SEARCH Events: Cirque de SEARCH Gala and Others |
We're Cooking NowMany of Houston’s homeless share the same deficiency - a nutritious diet. The unfortunate reality is that the resources to prepare a healthy meal just aren’t available if there is no place to call home. Understanding these circumstances, SEARCH provides on average between 150 and 200 hot meals each day we are open. And now, mealtime is even sweeter with the Council of Congregations in the kitchen!
Since our inception over 18 years ago, the Council of Congregations (COC) has partnered with SEARCH in an effort to change lives and end homelessness. This month, we celebrate their most recent initiative - to help feed and fortify those in need.
Soon, volunteers from this ecumenical collaborative will be providing, preparing, and serving wholesome and hearty meals to homeless individuals - in many instances, the one and only hot source of nutrition most of our clients can look forward to. Please join us in congratulating these outstanding congregations on their commitment to make a difference and feel free to stop in to say hello. You can see the Council of Congregation volunteers dishing up the good stuff in SEARCH’s dinning hall Monday - Friday at 9 am.
Way to go COC!
A big thank you to Borders Bookstore and their “First Book” program for granting the preschool children of the Houston of Tiny Treasures with a $1000 award.
Our students were thrilled about their fieldtrip to Borders located at Kirby and West Alabama on Friday, April 13th where they were treated with refreshments, story time and the opportunity to select two books of their choice. Special thanks goes to Collin Graph, Regional Manager for Borders who was instrumental in getting the award on behalf of SEARCH. First Book is an award-winning international non-profit organization that has provided more than 46 million books to children in need. Borders and Waldenbooks teamed with First Book to raise funds to help get even more books into the hands of those who need them most. Funds generated to First Book were converted to Borders gift cards and distributed to hundreds of nonprofit organizations affiliated with First Book, allowing them to purchase new books for the children they serve.
If you are inspired to also sponsor a special project for the children of the Houston of Tiny Treasures, feel free to contact Mitzi Bartlett, Program Manager at (713) 923-7938
Spotlight: BMC SoftwareDuring half-time at the Rocket's game on April 12, 2007, Dan D'Armond (at left), SEARCH board member and Director of Community and Government Relations for BMC Software, presented a check to SEARCH.
BMC Software donated $16,750, the sum of $25 for each of the Rockets 670 three-pointers. Accepting the check at the Toyota Center are SEARCH Board President Bill Boyar (right) and SEARCH Director of Development Sylvia LeBlanc (center).
The 10th Annual Celebrate the Children Gala was a great success. We would like to thank the Daynee & Ed Heller and co-chairs Jan & Alan Selbst as well as all the guests and volunteers!
Look out for the June newsletter for coverage of the event, including pictures of the guests and high-flying Cirque acts!
House of Tiny Treasures Health Fair
The House of Tiny Treasures is hosting a health fair on May 17, 2007 from 3:30 - 5:30 pm for families and neighbors of HTT. Agencies in attendance include, but are not limited to, Depelchin, Ben Taub Pediatrics, Aids Foundation Houston, and Prevent Blindness. Food will be served, and there will be face painting for the children.
Young Ambassadors: 1st Annual Membership Retreat!The Young Ambassadors held their 1st Annual Membership Retreat at the home of Randy Canche on Wednesday, May 9th, 2007. Co-Chair Hedley Karpas highlighted some of the Young Ambassador's achievements during the past year, including raising over $38,000 with the 8th Annual Marti Shlenker Memorial Golf Tournament in October and approximately $5,000 with the Chevron Houston Marathon in January. In addition to raising funds for SEARCH, the Young Ambassadors hosted the Warm and Woolly Winter Clothing Drive, the April Food Drive, and the May Water Drive.
If you are interested in becoming a Young Ambassador, please join us for an introduction to the group and a tour of the SEARCH facility on Thursday, May 17, 2007 at 6pm. For further information, please contact Joni Robertson at 713-276-3064 or jrobertson@searchproject.org.
Executive Committee Members:
Hedley Karpas, Co-chair
Leslie Karpas, Co-chair
Randy Canche, PR Committee Chair
Melissa Nicks, 3rd Party Event Chair
Larry Bubela, In-kind Chair
Randy McKinney, Mixer/Event Chair
Lillie Schechter, Mixer/Event Chair
Joni Robertson, SEARCH
Thank you for being a part of SEARCH as we
Change Lives and Ending Homelessness.
My name is Nancy Schweigart. I came to Houston via a long walk around the country following the separation from my husband of 20 years. After this walk I decided I wanted to settle in Houston because it was a beautiful city. I arrived with $60.00 in my pocket and no skills that were usable in finding a job, due to having been a stay at home housewife and mom. I went to the sheriff’s office downtown and asked where a safe place was for a woman, new to the city, to stay. The sheriff on duty told me about Star of Hope and sent me there. Now, I had come from a small country town, had no clue about living in a city, and was truly scared to death. I didn’t know what I was going to do or how I was going to make it.
The people at Star of Hope were encouraging though and talked to me about what I might be interested in. I did have some computer training, so they sent me to SEARCH to see about getting me into the clerical class there. I was shaking in my shoes because I found out I would have to take tests and interview for this class. I found out I was smarter than I thought I was though and started class in November of 2000.
