Happy new year! There's a lot of awesome on it's way...
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Hello Natalie!
What a year, and what a year ahead! 2024 brought with it:
Thousands of visitors, guests, and new community friends
Many building improvements, from new plantlife, to official signage, to murals and more
The launch of a capital campaign, now over 60% funded
A new on-site partner: Excelsior Academy
Over 100 new community donors
A record-breaking Casino Night and Golf Tournament
The launch of a podcast in conjunction with ECHO and Podastery LLC
Fresh partnerships like those with Truist Bank, Fluor Corporation, the Houston Furniture Bank, the Houston Visual Artists Network, and more
The opportunity to be a disater response site after the storms that occurred
and....so much more!
We are continually humbled by the growth of OCWH, as well as by the witness of daily acts of kindness around here that are simply too numerous to fill a newsletter with. You all truly make the center a special place, and we look forward to all 2025 will entail. Cheers, to more of this great adventure!
p.s. - Do you know a local happening our community should know about? Email natalie@oc-wh.org to see about it being included next month.
Breaking News:
Phase One of our capital campaign, Building for the Future, is part of a 3-Year Strategic Plan. This phase includes updating our facility to state-of-the-art, best in class standards. Our clients deserve it. This will include: 1) external improvements 2) internal upgrades 3) enhanced technology, and 4) energy efficiency.
As of December 2024, we are now at over $370K, of a $500K goal, pledged!
To those that participated in our Tiff's Treats #SPREADJOY Cookie's for Community Campaign, thank you for helping us raise funds in a delicious way!
We are thoroughly honored and blessed by our partnership with the Houston Furniture Bank. Words cannot describe the feeling you get when you watch the joy rush into someone else's heart because their basic needs are being met with a bed to sleep in, a table to eat at, and a chair or couch to rest on. The DIVAS division (HFB's interior decorators) use donated items to do home makeovers. It was an honor to be at their holiday gathering as a community partner.
On December 5th, we were one of six local, nonprofit entities to receive a $5,000 grant from the Energy Corridor Management District's 12 Days of Christmas initiative! The check was presented at their annual tree lighting event. What an honor and great way to bring in the holiday season with pizzazz!
Have you seen the new outdoor stage that Eagle Scout Sam H. and crew installed out in the field? It is going to be awesome to see it used for future outdoor events, skits, and more! Thanks Scouts!
Shout out to our community parters at SEWA International that went out of their way to spread joy and holiday cheer by hosting a holiday gift wrapping event and ugly sweater fashion show at our center! It was a spectacular and packed event!
Additionally, The Memorial-Spring Branch Rotary club presented us with a generous holiday surprise of $1,000! Their long-time support means the world to us and the greater good of the community!
Our Angels in December event, in which local families were presented with gifts from other local families, was a moving event of neighborly love! The smiles upon the recipient's faces were simply priceless!
***25% of all artwork hanging on the walls, sold any day or at the reception, goes back to Outreach Center of West Houston!***
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Saturday, January 11th: "New Year, Better You"
Our friends at Jai Yoga have graciously stepped forward to offer a Theraputic Yoga class to the West Houston community every second Saturday from 10-11 a.m. The class is free for all to attend; however, donations are welcome and help cover class materials.
What is Theraputic Yoga?
Yoga Therapy is a holistic practice that uses movement, breathing, meditation, mindfulness, and relaxation to balance the mind and body.
Why go through Theraputic Yoga?
It's difficult to let go of our stories, but for many of us, the process of healing begins here, with introspection. We are more than our stories, just as we are more than our physical bodies. Our histories cannot even touch on the wholeness of who we are and what we are capable of, nor do they portend our future. Yoga provides the tools one needs to begin healing and seek out a deeper understanding of your own humanity.
The first quarter classes will take place on January 11th, February 8th, and March 8th, at the Outreach Center of West Houston, 725 Bateswood Dr., Houston, TX 77079. Attendees MUST fill this out before attending. You will be asked to sign a waiver upon arrival. For more information, email nmartch@me.com.
We will be one of the participating nonprofit beneficiaries in the Birdies for Charity Texas Children's Houston Open. Every dollar raised goes back to OCWH at 100%.
Being able to attend this particular event will raise GLOBAL AWARENESS about OCWH as the event is internationally televised!
On February 5th, the top 6 + 2 at-random, nonprofit fundraisers will be permitted on site!
The top 15, +4 at-random fundraisers will get substantial grants to further their work!
FamilyPoint Resources celebrated a robust December full of many blessings and reasons to be thankful! Pictured above:
Volunteers reading with first graders every Tuesday
5th graders that were invited to the Houston Texans Field Day
The Annual Ozark Christmas event, which welcomed over 400 individuals to celebrate the season and raise money for FPR participants to attend Camp OTX in the summer
Attendees at the Annual Holiday Gift Store. These gifts and gift card donations allowed over 50 families to shop for Christmas presents at a discounted rate, raising over $1,000 for the FPR Scholarship Fund!
What an AMAZING Christmas season we had at Two Lives Changed! Thanks to the gernerosity of Church Story, Cornerstone Methodist, The DeCasper Rock & Roll Foundation, and many others, we were able to bless 91 children and their parents with gifts galore. We hosted three successful Christmas parties that wouldn't have been possible without our incredible volunteers. A HUGE thank you to the DeCasper Foundation for raising over $14,000 at their first annual Rock & Roll benefit! we are immensly grateful to everyone who volunteered, donated, and walked alongside us throughout 2024!
Saturday, February 1st: Two Lives Changed invites you to the Boots & Buckles gala! In the meantime, if you want to volunteer for childcare or dinner on Wednesdays, or at an upcoming baby shower, give them a shout-out.
The Energy Corridor District is gearing up for the return of their signature spring festival, energyfest! This free community festival is happening on Saturday, April 5th from 12-5pm at Addicks Park & Ride. The afternoon will be packed with live music, carnival games, rides, a beer garden, and an opportunity to connect with businesses and organizations in and around the district. To learn more about sponsorships, booth spaces, or to RSVP to attend, visit www.energyfest.org.
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Saturday, May 3: Save the date for PDAP's Chase Your Dreams 5K PDASH
The Outreach Center of West Houston 725 Bateswood Dr. Houston, TX 77079 Mailing Address: 14053 Memorial Dr. #442 Houston, TX 77079 O: 281-497-7211 | info@oc-wh.org
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