Meaningful Change —

Not Spare Change

Make a donation to The Way Home Houston

What is Meaningful Change?

Meaningful Change is a community campaign.

Houstonians are compassionate – always ready to help someone in need. But sometimes helping can hurt. The many nonprofits working to solve homelessness have created a system called The Way Home, which provides permanent housing and supportive services for homeless individuals and families. The Way Home only works when homeless people and families access services.

If a person can manage their homelessness by panhandling, that is one more day that they will be homeless, rather than getting permanent help.

Faith Leaders, non-profits, and the business community are partnering with The Way Home to create Meaningful Change for homeless individuals rather than prolonging their homelessness with Spare Change. We need your help.

Fast facts:

Studies have shown that a chronically homeless individual can cost taxpayers more than $40,000 each year, cycling in and out of: jail, hospital emergency rooms, prisons, detox programs, etc.
The same studies show that housing a chronically homeless individual costs approximately $20,000 each year for housing subsidy and supportive services.
When you donate to The Welcome Home Fund, every dollar goes directly to benefit the client (no administrative costs are charged aside from standard credit card fees).
The Welcome Home Fund provides housing needs that a homeless individual won’t have such as: furniture, household basics (think coffee pots, dishes, shower curtains, etc.), and one-time leasing and utility fees and deposits.

From here, you can:

Make a donation to The Way Home Houston
Read Real Change, a Houston Chronicle editorial about this campaign.
Download the Meaningful Change style guide and design assets.
Check out a list of frequently asked questions.

Photos from our launch event:

Faith leaders gather with Mayor Turner to launch Meaningful Change.

Nonprofit partners:

A Caring Safe Place
AIDS Coalition of Coastal Texas
AIDS Foundation Houston
Alief Independent School District
Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries
Ambassadors for Christ
Angel Reach
Asset Building Network
Bay Area Homeless Services
Bay Area Turning Point
Baylor College of Medicine
Bering Omega Community Services
Brentwood Community Foundation
Career and Recovery Resources
Catholic Charities
Center for Recovery and Wellness Resources
Change Happens!
Child Care Council of Greater Houston
City of Conroe
City of Houston Department of Health and Human Services
City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department
City of Houston, Mayors Office
City of Pasadena
Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County
COMPASS
Corder Place Apartments/Houston HELP
Covenant House
Crisis Assistance Center (formerly Montgomery County Emergency Services)
CSH
Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County Social Services
Fort Bend County Women’s Center
Fort Bend Family Promise
Fort Bend Independent School District

Fulton Village Redevelopment Corporation
Funders Together to End Homelessness – Houston
Goodwill Industries of Houston
Harmony House
Harris County Adult & Youth Protective Services
Harris County Community Services Department
Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council
Harris County Housing Authority
Harris County Juvenile Probation Department
Harris Health
HAY Center
Healthcare for the Homeless – Houston
Homeless Youth Network
Houston Area Community Services
Houston Area Women’s Center
Houston Food Bank
Houston Galveston Area Council
Houston Housing Authority
Houston Independent School District
Houston Police Department, Homeless Outreach Team
Houston Recovery Center
Humble Area Assistance Ministries
Lord of the Streets
Main Street Ministries
Memorial Assistance Ministries
Michael E. Debakey V.A. Medical Center
Mission Northeast
Mission of Yahweh
Montgomery County
Montgomery County Food Bank
Montgomery County Youth Services
Montrose Center
Neighborhood Centers, Inc.
NEST
New Hope Housing, Inc.
Northline SRO

Northwest Assistance Ministries
One Voice Texas
Open Door Mission
Palmer Episcopal Church
Parks Youth Ranch
Pasadena Community Ministry
Project Joy & Hope
recenter
Safety Net Project
Salvation Army of Conroe
Santa Maria Hostel
SEARCH Homeless Services, Inc.
SER Jobs for Progress
Star of Hope
Temenos Community Development Corporation
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
Texas Department of State Health Services
Texas Homeless Education Office
The Beacon
The Bridge Over Troubled Waters
The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD
The Housing Corporation
The Salvation Army
The Way Home Adoption Agency
The Women’s Home
Tri-County Services
True Colors Fund
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
U.S. Veterans Administration
USVETS
Volunteers of America
Wellsprings Village, Inc.
Wesley Community Center
Westside Homeless Partnership
Wheeler Avenue 5 C’s
Workforce Solutions
YMCA
YWCA

Faith leaders:

Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center, Sugar Land
Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church
The Green House International Church of Houston
Silverlake Church
St. Nichiren Temple
Spring Branch Presbyterian Church
Heights Presbyterian Church
Sharpstown Baptist Church
The Word Church Online
International Society for Krishna Consciousness of Houston
Islamic Society of Greater Houston
Dream Street Ministry
Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church
Arya Samaj of Greater Houston

Hindus of Greater Houston
Sikh Community
Baha’i community
First Metropolitan Baptist Church
Payne Chapel AME
St. John’s Downtown
Cathedral of Hope- Houston
New Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church
Bering United Methodist Church
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
Congregation Brith Shalom
Greater Pure Light Church
Christ is the Answer International Church (CIA)
The Islamic Institute (a.k.a. – The Blue Mosque)
Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries

St. Monica Church
Lola Lockett Ministries International
Real Worship Center
A Community of the Servant-Savior Presbyterian Church
Pines Presbyterian Church
Main Street Ministries Houston
Greater First Baptist Church
Galilee Community Baptist Church
Greater Grace Outreach Church
Community of Faith
Chapelwood United Methodist Church
Kindred Church
Clear Lake Islamic Center
Grace United Church of Christ

Other partners: