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New twist to our fun and fabulous annual gala!
 SEARCH Homeless Services will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a “Picnic and Party….on the Green”. Join us as we dance under the stars at Discovery Green and commemorate 20 years of providing hope, creating opportunity, and transforming lives of thousands of Houston’s homeless men, women and children.
- 1,000 "movers and shakers" are expected to crowd the hill overlooking the skyline of Houston
- Entertainment by the nationally known band, Rotel and the Hot Tomatoes.
- Honoring Mayor Bill White
- Food and drinks will be provided at multiple stations by various restaurants
- "The Lounge", a prominent, comfortably furnished area will be designated for VIPs and other guests who want to contribute a little extra to put their feet up and be served special vodka drinks
- As always, short on program, long on fun!
Get your tickets now!
 A Message from Thao Costis, SEARCH President and CEO
We didn’t want to reschedule our first time “Picnic in the Park,” but the wet ground from the unexpected heavy rains made the decision clear. As disappointed as we all felt, we couldn’t help but think of the more than 5,000 people (half of whom experience homelessness every day in Houston) who cannot find shelter and were sleeping in the cold, damp conditions.The challenges to our economy mean tough times all around. We continue to gather friends and resources to support SEARCH’s work, which is crucial to Houston and to the growing number of people who need our services. People who never imagined homelessness could happen to them are showing up on our doorstep, including the offshore worker (see “Holding On” story), the airline stewardess, and people from out of town looking for work in Houston.
Read the entire message.
HOLDING ON George had been working as a roughneck for more than twenty years. Toiling on offshore oil rigs is hard and dangerous work, but George has always liked hard work and it kept his home comfortable and food on the table. When Ike hit last September it destroyed everything in its path, including George's job. The oil company where he was employed was forced to lay off George. His boss acknowledged that George was a good employee and promised to find him another job somewhere. The company told George that there would be a place for him working on a land rig, if he could just hold on for a while. He looked for other work but with the economic crunch, jobs were scarce. He knew if he could just hold on for a few months, he would be working again on the land rig.
Read the entire message.
COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT
The service numbers from 2008 have been carefully compiled and SEARCH has some major accomplishments to report!
Each year in Houston 30,000 people experience homelessness
 They are members of our community—
…employees who have lost their jobs
…workers who earn insufficient wages
…people with addictions
…people with health problems
…victims of natural disasters
…victims of domestic violence
…veterans who serve our country
Read the entire message.
Top Reasons to Celebrate 20 Years of SEARCH Homeless Services
For its 20th anniversary, SEARCH asked its dedicated staff members to contribute their thoughts on what makes us special. The following are five of the top 20 reasons to celebrate the work of SEARCH.
- SEARCH meets clients where they are, not where the staff thinks they should be.
- SEARCH is progressive -- we try new things to see the possible in impossible.
- SEARCH confronts the complex challenges of homelessness to enable clients to move beyond survival and towards self-sufficiency.
- SEARCH serves all homeless populations -- single men & women, mothers with children, traditional families, veterans and others.
- SEARCH has a clear mission. Each and every day, staff members and volunteers provide hope, create opportunity, and transform lives.
Read the entire message.
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