My first day in class was one I will never forget. Ms. Bev told me I could do it, Ms. Rachel told me I could do it; I kept my head down, did my work and hoped no one would be looking at me. It was through the encouragement of the many loving case managers and instructors at SEARCH that I finally came out of my shell and graduated from class with what I considered honors.
Unfortunately, at that time I was very naïve, met a man who treated me like a queen and I thought he loved me. I did not know much about his past, but I figured if he was going to class and graduating also we could put together a partnership and have a good life together. I was never so wrong in my life.
SEARCH helped me with housing, and I was volunteering at SEARCH with Mr. Craig to learn more about computers, and was getting a stipend for expenses like food. I thought life was going so well. The gentleman in question was working and life looked like it was turning around for me. I was never so wrong in my life. What followed was six years of hell for me, but I had to try to make it work, it was the way I was raised.
Through those six years, although I didn’t know it, many people were in the background to pick me up when I felt so low I couldn’t even crawl. Don Hall, bless his heart, talked to me all the time as did my case manager Virg Parks Poor woman, I know I drove her to distraction. I still bless them to this day for having faith in me, sticking by me long after I should have been self-sufficient, rescuing me from myself. There were many times when I came to SEARCH not expecting to get help, but compassion lives there. Even though I was their biggest problem child, didn’t always listen to their advice, they were always there for me. I don’t know if it is a good thing to know or a bad thing, but I can tell you all the safe places to sleep, where not to sleep, where to get good food without ever having money or possessions, for everything I ever got was either sold for alcohol or drugs. If he didn’t have those it wasn’t pretty, but didn’t matter if he had them or not. I still was in a situation I tried many times to get out of, but either he always found me or I went back.
It was a topsy-turvy life for me. However I had the best help coming in the world. My daughter, Virginia, was moving down to Houston. I was inside staying with friends and had an opportunity at a job. I was so excited, but nervous because I wanted so much for this to end. I wanted a good life again and knew it was coming.
Unfortunately, I got trapped again, ended up being found, attacked in the middle of the night, and finding myself at SEARCH once again asking for help. Don and Virg helped me find a shelter in another city until Virginia got there. They also helped us get into an apartment and look for work. I managed to stay far away from my addiction to this man, and things were looking good. Life has a way of giving you a funny twist though. It turned out my daughter was expecting so she went back to New York, because she didn’t want to be raising a child in Houston, and I can’t say I blamed her; she is a country girl at heart, and also the job hunting wasn’t going that well.
I went to work as a live-in assistant house manager, and was working to get my life back in one piece. But, once again, I was weak and went back to this person. This time I had a job working at Minute Maid Field, so had a base and was able to be inside. After baseball season I was hired at Central Market, was able to get into an apartment, and finally felt that things were going so very well. Don’t ever believe that lie, “I will change”, because it never happens, instead it gets worse.
In July 2005, I lost my Mom, and my Dad had moved down to live with my uncle in Conroe. Daddy got really sick, and I called my son to come see him, because Daddy wanted to see him. He met this man, and said that I needed to get out. I knew this, but stayed because of my father, I needed to be close by. My Daddy passed in September of 2006, and that was the roughest time for me. The two weeks before he passed I had been back and forth to Conroe every day before or after work. My kids came down for the funeral, and that is when I decided I had to make a serious move. My son, David, told me to hang in there until they got moved into their new home, and in November he came to get me. He came in on a morning flight and I was packed up and out of Texas that night, never ever to go back to that situation.
I am currently enrolled at the University of Phoenix, with a 3.8 grade average, and I still keep in touch with Virg and still ask her advice! She was awesome with me, would yell when I needed to be yelled at and I know I gave her a few white hairs. I think she still likes me anyways though (at least a li’l bit?). I am getting my AA in Criminal Justice, heading towards my BA, and use those degrees to become a Domestic Violence Advocate. I want to be able to give back. This past year I was able to give a little back to the homeless project at SEARCH, although I will never ever be able to repay all the kindnesses, love and hope they gave to me through the years I was there. Anytime I called someone was there, night or day to help me out, even when I was stupid, in what I thought was love. And don’t get me wrong, I did dearly love this man, but I came to realize that I did not want to become a statistic. I want to make Don and Virg, and everyone there at SEARCH proud of me, and be able to be proud of myself.
I have written two papers for school on Domestic Violence, and been able to help three women in my classes through them. It is a good feeling to be able to help.
I would like sometime in the future to come back to Houston and visit; however I am not ready for that just yet. I can be contacted through my email if ever anyone just wants to talk, or just to say hi. I live in Charlotte, North Carolina now, with my son, his fiancé, and their roommate. I am safe and free of the chains that bind forever.
Life is good!
Hugs and loves to all!!!!
Nancy Schweigart
eternalchildis@yahoo.com
PS. I have to give a shout out to Cowboy……Thank you for being my friend and understanding. I miss you!
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.
©2005-2007 SEARCH All Rights Reserved.
SEARCH Homeless Center is a proud member of the United Way.
