NONPROFIT
BY SHAWN ARRAJJ
A volunteer with the nonpro t helps transport a mattress to a family in need.
25 years of support Since its founding, Houston Children’s Charity has helped local families in a number of ways.
Children browse through clothing and toys at the HCC Clothes Closet, launched in 2009. (Photos courtesy Houston Children’s Charity)
Laura Ward (center) is one of seven founders of Houston Children’s Charity.
Houston Children’s Charity Longstanding nonpro t adapts to changing needs I n the 25 years since its founding, the Houston Children’s Charity has regularly adapted to the
245 vans distributed for families of disabled, wheelchair-using children
30,000 clothing, shoes and accessories provided
80,000 toys distributed to children every holiday season
remain on the waitlist, Ward said. The demand for assistance rose during the coronavirus pandemic, which Ward said emphasizes the importance for nonpro ts to work together. In addition to running its own programs, the nonpro t partners with existing organizations to help with distribution and to raise funds for administrative needs. Collaboration can also help save money in that it prevents organi- zations from duplicating services, Ward said. “I believe the future of all non- pro ts is going to be collaboration,” Ward said. “I believe instead of having thousands and thousands of children’s charities in this city … that organizations need to begin collaborating and sharing in one administrative cost rather than every organization paying people to do the same thing.” With six people on sta , Houston Children’s Charity relies heavily on volunteers to keep operations moving, Ward said. Those looking to help the organization can ll out a volunteer form or make donations online, she said. After 25 years, Ward said she hears the calling to help children louder than ever. “My mission is to care for chil- dren,” she said. “That’s what I do and do best.”
have been implemented based on needs in the community, Ward said. After years of focusing on collecting toys and clothing, a pressing need for beds spurred the launch of the A Better Night’s Sleep program. “Year after year for about three years, when I would be manning the phones, … so many of the parents would say to me, ‘Could we get a bed?’” Ward said. “After about three years of telling people we don’t have a bed program, I thought, ‘Why don’t we have a bed program?’ Because evidently nobody else has one either.” After two to three years of learning the best ways to collect and distrib- ute beds, the nonpro t now has a program in place through a partner- ship with Texas Mattress Makers that provides beds to 100 children each month. Still, roughly 1,300 children
city’s changing landscape, nding ways to meet the needs of children that were otherwise going unmet. For Laura Ward, president and CEO of the nonpro t and one of its seven founders, the story is one of collaboration. The group partners with more than 300 local agencies to nd the children who are falling through the cracks, she said. With the coronavirus pandemic exacerbating demand for basic needs, like clothing and school sup- plies, that mission is more important than ever, Ward said. “This is a time when we are so grateful that there are so many children’s organizations,” Ward said. “The need is more than any of us collectively have been able to meet in the last several years.” Houston Children’s Charity was founded in 1996 by seven people who were already involved in philan- thropy but were looking for a more exibility to address what they saw as the most pressing needs locally, Ward said. The nonpro t provides clothing through an in-house closet program; it raises funding for the Texas Children’s Hospital; and it runs a donation drive every Christ- mas to collect toys. Over the years, new programs
25,000 children have
School supplies given to
over 40,000 students
received mattresses, box springs, frames, pillows and blankets Provides support to more than 300 partner agencies across Houston
$100,000 awarded every
year in support of families at Texas Children’s Hospital
More than 3.5 million children impacted in total
Houston Children’s Charity 1600 West Loop S., Ste. 610, Houston 713-524-2878 www.houstonchildrenscharity.org
This is a timewhenwe are sograteful that there are somany children’s organizations. The need ismore than any of us collectivelyhave been able tomeet in the last several years. LAURA WARD, PRESIDENT
POST OAK BLVD.
610
SAN FELIPE ST.
AND CEO OF HOUSTON CHILDREN’S CHARITY
N
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BELLAIRE MEYERLAND WEST UNIVERSITY EDITION • FEBRUARY 2022
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