spotlight

This story includes descriptions of flooding experienced during Hurricane Harvey. Like so many Houstonians, Esmeralda has a Hurricane Harvey story to tell. Two years ago, she was living right by Halls Bayou, at Parker by highway 59 in a four bedroom home with her daughter, a student at HCC, and her partner. Esmeralda and her daughter had always been very close. Every Tuesday, the pair took advantage of the nearby AMC $5 Movie Night. The night her home was flooded, everything happened very quickly. A native Houstonian, Esmeralda lived through Hurricane Rita, among other storms. She remembers the large tree that [...]

“I didn’t do it for me, I did it for my kids.” Charlene has overcome many challenges to be where she is today. When her fiancé died suddenly two years ago, she and her four young children were left without a permanent home. The young family moved from house to house, staying with friends and in shelters in order to keep a roof over their heads. Living in transition made it impossible for them to hold onto their possessions. The family spent some time at the Star of Hope and while they were glad to have shelter, Charlene recalls that “the [...]

The Power Of A Dresser: A Houston Furniture Bank Client Profile At Houston Furniture Bank, we are truly inspired by our clients. They are hopeful and hardworking individuals who have fought long and hard to achieve stability. Rachel Thomas is a heartwarming example of the clients who come in through our Furniture Distribution Center, and she has generously agreed to share her story with us. During Rachel’s visit to Houston Furniture Bank, she was accompanied by her caseworker, Christopher Harper of The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD. When Chris first began working with Rachel, both agreed that her living [...]

From homeless to a stable home, learn more about one client’s journey An enthusiastic “all of it!” was Brenda Rogers’s response when asked to name her favorite item of furniture for her new apartment. Brenda had just passed through Houston Furniture Bank’s (HFB) Distribution Center, selecting the essential furniture that would soon be hers. HFB provides essential furniture to families and individuals transitioning to independent living. What this means is that, with community support and strong partnerships, HFB is able to improve the quality of life of people recovering from life-changing events such as natural disasters and catastrophic illnesses. We were [...]