3rd Annual Water for Life Drive The Young Ambassadors: Year One Spotlight: Trinity East United Methodist Church |
We raised over $424,000 for SEARCH’s Tiny Treasures Programs at our 10th Annual Celebrate the Children gala!
Our Cirque de SEARCH event was unbelievable! The venue was beautiful, the food delicious, entertainment unparalleled, and the silent auction well attended; what more can you say but thank you to everyone who supported our Celebrate the Children gala. We had 500 Houstonian’s in attendance, among them Councilman Adrian Garcia, Ambassador Arthur Schechter, Lorraine & Ed Wulfe, Melanie Lawson and Maureen & Jim Hackett.
Judge Eric Andell did an amazing job as our auctioneer. He not only entertained the audience with his charm and wit, he helped SEARCH raise $15,000 from the live auction alone. Our auction included incredible trips to Prince Edward Island and Hawaii plus the last ever autographed UT Jersey and Helmet by Vince Young.
Master of Ceremony, Jerome Gray, helped us stay true to our word…short on program, long on fun. And, what fun everyone had watching Cirque perform spine-bending, mind-tingling acts like the contortionist, Chandelier Balancing, Ariel Rope, Rolla Bolla and the stunning Statue Strength. After the performances everyone enjoyed dancing to the tunes of the Doppelganger Band.
You won’t want to miss our Bikers & Babes 2008 Celebrate the Children gala, date to be announced. With gala chairs Jan & Alan Selbst and co-chairs Nita & Nolan Bedford it is sure to be a fabulous time, but more importantly help raise much needed funds for SEARCH and its Tiny Treasures Programs.
View more pictures from the 2007 Celebrate the Children Gala!
SEARCH announced new leadership on May 3, 2007. Thao Costis has been named President and CEO of SEARCH and Bill Boyar has been named Chairman of the Board.
Thao Costis is a long-time advocate for the homeless in Houston. She has dedicated her career to the issue and has served on the staff of SEARCH for 11 years. In that time, she has focused primarily on improving the agency’s ability to serve the community and bring awareness to the issue concerning the growing homeless population in Houston.
Bill Boyar is a well-known civic leader in the Houston community. Most recently, he served as Chairman of the End Hunger Network, a nonprofit agency paving the way to end hunger in Houston, and spearheaded the most successful capital campaign in the organization’s history. In addition, he is Chairman of Houston-based law firm Boyar & Miller.
3rd Annual Water for Life DriveHouston - last fall you showed the world we’re a city with a big heart. Let’s do it again!
Thousands of homeless men, women and children are without shelter from Houston’s brutal summer heat. Help protect them by donating bottled water, insect repellent, and sunscreen to SEARCH – the Houston charity dedicated to helping homeless people get off the streets, into jobs and affordable housing.
Bottled water, insect repellent, and sunscreen may be dropped off:
Preview the radio ad KTRH has generously sponsored.
Where is Noah Rattler?Noah Rattler set off on his journey to Los Angeles by foot on March 26, 2007. Since his departure, Noah has been welcomed into many towns and cities along the way, speaking on behalf of the homeless, and drawing media coverage.
In Arlington, he was interviewed by the Arligton Star-Telegram.
In Witchita Falls, he visited a number of homeless shelters, women's centers, and City Hall. His 1,800 mile walk was featured on CBC Channel 6, The Times Record News, and Texoma's KFDX .
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, he recently appeared on television and radio broadcasts. One woman from the state of Washington heard Noah on the radio in Albuquerque and sent a letter to SEARCH with donation to express her support.
Noah still needs your support. Please make your donation today so that Noah can continue his journey to raise awareness for those in poverty and in homelessness.
The SEARCH Young Ambassadors Professional Group was formed in May 2006 with the hope to raise awareness of SEARCH among Houston’s most active young professionals. The genesis of the group matriculated at the directive and vision of the SEARCH family, which realized that the younger professional demographic had been untapped. The SEARCH Board of Directors, knowing that the City of Houston had a large amount of professionals who were actively involved in philanthropy, commissioned the Young Ambassadors Executive Committee to be formed to raise awareness and promise for the future of SEARCH.
After the assiduous decision making by the SEARCH family as to who could perform this task, an Executive Board Committee consisting of members Hedley and Leslie Karpas, Randy Canche, Dr. Larry Bubela, and Melissa Nicks was formed in May 2006. Joni Robertson, the Director of Major Gifts & Events, was tasked to oversee the synergetic Executive Board Committee and act as a liaison between the Young Ambassador Executive Board and the rest of the SEARCH family.
The first SEARCH Young Ambassador Executive Board Committee meeting was held in April 2006 at SEARCH’s headquarters to assign sub-committees to each Board Member. At that time, it became evident that the Young Ambassador Executive Committee would need to raise funds for SEARCH, promote awareness and increase membership, speak out in the community about SEARCH, conduct in-kind donation drives, and to coordinate social mixers to get SEARCH’s mission across. As a result, marketing groups, speaking groups, memberships groups, and in-kind committees were formed to perform these tasks. It became evident to the SEARCH Young Ambassador Executive Board Committee that a tremendous amount of work had to be done to change the trajectory of the lives of the thousands of homeless individuals living in Houston.
The first call of business was to hold a meeting mixer with individuals who the Young Ambassador Board felt would immediately become involved. On June 8, 2006, SEARCH Young Ambassadors’ first mixer was held at the home of Leslie & Hedley Karpas. In attendance were Monique Kursar of 002 Magazine, Randy McKinney of The Alley Theater, and Ambassador Arthur Schechter. Also in attendance were fifty individuals who were taken back by the words of Ambassador Schechter and the SEARCH Young Ambassador Committee. Immediately after the meeting, the Young Ambassador Executive Board received an abundance of inquiries from individuals, corporations, and venues that wished to give back to SEARCH.
