assistance (some who are living in their cars!)
• Donors needing to know an address to mail a check or a location to drop off clothes or other needed items
• Individuals, groups and organization wanting to know how they can serve.

• They are not worried if their rental subsidy will be paid;
• They are not concerned as to whether the Community Prayer Time on Mondays will be canceled;
• They don't ask about services which will be delayed or eliminated...

• Star of Hope’s family of ministries graduated 46% more clients from our programs
• 44% more completed and were awarded high school equivalency GEDs
• 40% more Clients found jobs, than in 2009
• We also were excited to announce that during 2010 we saw 629 households restored into independent living in the Houston community 

Why do people throughout our community volunteer at Star of Hope? Just ask Ann, a retired social worker, about the benefits of volunteering. 

Ann began volunteering in the Computer Learning Center at our Transitional Living Center in 2005. Although she loved helping clients who were eager to learn new computer skills, the timing just didn’t fit with Ann’s busy schedule. She moved to our Women & Family Emergency Shelter where she has been assisting with intake and referrals for our overnight guests ever since. Here’s an e-mail she sent to Latasha Smith, the CLC instructor with whom she worked:

Hi Latasha,

Those lessons you taught me in Excel have come in handy. I am using Excel for a project that I am helping with at the Women & Family Emergency Shelter. Thanks for showing me how to do that! I guess you can count me as another Excel success!  I would not know what to do at all without the lessons you gave me.

Blessings,
Ann

A flexible schedule and the opportunity to learn new skills are only two of the benefits that volunteering at Star of Hope can add to your life as you partner with us to serve Houston’s homeless men, women and children.

Learn more at Community Service Houston

“Volunteering at Star of Hope is a demonstration of my faith in the LORD,” is how Gregg Lattier explains his ongoing commitment to serve Houston’s homeless men, women and children through his partnership with our mission. Gregg attended one of the first orientation classes I held for perspective new volunteers almost 13 years ago - and he enthusiastically continues to touch hundreds of lives by sharing his compassionate wisdom and love for Jesus Christ.

Most Friday mornings, Gregg teaches stress management to clients in the Personal Development program at Star of Hope’s Transitional Living Center.  Several clients describe his class this way:

·         “Dr. Gregg Lattier really inspired me when he taught the class on values.  He provide me with information that I have had never heard before.”

·         “Dr. Gregg Lattier has made me think, learn and laugh during his classes….I wish that more teachers were like him!”

·         “What a great stress management instructor!  Mr. Lattier gave us great methods on how to live life stress-less rather than stressful. He teaches people the true meaning of laughter out loud!  He showed me how to embrace what others might think is impossible.”

Although Gregg is at home in the classroom, he loves to travel around the globe.  Christmas break found him in Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Cameroon and he plans to visit Asia during spring break.  While traveling, Gregg, who teaches business classes at Lee College and is a member of the United States Coast Guard Reserves, has the opportunity to build relationships and share the Gospel while living off of the local economy. He travels light with only a backpack!

When the Houston Texans beat the Jaguars during their last home game on January 2^nd, Gregg was backpacking somewhere through Africa. However, during the game he was recognized as a recipient of the Houston Texans 2010 Community Quarterback Award and Star of Hope will receive a generous donation in his honor.

Congratulations on this prestigious award, Gregg, and thank you for your many years of dedicated service to our mission! We are grateful to you and the many other faithful volunteers God sends through our doors.

Read more about Gregg and how you, too, can help the homeless in the Star of Hope's January Newsletter, The Light.

Community Service Houston

Recently, while running errands, my husband pulled the car into a Chevron station. As he filled up the tank, my attention focused on the poster hanging beside each pump, which showcased the many ways Chevron volunteers contribute “human energy” to make our community a better place. Not only was I delighted that local Chevron volunteers were recognized, but also thrilled that Star of Hope was included – both the top, left- and right-hand photos were taken during Star of Hope projects. 

We first worked with Chevron volunteers during their 2009 Humankind Week, and thus, a wonderful, new partnership was born. Throughout 2010, volunteers from Chevron’s Black Employee Network assisted in many areas, such as the kitchens at all three facilities and the Christmas Workshop. 

During the sizzling-hot, triple-digit, Houston summer, it was a funny sight when several Chevron volunteers arrived for work all bundled up in heavy jackets, knit hats and gloves! But they came prepared to clean the walk-in freezer at our Women & Family Emergency Shelter. While they cleaned the freezer and others assisted with lunch preparations, several more volunteers baked a scrumptious treat. You can imagine the eager anticipation of shelter clients as the aroma of mouth-watering fudge brownies wafted through the air!

