Growing Interfaith From the cover
Two-minute impact
Interfaith service areas
Percentage of service provided
0%-10% 11%-20% 21%+
Key locations: 1 Current Interfaith location 2 Future Interfaith location 3 Hand Me Up Shop 4 Interfaith Community Clinic
Interfaith has existed longer than The Woodlands itself, having formed in 1973—a year before the rst village in The Woodlands o cially opened. The nonpro t agency was an integral part of George Mitchell’s vision for the community he founded and its surrounding areas, Herndon said. Interfaith works in tandem with governmental bodies, businesses and other nonpro ts to deliver services across an area that includes The Woodlands, Shenandoah and Oak Ridge North, as well as portions of unincorporated Montgomery County. Since it opened, and notably since 2022, Interfaith has seen growth in the region translate to increased demand for food, senior services and other programs that have made it more challenging for the organization to serve those in need, Herndon said. “We just continue to see increased community needs,” Herndon said. This includes a 25% increase in demand since 2022 for its crisis assistance program, which helps people with costs like rent and mortgage payments. The new building will be located in the 77380 ZIP code, which receives 28% of Interfaith services as
45
77384: 10%
1488
242
77382: 0%
77381: 22%
77385: 14%
1
1
4
*77375 & 77389: 5%
3 2
99 TOLL
77386: 21%
77380: 28%
Volunteers help stock Interfaith’s food pantry.
MAP NOT TO SCALE N
COURTESY INTERFAITH OF THE WOODLANDS
*ACTUAL 77375 ZIP CODE EXTENDS BEYOND INTERFAITH SERVICE AREA
SOURCE: INTERFAITH OF THE WOODLANDS COMMUNITY IMPACT
that provide hope, stability, and essential services for individuals and families across our community," said Robert E. Marling Jr., chairman and CEO of Woodforest National Bank.
of 2025—the largest share in the region. "Donating this land to Interfaith of The Woodlands, which we have supported for over 20 years, re ects our long-standing commitment to organizations
The framework
Some context
Additional space will also let Interfaith’s food pantry serve more people, Herndon said. “Our goal is to increase the capacity of the food pantry to be able to continue to serve more neighbors,” Herndon said. “And then also to be able to increase volunteer oppor- tunities within the food pantry.” In 2025, Interfaith saw about 40% growth in service contracts at the pantry from 2022- 25, according to data from the nonpro t.
The key areas of support provided by Interfaith—food assistance, crisis assistance and senior programs—represented 82% of its services as of 2025, according to information from the nonpro t. As many of these programs require an in-person trip to the facility, a location closer to I-45 and closer to its resale store, Hand Me Up Shop, would improve accessibility, especially as rapid growth is occurring east of I-45, where 21% of Interfaith demand is currently seen, Herndon said. Through crisis assistance, recipients can pick up gas cards and vouchers for clothing at the nearby Hand Me Up Shop. For those experiencing a crisis such as housing insecurity or income loss in the area, the location will be more centralized and convenient, she said. Even among the nonpro t’s smaller programs, room to grow is needed for its school supply and holiday giving programs, which see increasing demand, Herndon said. “We need a larger space to be able to do all these programs throughout the year and serve, so
Interfaith of The Woodlands’ programs in the community Food and crisis assistance as well as senior services see the most demand from Interfaith.
30,206: Food assistance 27,909: Crisis assistance
23,557: Senior service programs 11,438: Holiday Giving Program 2,542: School supplies assistance 2,470: Rides for seniors 2,195: Community education classes
Food pantry demand Number of people served
40K 30K 20K 0 10K
+38%
SOURCE: INTERFAITH OF THE WOODLANDS COMMUNITY IMPACT
those two are the really big pillars of that youth service center,” Herndon said. “Our goal is, quite frankly, just to create another space, a very highly functional space, where people can come in and get help, and to serve out of that.”
2022
2023
2024 2025
SOURCE: INTERFAITH OF THE WOODLANDS COMMUNITY IMPACT
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