SEARCH Young Ambassadors’ next event was held on August 24, 2006 at Post Oak Grill thanks to the generosity of Javier Ferrer, Vitalis Medical Spa, 002 Magazine, the Post Oak Grill. In attendance were Monique Kursar, Kevin Kuczinski, Wendy Beltran, and many other loyal supporters. With over forty individuals in attendance, several members joined and raised money for SEARCH.
In October 2006, SEARCH Young Ambassadors held the Marti Shlenker Memorial Golf Tournament, which raised upwards of $38,000 for SEARCH. The event proved to be a tremendous success for the Young Ambassadors.
On December 7, 2006, another successful mixer was held at Karpas Properties. Grimillion Galleries was generous in providing art, with a portion of the proceeds of art sales being given to SEARCH as a beneficiary. Over sixty individuals were in attendance.
The In-Kind donations sub-committee, at the direction of Dr. Larry Bubela, held a “Warm & Woolly” drive in December. With the help of Flyte Boutique, the “Warm & Woolly” drive was conducted to help gather ski hats, gloves, jackets, scarves, and other cold-weather clothing that SEARCH’s clients would need to survive the inclement weather of winter. It is the mission of the In-Kind Needs Committee to not only help spread awareness of SEARCH’s mission but support the needs of SEARCH’s programs.
On January 29, 2007, the SEARCH Young Ambassadors held their largest mixer to date at Gravitas Restaurant. Over 70 people were in attendance and sipped on Pomegranate martinis as they mixed and mingled in the crowd with media coverage by 002 Magazine, Paper City magazine, and Houston Modern Luxury Magazine. Be True Jewelry donated 10% of its sales for the evening to SEARCH as did Gravitas Restaurant for their food sales of the evening. Along with the many members in attendance were Ghussan Yassir, Eddie Elizondo, Nicole Fertitta, Lexi Chase, Lillie Schechter, and a plethora of models from Neil Hamil.
In April 2007, a non-perishable food drive was conducted at the direction of Dr. Larry Bubela, in an effort to stock the pantries in client’s homes who have recently found housing through SEARCH’s resources. The Young Ambassadors are greatly appreciative of the support that was extended by AMLI Residential, Karpas Properties, and the City of Houston.
The first Young Ambassador retreat, for members only, was held at the home of Randy Canche on May 9th. This was a great opportunity to meet all the members, hear about all that was accomplished during the first year, and to discuss the Young Ambassadors goals for fiscal year 07-08.
Please check back for our upcoming events, which include a summer event, Fall Fashion Show, and a winter event.
SEARCH’s ongoing effort to serve Houston’s homeless is a labor of love—one that is shared and supported by its core foundation, the Council of Congregations (COC). Realizing that it takes an entire community to make a difference, members of the COC are prompted to lend a helping hand wherever needed—even in the kitchen! And they are providing their helping hands on their own time before most people's day even begins.
Our spotlight this month shines on Trinity East United Methodist Church. On Thursday, May 10, members of Trinity East UMC volunteered their time to prepare and serve 135 hot meals to men and women who seek services provided by SEARCH. As a congregation, Trinity East UMC raised funds to cover the cost of food and servingware for up to 150 people. They rallied members of the church to cook, serve, and tidy up afterwards. Trinity East’s goal, along with our member congregations of the COC, is to prepare meals of love for their fellow Houstonians at least once a month in the dining hall at SEARCH as an extension of their own ministry.
Mr. Cameron Wells who is a member at Trinity East UMC and a representative on the COC stated, “We found our experience of serving those in need at SEARCH very rewarding. It was an excellent opportunity for our church to give back and do extra mission work in the community.” Mr. Wells, photographed above along with other members of Trinity East UMC, encourages other families of fellowship and worship to partner with SEARCH and the COC.
To take a tour of SEARCH or to learn more about SEARCH’s Council of Congregation, please contact Neia Limar at nlimar@searchproject.org or at 713-276-3083.
When Shelia R. Smith arrived at the Discover Women’s Program at the beginning of this year, she was destined to succeed. Since her admission to transitional housing, she has secured employment, and was recently awarded a certification in Business Technology from the Houston Community College System. Shelia has also begun classes recently in truck driving. She will complete these classes in approximately 6 - 8 weeks.
An additional aspiration is to earn an Associates degree at the same institution of higher learning (HCC). “With God’s guidance and the assistance of staff at the Discover Women's Program, I feel too blessed to be stressed. I could not have succeeded without this wonderful group of people at Discover who are always there for me. I serve an awesome God. I am truly appreciative.”
Shelia currently serves as a role model for other ladies who are striving for success. Her level of motivation is phenomenal!
Congratulations, Shelia!
Please visit the volunteer section of our website or contact Joseph Benson by email at jbenson@searchproject.org or by phone at 713-276-3060 for current volunteer opportunities.
SEARCH is in need of the various items and could use your help in getting them. We’d appreciate items by the case where available:
If you can help us out, please contact Joseph Benson by email at jbenson@searchproject.org or by phone at 713-276-3060. To see a list of ongoing in-kind needs, please visit the in-kind donation section of our website.
If you would like to receive our SEARCH Newsletter, please send
an email to webmaster@searchproject.org or call 713-739-7752.
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SEARCH Homeless Center is a proud member of the United Way.