In the fall of 2010, Chevron groups celebrated their Humankind Week by working on major projects at Star of Hope. Volunteers at the Women & Family Emergency Shelter painted several atrium spaces and cleaned out storage areas. Working in shifts over two days, another Chevron group prepped and painted the iron fence surrounding the perimeter of the Men’s Development Center. Thanks to the generosity of Chevron and the hard work of their dedicated volunteers, we will spend less on facility maintenance and have many more dollars to directly help Houston’s homeless men, women and children!

We look forward to additional opportunities to partner with Chevron and the many other volunteers in our community who have a heart for the homeless. 2011 will be an amazing year as together we serve those in need.

Learn how you can help Houston's homeless with Star of Hope. Visit Community Service Volunteers Houston.

For the last 20 years, the Hard Rock Cafe has closed its doors on Thanksgiving Day. Although this popular downtown Houston eatery is closed to the public, the kitchen and waitstaff are quite busy. Instead of celebrating Thanksgiving with their own families, everyone at the Hard Rock volunteers on their day off to host a gourmet dinner for clients at Star of Hope’s Women & Family Emergency Shelter and the Transitional Living Center. This year, the Hard Rock team was joined by another very special team – Head Coach James Dickey brought the University of Houston Men’s Basketball team to help. The UH players, still in their warm-ups after an exhausting practice session, autographed posters and visited with our families before heading inside to wait tables. 

The UH basketball coaches and players weren’t the only Cougars waiting tables for Star of Hope clients during the holidays. UH athletic director Mack Rhoades was joined by his family as they helped serve Christmas dinner at the Men’s Development Center. Rhoades and his family set out desserts and filled drink glasses as they helped make special Christmas memories for men who are often forgotten. 

"It's a very humbling experience," said Rhoades.  "It makes you realize what you have and it's a blessing to be part of this."

Thanks to the UH Athletic Department for reaching out to Houston’s homeless men, women and children during the holidays! Merry Christmas and Go Coogs!

Get involved with Star of Hope and help homeless men, women and families in our community. Find opportunities of interest to you at Community Service Volunteers Houston.

Every child needs a special blanket with which to cuddle – one that makes him or her feel safe and secure. Thanks to three awesome volunteer groups, the children at Star of Hope have blankets made just for them with lots of extra love.

When you walk through the doors of Dancewear, etc, (located just west of I-45 South on Fuqua), you immediately enter a world that’s filled with tap shoes, ballet slippers and leotards. But venture beyond all of the spandex and tulle into the back room and you will find several sewing machines and fabric squares used by the ladies with Project Linus to make the beautifully patterned children’s blankets.  Store owner Linda Henshaw has directed this project for several years and just dropped off enough blankets to fill every inch of her SUV - barely leaving enough room for her to drive.

Over the years, our friends at ExxonMobil have tackled everything from landscaping and painting projects to huge donation drives and building gazebos. But this was a first – an ExxonMobil group decided to reach out to our children by making fleece blankets. The ExxonMobil Global HR Services team stayed busy cutting and hand-knotting the fabric, and when the project was finished, there were about 250 blankets. Baseballs, basketballs, trucks and tractors for boys. Hearts and flowers and pastel bears for girls. A blanket in every child’s favorite color and pattern!

The women in a Memorial-area neighborhood group, Lots of Knots & Books, Too, promote the love of reading and understand the importance of warm, cozy blankets for children.  Working together, they created hundreds of hand-knotted fleece masterpieces for our children. They hope this donation will encourage each child at Star of Hope to curl up with a cozy blanket and set off on the adventure that awaits him or her in a good book.

When more than 100 local Bank of America managers wanted to do something for Star of Hope clients during Christmas, they came up with a unique idea. Instead of volunteering at one of our facilities, they turned the second floor of the Greenspoint branch into another Star of Hope Christmas Workshop. 

Bank of America ordered all of the gifts and wrapping supplies from the WalMart at South Post Oak and Loop 610. And thanks our friends at WalMart, Bank of America was able to stretch their $7,500 investment and buy even more gifts than anticipated! 

Princess tea sets, puzzles, games, watches, bath & shower sets, basketballs and MP3 players were just some of the gifts selected for Transitional Living Center clients. Once the gifts reached Santa’s Greenspoint outpost, they were sorted, wrapped and grouped together with joy. One team even made greeting cards filled with notes of encouragement and warm Christmas wishes for each TLC family! 

At the end of the day, all of Santa’s helpers, dressed in their red and white Bank of America t-shirts and Santa hats, waved goodbye. The Star of Hope truck, loaded down with many brightly colored packages, was on its way to make a very special delivery!

Learn how your organization can help Houston's homeless men, women and children with Star of Hope. Visit Community Service Volunteers Houston.

