In Our Neighborhood

Free Immunizations for Kids:  St. Thomas partners with Caring for Children’s Foundation Care Van Program on a quarterly basis to provide free immunizations to children (from newborns through 18 years old - must be “Texas Vaccine for Children” eligible (have Medicaid, CHIP, no insurance, or with insurance that does not cover vaccines).  Care Van provides the medical team and vaccinations; we provide the support (registration, advertising, etc.).  Contact Larry Maple, STPC, for more details at 832-498-5560.

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School Volunteer Opportunities

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1. Loving Houston:  Marilyn Lee, Executive Director (832-280-7089) of Loving Houston, connects churches with schools based on the school’s needs and the church’s gifts and resources.  She requests St. Thomas members consider becoming volunteer mentors at Meadow Wood Elementary School.  Watch this video for more information about the need and view the STPC Volunteer Opportunity description here.  No tutoring is required.  Many students just need the extra support of a caring adult to be a friend, role model, and guide.  They need someone to encourage them, to help them discover their gifts, and to believe in them so that they believe in themselves.  Mentors visit their students once a week for 30 - 45 minutes during the school day.  For more information, contact Ms. Lee or Allyn Dukes, STPC.
    

2. Spring Branch ISD Community Relations Team:  Mary Uribe-Pizana, SBISD Mentor Coordinator (713-251-2212), request volunteers for their SpringBoard Mentors Program to assist students in grades 3 – 12 by offering guidance, encouragement and support.  Mentors provide young people with the skills needed to address personal, school and home issues that may discourage them from reaching their potential.  In just 30-60 minutes weekly, mentors supply the gift of hope to those they touch and give young people a vision of success.  OC approved promoting their request.  To get more details, view the STPC Volunteer Opportunity description here.  To become a mentor with SBISD, please completed their form online on this link.

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Rebuilding Together Houston (RTH):  RTH is Houston’s largest community outreach organization working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods. They do this by providing home repair and renovation services at no cost to low-income homeowners in need, such as the elderly, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and people impacted by natural disasters.  Contact John Cronk or Joe Halloin, STPC, for more details and visit their website link.

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Outreach Center of West Houston:  Seeded by the efforts and funds of St. Thomas, this community building serves thousands of people each year.  The programs it houses include Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.), Palmer Drug Abuse Program (PDAP), Young Life and National Alliance on Mental Illness.   For more information, go to www.oc-wh.org and view the STPC Volunteer Opportunity description here.

Memorial Assistance Ministries:  Our resources and volunteers help this organization give financial (assistance, education and coaching to build a budget so the bills get paid on time every month), Employment Services (to receive job-readiness skills for new or better jobs), food, English as a Second Language (for non-native speakers to interact better in their community), and school clothing to local families in need.  For more information, go to link and view the STPC Volunteer Opportunity description here.  

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Turning Point Center:  The mission of Turning Point Center (TPC) is to help elderly homeless individuals – ages 50 or above – to get back on their feet and re‐enter society as independent, self‐sufficient, and productive citizens.  To do so, TPC provides the essentials of food, shelter, clothing, and transportation, and they collaborate with other agencies to provide benefits and services.  Benefits include SSI/Disability, medical, veterans, and food stamps.  Services include psychological counseling, substance abuse education, AA meetings, and other rehabilitative services.  TPC also offers basic computer classes, hands‐on job training, career counseling, and job placement.  TPC provides these benefits and services within a sober, structured living environment.  For more information, go to link and view the STPC Volunteer Opportunity description here.

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FamilyPoint Resources:  FamilyPoint Resources engages our community in supportive relationships that build hope, meet needs, and transform lives.  We accomplish our mission by working toward mutual growth through listening, playing, and learning.  The Nottingham Park Area is a pocket of apartments and condos nestled between Memorial and the Energy Corridor in West Houston.  The area is home to an amazingly diverse community, though many of the families living in the area are under-served and under-resourced.  Roughly 85% of the families in the Nottingham Park Area are considered low-income and have an annual household income of less than half the average income for our zip code (77079).  FamilyPoint works closely with area schools, specifically the schools in the Spring Forest Middle School feeder pattern and have a growing relationship with Stratford High School.  For more information, go to link and volunteer online here.