With Thanksgiving on the horizon, it’s that time of year to be thankful. And while there are many things to be thankful for, often a warm meal doesn’t make the list for most of us.
While we didn’t intentionally plan our Community Refresh at Star of Hope with the upcoming holiday in mind, it just worked out that we all walked away with something more to reflect on this holiday season.
Why Star of Hope?
There are a few Star of Hope locations in Houston but the one we’ve been active at is the Transitional Living Center. This program is a 12-month long transitional program for homeless women and single-parent families. And they do more than just provide a temporary roof and hearty meals.
They assist their residents with the availability of substance abuse recovery programs, ABE/GED programs, and career training to give them the skills they need to land a job and build a future for themselves and their families.
Our Experience
You might say our MR crew has become a seasoned group of eager volunteers at Star of Hope. This was our third time back, and it was exciting to see familiar faces and reconnect with some of the residents we’d seen on our last two visits.
We arrived right on time with lunch prepped and hungry residents waiting to socialize in the cafeteria. The meal of the day was meatballs and gravy over rice, with corn and pineapple upside-down cake. And the cake was a big hit!
While our time there was only a few hours, it’s good to know that there are places like Star of Hope working very hard to make lasting changes in people’s lives.
Become a Community Refresh(er)
There’s more than one way to give back to your Houston community at Star of Hope. While we decided to return to the kitchen, but there’s also a need for call center, library, help desk, and clothing store volunteers. To start making a difference in the life of a fellow Houstonian, take the first step in giving back and fill out a Volunteer Interest Form.
If you’re short on time there are other ways to help. Visit their website and learn more about How to Give.
And be sure to visit our site for more information on how you can become a Community Refresh(er).