Merry Christmas from the Star of Hope Christmas Workshop! As volunteers get Christmas gifts ready for the many homeless men, women and children who come through our doors, it’s like having the North Pole right here in Houston, Texas!   Thanks to our good friends at ProLogis, we have an awesome space that has become Santa’s Workshop! Volunteers are busy sorting donated gifts, selecting something special for each client, wrapping the presents and grouping family gifts. When finished, several thousand Christmas gifts will be delivered to Star of Hope programs just in time for Christmas Day!

This is a huge undertaking that could never be accomplished without the help of many special volunteers:

 “It makes me feel thankful for what I have.”   Kylie

“It’s a good way for me to get into the spirit of Christmas.”   Kendall

“I like it because it’s faith- based.”   Allyn

“Giving and volunteering were traditions growing up in our house. We didn’t really know any different. There were always extra stockings and gifts for those less fortunate. So now, it’s a tradition my husband and I have tried to pass along to our kids.”   Joni

“It means a lot to help people who might not otherwise have a very nice Christmas.”    Taylor

“We’ve been doing this for about 10 years and it gives you the opportunity to see what God intended Christmas to be.”    Chuck

Thanks to the generosity of our donors and volunteers, the gifts are a tangible reminder to our clients of their value and worth; that others really do care; and that better days are ahead. For what is wrapped in bright red and green paper and tied up with bows is the very best, most precious gift of all – and that is new hope through Jesus Christ!

Learn how your group or company can get involved with Star of Hope and help Houston's homeless. Visit Community Service Volunteers Houston.

Imagine what it must be like to be out on the streets with no place to call home. Frantically, you search for shelter and a safe place to fall asleep. That’s when you remember that someone told you about Star of Hope. In desperation, you put your last two quarters in the payphone, hoping with everything you have left inside that you can talk with someone, that you don't get a recording.

Although most of us are used to automated telephone systems, navigating menus can be a frustrating process. And if this is the only call you can make, it’s even worse. 

At Star of Hope, our goal is for every caller to reach a “live” voice – to get the help and answers each caller needs and deserves. To accomplish this goal, we opened a call center that is staffed entirely by volunteers. 

No one has taken a more active role in the call center than our friends from Willis of Texas, Inc. About 30 Willis employees staff both the morning and afternoon shifts every Wednesday. Thanks to Willis and other call center volunteers, each call is promptly answered by a friendly voice that’s filled with compassion. Once calls are answered, volunteers remain on the line until callers receive the help they need - even praying with callers. Volunteers are not interested in the number of calls they answer, but in delivering the best possible service.  It is far more than simply answering the phone, it is a ministry! 

Our friends at Willis have been very generous with their time, and yet, found a way to do even more during the holidays. In addition to volunteering in our kitchens and at the Christmas Workshop, they also raised $5,550 to purchase gifts for moms and dads at our Women & Family Emergency Shelter and men in the recovery programs at the Men’s Development Center. Not only will there be gifts for the children, but for the adults, too. No one has been forgotten!

Homeless Vets celebrated everyday at Star of Hope Men’s Development Center

Today is Veteran’s Day, and as I’m writing this blog, I’m reminded of the long heritage Star of Hope Mission has had in serving our Veterans who become homeless.  Way back in 1945-1946, Star of Hope was serving hundreds of Veterans each month, coming through Houston with no place to stay. Ever since then, Star of Hope has proudly served Vets who have become homeless and need help in re-establishing their lives, after their service to our country. 
 
Today, we are serving 100-150 Veterans per day, from the Vietnam, Korean, Desert Storm, and Afghanistan wars, with recovery programs and life changing help for a better life.  In our VIP Program, we serve 150-200 per year, in partnership with Houston’s Veteran’s Administration to help with their physical and mental health, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and addiction recovery needs.  Our men in the PTSD group meet twice each week, offered at Star of Hope in partnership with Military Ministries, an arm of PTSD Foundation of America.

When I attend any Veteran’s program at church or in our community, my eyes well up with tears, as I think of the many men I’ve met here, who, without the Star of Hope, would be on the streets of Houston today.  They are not forgotten!  And they feel God’s love everyday they are with us.  Star of Hope is “Home to the Brave”…and my hat is off to the great staff of men and women at our Men’s Development Center in Downtown Houston who faithfully serve these who have sacrificially served all of us in defending our country.

If you’ve never been to any of Star of Hope’s mission locations, I invite you to come and tour, get involved and volunteer!  You can help Veterans and many others with your talents to have a better life, renew their faith and strength, and once again, stand tall as Americans.  Come and join us, you’ll be glad you did!

Learn more about star of Hope at Mens Shelter Donation Houston and Houston Volunteer Opportunities.
 

