Three decades of service
Nonprofit expanding to meet growing needs
After 32 years of serving those in need, Northwest Assistance Ministries is still moving full steam ahead — looking for more ways to promote further positive change in the area.
The nonprofit helps people by providing for their basic needs, including food, shelter, health, education, safety and financial education.
For its work, the organization was recently honored with the “Winner of Distinction Award” by the Better Business Bureau during its Awards for Excellence luncheon on May 13. This is the seventh year in a row that the organization has recognized the Northwest Assistance Ministries for excellence.
Instead of resting on its laurels, the nonprofit is looking to the future and planning to expand.
In January 2014, Northwest Assistance Ministries launched its “Roots and Wings Capital Campaign,” setting a goal of $5.37 million to build a retail and training center on its property.
A $250,000 gift from the Hamill Foundation brought the campaign to $4.9 million, and recent gifts of 450,000 from the David Weekley Family Foundation and $30,000 from the Medallion Foundation put the campaign at 93 percent of its goal.
The new retail and training center will allow Northwest Assistance Ministries to expand its programs and services, especially in the area of workforce development. The center will also provide a permanent home for the largest of the nonprofit’s three resale stores, which together generate more than $1 million per year.
Construction of the retail and training center will not begin until all funds have been raised.
A history of giving
Carole Little, president and CEO, explained that the organization’s mission is to meet basic human needs through “neighbors helping neighbors.”
She explained that the concept for the nonprofit was sparked in the 1980s, when Houston was going through an economic downturn spurred by changes in the oil and gas industry.
“People were turning to their congregations for help,” she said. “The leaders of the congregations knew they couldn’t make a change in the economic or political situation, but they did have control over their own response. If they put aside their philosophical differences and pooled their resources, they could really make a difference.”
In April of 1983, 10 congregations came together for the cause: St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church, Northwoods Presbyterian Church, John Wesley United Methodist Church, Kinsmen Lutheran Church, Hosanna Lutheran Church, Congregation Jewish Community North, Wildewood Baptist Church, Cypress Creek Christian Church, Klein United Methodist Church, and Plymouth United Church.
Dubbed the Northwest Assistance Ministries, the collaborative kicked off its operations by opening a resale shop and a food pantry. With a starting budget of $50,000 and only one paid employee, the group helped a few thousand people its first year and generated $10,000 through its resale shop. Today, the nonprofit has grown to include 40 supporting organizations, 85 employees and 2,500 volunteers. The 2014-15 budget is more than $10 million.
The organization reports that last year it impacted the lives of more than 130,000 people through its programs in its service area, which now stretches about 242 square miles and covers 20 ZIP codes.
Services for seniors
One of the longest running is Meals on Wheels — delivering prepared meals to the doors of seniors and other neighbors who are homebound because of disability or illness.
More than 500 volunteer drivers drop off meals six days per week as part of Meals on Wheels. Drivers also deliver groceries once a month to low-income seniors through NAM’s Senior Food program.
With each delivery, volunteers make time for conversation and assess their clients’ well-being.
Seniors also are invited to enjoy a free lunch three days a week at the organization’s “60 Plus Café,” located in its main building at 5555 Kuykendahl Road.
The “50 Plus Senior Center” offers social activities throughout the week, including dance, bingo, movies, trips, crafts and exercise classes.
Assistance for children
To help children in the community, Northwest Assistance Ministries houses a full service pediatric clinic for infants through 18-year olds.
The clinic is operated through a partnership with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and also serves as a training facility for the school and other local universities and community colleges.
During the last fiscal year, the clinic provided 11,698 patient visits and 2,363 case management services for 3,026 children, as well as 1,119 immunizations.
In addition, Northwest Assistance Ministries runs the Family Violence Center, which offers a 24-hour hotline and telephone crisis counseling, as well as emergency shelter, food, clothing, transportation and medical assistance.
Helping the Homeless
Northwest Assistance Ministries also offers a number of services for homeless and struggling families.
For the past two years the nonprofit operates the Joanne Watford Nutrition Center, a “choice food pantry” that operates much like a grocery store.
“In a typical food pantry, everyone gets the same bag of food,” Little said. “This pantry allows you to choose the foods that are most important for your family. It’s more efficient. It’s really a cutting edge concept.”
Clients choose their own food from designated categories. In the last fiscal year, the center served 18,073 people – including monthly grocery deliveries to 121 seniors.
The nonprofit offers a number of housing services, including financial assistance with rent or mortgages, help finding a place to live and case management. “Our focus is on helping families that are on the edge of losing their housing,” Little said. “If they have fallen through the cracks, we have a number of partnerships to help them rapidly find housing.”
Volunteer opportunity
Little said there are a number of ways for people to get involved. “If you’re looking to make a difference in the community – or you want more purpose in your life – come, take a tour and see all of our services,” she said.
At Northwest Assistance Ministries, we know what the power of working together can do – and that’s what keeps us coming back.”
To learn more about NAM’s services, visit www.namonline.org