CCSC will be closed Friday, March 29, and Saturday, March 30, in observance of Easter. We will reopen Monday, April 1.

Impact & Financials

Our work is only possible because of your commitment and generosity.

CCSC’s mission to help struggling families depends on the financial support of our community. We pledge diligent stewardship of the generous financial gifts that you, our donors and partners, make to improve the lives of Houston’s most vulnerable. An independent accounting firm conducts an annual audit on the reporting of CCSC’s financial resources.

Impact*

Here is how your gifts make a meaningful difference in the lives of families in Houston
*Numbers reflected are from 1/1/2023-12/31/2023
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Nutritious 5-day food packages provided
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Job seekers gained valuable skills
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Entrepreneurs participated in our residential housekeeping program
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Students received new school supplies
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We are humbled and honored to partner with each person who shared their story below. We invite you to join CCSC as we impact more lives together.

Meet Araceli

"You inspire me to pursue my dreams."
Araceli was excited to build her new business after graduating from Martha’s Way, CCSC’s residential housekeeping training program. Her client base was growing and the steady income helped her care for her five children. Then, COVID-19 hit.

Like many residential housekeepers, Araceli lost clients as families reduced their social contacts. For several months, money for basic needs was tight.

In the midst of this struggle, Araceli received a call from CCSC. Knowing that Martha’s Way graduates would face unique challenges during the pandemic, our team reconnected with former program participants to check in and see how we could best serve them.

Araceli was grateful to receive that call. “I’ve never felt so much joy in my life before, until CCSC reached out to me again,” she said.

Thanks to conversations with women like Araceli, CCSC added new innovations to the Martha’s Way program to better serve its graduates. We developed new trainings, such as how to add additional health measures to cleanings. Gas and grocery gift cards helped Martha’s Way families make ends meet, and a new graduate chat group now provides peer support and encouragement.

Araceli also enrolled her three school-age children in CCSC’s Youth Programs: Back To School and Jingle Bell Express. This helped Araceli stretch already limited resources to cover other family needs.

“This program means a lot for my family,” Araceli said. “It’s a lot of help for us, especially with the coronavirus.”

Today, Araceli is pursuing her dreams and her business is again growing. She hopes to one day go to college to become a child protective services worker.

“I’m so grateful to CCSC for helping me to make my dreams come true,” Araceli said. “Thanks to the Martha’s Way program, I’ve accomplished a lot of things.”

Meet Leo, Robert, and Mrs. A

"CCSC is a lifesaver. It fills in the gaps."
A high percentage of CCSC’s elderly clients live on fixed incomes, including social security, which can be quickly depleted even in a typical month. In times of unexpected crisis and inflation, these seniors often have a hard time paying their bills. But because of you, our struggling neighbors can come to CCSC for help with food and basic needs.

Leo is 85 years old and has trouble paying for both food and medicine. “I need help sometimes,” Leo said. “My social security is only $1,000 a month. It’s hard.”

Leo received food from CCSC, freeing up grocery money for his much-needed medicines. He also received information on rent, utility, and pharmacy assistance.

Robert first visited CCSC's food pantry in 2023, when a reduction of SNAP benefits combined with higher food prices made it difficult for him to pay for food.

"You have to make do with what you've got and it's hard," said Robert, a 70-year-old retired concrete worker. "Rent, electricity, gas, food, it's all gone up. And prices aren't coming down that I can see.

"I've cut out a whole lot of my food and try to make what I have last all month," Robert added. "CCSC is a lifesaver. It fills in the gaps."

Severe weather events also can impact older clients in significant ways. In the weeks after 2021’s Winter Storm Uri, CCSC saw an uptick in the number of seniors requesting financial assistance for rent and utilities.

"Mrs. A" was one of those clients. In the three days it took for her to get a plumber out to fix a water leak, her water bill shot up to $6,000. Her bill is typically about $28 a month.

Although Mrs. A worked with the city to reduce the bill, the resulting $2,400 total was still more than she could pay—and the city wanted 25% of the balance to keep the water service connected. That's when she called CCSC.

CCSC helped Mrs. A make her utility payment to keep her water service connected.

"Assisting our elders in their time of need is an honor and a blessing for the Emergency Services program," said Emergency Services-Southwest Manager Pat Weatherspoon-Hall. "We are grateful to have the resources that allow us to serve seniors in need.”

Meet Emanuel

"There are many opportunities at CCSC to learn more skills. Whatever you need, they help you."
Emanuel dreamed of one day opening his own food truck and being financially self-sufficient, but various hurdles were keeping him from reaching his goals. When he came to CCSC, he was working in health care, but his recently reduced hours weren’t enough to cover his expenses for food and rent, and a necessary medical procedure had put him into debt. He knew he needed additional training to increase his skill set so he could achieve financial stability.

CCSC helped Emanuel with emergency food—a tremendous help when prices for basic needs began rising in 2022. “It helped me a lot,” Emanuel said. “Sometimes, if I didn’t have food, I got it here and then headed to work.”

CCSC volunteers, who are trained to connect clients with additional resources at CCSC and in the community, told Emanuel about CCSC’s JobNet resources, which include computer trainings and financial/career coaching. Emanuel was very stressed about his financial situation so when he learned about the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a personal financial coach, he jumped at the opportunity.

Over the next several months, Emanuel and his coach worked together weekly to find clarity on his financial situation, create a budget, and set specific actions to reduce his debt and save for his ultimate goal of opening a business. Within one month, Emanuel had reduced his expenses and opened a business savings account.

Today, thanks to his tenacity and the support of his CCSC financial coach, Emanuel is on the way to making his dreams a reality.

An Investment You Can Trust

CCSC is recognized by Charity Navigator, GuideStar and the Better Business Bureau for our exceptional commitment to financial responsibility, accountability and transparency.

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Feeding Hunger, Fostering Hope, Furthering Success
P.O. Box 27924, Houston,
Texas 77227
3434 Branard St,
Houston, TX 77027
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