Each year at the NBTA trade show, Joe Carino, owner of CARINO Hotels & Resorts, raises money for a charity by holding a raffle. The prizes are awesome – weekend stays at one of his breathtaking resorts and destination airline tickets – and the raffle tickets are modestly priced.   This year, Mr. Carino joined forces with NBTA and selected Star of Hope as his beneficiary.

Several staff members and volunteers were invited to the exposition during peak traffic hours over several days to talk about Star of Hope, answer questions and sell tickets. Not only did we have another opportunity to visit with NBTA members who participated in the volunteer project, we were able to share our mission with people from around the world. 

As the convention & exposition ended Wednesday noon, NBTA further blessed us with a large financial gift. The check presentation was made on the trade show floor as Star of Hope President & CEO, Hank Rush, formally thanked NBTA members for their overwhelming generosity. 

But it doesn’t end there. After the convention, Preferred Corporate Housing made a sizable donation of urgently needed items such as sheets, towels and flatware. UPS and FedEx continued to deliver boxes filled with school supplies and toiletry care packs. And NBTA members continue to use social networks to share Star of Hope with an even broader audience. 

National Business Travel Association project day finally arrived. However, before a single NBTA volunteer reached Star of Hope’s Transitional Living Center, another group of volunteers was already onsite making final preparations. These special folks are Volunteer Hosts.

No two of our Volunteer Hosts are exactly alike – they come from many different backgrounds and career paths. But they definitely have several traits in common. Their positive, winning personalities are infectious and bubble over to all those around them. They are high energy, display exceptional professionalism and their hearts are filled with compassion. Most important, they love Star of Hope and want to share this passion with all those who come through our doors.

Volunteer Hosts are a vital extension of the Volunteer Services team and often create a new volunteer’s first impression of our mission. After special training, they help welcome volunteers, give tours, solve problems, provide valuable feedback and ensure those who give the gift of time know what a blessing their service is to our mission. 

When NBTA volunteers boarded the buses at the George R. Brown Convention Center for their trip to Star of Hope, Volunteer Hosts were on each bus to give an overview and streamline the sign-in process. 

Once NBTA volunteers arrived, Volunteer Hosts directed them to the bag check area, which was also staffed by Volunteer Hosts, and the various project areas.  Volunteer Hosts stayed with the NBTA volunteers at each work site to answer questions, keep volunteers hydrated and check-on supply levels. Thanks to the tremendous support of our Volunteer Hosts, we were able to maximize the time and NBTA volunteers accomplished even more than anticipated.

We are grateful for our Volunteer Hosts and the important role they play in ministering to other volunteers throughout the year. Volunteer Hosts allow us to do more, better so that our clients, staff, volunteers and community are blessed and God gets the glory.

Learn more about Community Volunteer Opportunities Houston

It’s been a year since I received the first e-mail from Jeannie Eisenhart.  Jeannie works for Crowley Maritime in Florida and is on the Board of the National Business Travel Association. 

NBTA members include airlines, hotels and resorts, travel agents and corporate travel departments, food service companies and temporary corporate apartment homes – just to name a few. Their 2010 international convention & exposition was scheduled for Houston, and for the first time ever, NBTA wanted the agenda to include a community service project. After the Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau recommended Star of Hope and NBTA executives from Washington, D.C. toured our facilities, an amazing partnership was born!

NBTA featured Star of Hope on their website and urged each member’s support. Without a track record, NBTA did not know what the response would be. But they wanted to provide members with a variety of ways to help Houston’s homeless men, women and children:

·         * As members completed the convention registration form, they were asked to make a $10 donation to Star of Hope.

·         * NBTA members were given a list of needed items – such as toiletries, towels, sheets, clothing and canned goods – and asked to make an in-kind donation.

·         * And members were asked to sign-up for a project at our Transitional Living Center – painting client apartments and other living areas, writing notes of encouragement for client mailboxes and assisting in the kitchen.

Deliveries arrived from across the country – large and small boxes of donated items. As our Women & Family Emergency Shelter slept a growing number of adults and children in overflow during the dangerous summer heat, these donations were a special blessing.

We worked with the incredible NBTA staff for almost a year, planning for every detail. And there was a lot of work happening behind the scenes. NBTA secured cash donations from ADTRAV and Continental Airlines. Someone from Lowe’s contacted Werner & Co. on behalf of NBTA. Werner generously donated more than 50 ladders for the painting project. And Aramark donated drinks and snacks for NBTA volunteers. 

After such a tremendous team effort, I was eager to meet all of the people from across the country who worked so tirelessly to bless Star of Hope. I wanted to put faces with the names and personally thank each one of our new friends. Project day could not arrive soon enough!

Make plans to serve Houston’s homeless men, women and children.

Call 713-440-5322 or 713-440-5301 to discuss volunteer project options for your group.
Community Volunteer Opportunities Houston