Community Service Volunteers Houston

Isn’t it amazing how God who created the universe give each one of us our own unique gifts, talents and abilities?!? And then, He fits all of those gifts, talents and abilities together so that the needs of those less fortunate are met and He is glorified. I see His marvelous work each and every day at Star of Hope Mission through our volunteers.

Although I’ve never met her face-to-face, Sue Cherry is an artist who uses a pair of knitting needles to bless our clients. As the weather begins to get colder, small boxes arrive from Sue every so often. Each box contains maybe eight or ten knit hats and scarves. Sue uses beautiful jewel-tone yarn and weaves intricate textures and patterns into each piece. You could not buy the quality and love that Sue knits into these special hats and scarves.

Friday nights find Ric and Marla Hartung serving dinner at the Transitional Living Center. But their work begins long before they arrive at Star of Hope. On Thursday evenings, they race home from work to bake several large trays of homemade goodies - cake, dessert bars and brownies. Friday night dinner is served with something sweet and lots of love.

Mark Brockman is a CPA who works in our Finance department. However, Mark came to Star of Hope many years ago as a volunteer GED tutor, and even after joining our staff, remained committed to sharing his knowledge with our clients. Each tax season, Mark volunteers evenings and weekends to assist clients with their returns.

Although she ministers during chapel services at the Men’s Development Center throughout the year, Thanksgiving dinner would not be the same without singer and yodeler Charlotte Henson. While the men enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving turkey feast, Charlotte performs holiday favorites, all of the traditional Christmas carols and a few fun numbers like Drop Kick Me Jesus through the Goalposts of Life.

I’ve heard volunteer Eliot Young referred to as “the original granola girl”. Elliot gets clients in the Transitional Living Center’s Personal Development classes excited about healthy lifestyles, good nutrition and keeping fit. In her professional career, Rhada Ristau manages portfolios of the very wealthy. As another Personal Development volunteer, Rhada teaches our clients those same basic principles of sound money management.

There are stories just like these repeated throughout Star of Hope every day - volunteers who use their unique God-given gifts, talents and abilities to meet the needs of Houston’s homeless men, women and children. We are grateful for each volunteer God sends to minister alongside our staff and pray God will abundantly bless their participation in our mission today and always!

Get involved at Community Service Volunteer Opportunities Houston

On behalf of Star of Hope, I would like to extend special congratulations to Mark Camero and Kevin Sweat from Boy Scout Troop 642, which meets at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Few scouts would tackle such demanding projects or set such a high standard of excellence! 

In addition to constructing large storage units for our Women & Family Emergency Shelter, Eagle Scout Mark Camero collected 1,408 children’s books. Many of the books were new and they all will provide many hours of reading fun and adventure for the children who come through our doors.

Eagle Scout Kevin Sweat designed and built a beautiful playground seating area and walkway for the Transitional Living Center. Parents now have the perfect place to watch their little ones and their children feel more secure to play, learn and explore with mom or dad watching over them.

What a blessing it’s been for our mission to have an opportunity to work with several other awesome scouts.   This week, David Reeves delivered 15 wide, sturdy outdoor benches for the TLC cafeteria courtyard. Once he decided on a design and built a prototype, he had a small team cut the lumber on Day 1. He organized such a big crew for Day 2 that the project was completed in only two hours! These benches will circle the trees and provide clients with a shady place to enjoy our gorgeous weather.

Thomas Perez organized a party for children at the Transitional Living Center complete with Bible stories, crafts and refreshments. Of course, the children had a blast….so did Thomas and his team! Alex Collier also focused on the children and collected more than 800 books for five – thirteen year olds.

Our partnership with Eagle Scout candidates isn’t over – we continue to be tremendously blessed by these fine young men! Kendall Bruce is building benches for the Women & Family Emergency Shelter.  And Brian Howell has designed a bench seating area to beautify the Yellowstone side of the TLC campus. His crew will be here in two weeks! 

A variety of project options makes Star of Hope the perfect site for your next scout, corporate or team-building project. Contact the Volunteer Services Department to discuss a project for your group.

Community Service Opportunities Houston

I am very confident in saying that 90% of the world’s most passionate and hopeful people are 25 years and younger. Look at college campuses during a presidential election year or the energy of a high school pep-rally. Revolutions are started by young people who have heard their parents talk about tyranny for a life time and have the hope and courage to start change. Here, at Star of Hope young adults are leading the way in fighting against poverty, abuse, addiction and homelessness with Star of Hope.

If your cynical side is throwing thoughts around your brain like young adults haven’t become jaded from world experiences or they are too naïve to realize the world is unchangeable, silence it. “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” – Mother Teresa. Wake up Houston and do a small thing with great love. Follow the example of the teens across Houston.

Here are a couple of examples:

Boy Scout Troop 924’s David Reeves delivered with his father, Rick Reeves, 11 well crafted, handmade benches. David had independently contacted a representative at Star of Hope about a service project, he then independently arranged for a group of Boy Scouts to construct the benches and he then personally delivered them. These benches will serve as a great resting spot for mothers and fathers to sit as their kids take advantage of the spring sunshine.

Every Wednesday from 11:30 – 12:45 Heidi Hartung, Chloe Espenan, Anna Buvens, Sahar Yazdanfard and Katy Wefelmeyer from Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart walk into Star of Hope Women and Family Emergency Shelter as if they are employees. They go straight to the kitchen was their hands, put on their apron and hairnets, and start serving lunch to the Star of Hope clients. After volunteering once a week for almost 8 months they practically are employees.

These young adults are doing what they can passionately and are making a difference by helping non profit organizations in Houston. On behalf of Star of Hope I would like to thank them for their passion and hope that blesses and inspires their community!

If you are interested in donating time or money to charitable organizations Houston, Star of Hope Mission has many opportunities! 

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.

• 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.