Houston – Houston Life co-hosts Derrick Shore and Tessa Barrera are always up for a challenge so when they were invited to take part in a thrilling adventure for a good cause, they couldn’t resist.
In November, they took their courage to new heights and rappelled 26 stories down the side of the DoubleTree hotel in the Galleria area. It was all to raise awareness and money for the United Way of Greater Houston. This is the third year UWGH has done the ‘Rappel for a Reason’ fundraiser and ended up with more than $200,000 raised.
An estimated one million households in the greater Houston area are on the verge of poverty and United Way is committed to helping those families reach and maintain financial stability. Many people might be unaware of the resources available to them. The 24/7 211 hotline and their Integrated Client Journey (ICJ) are two big changemakers. The 211 hotline is a free, confidential helpline operated by United Way of Greater Houston. Help seekers can reach them by phone, text, email, or live chat. In 2023, a staggering 1.25 million people were connected with help. Of those, over 83,000 people were helped with utilities, 69,000+ with rent or mortgage, 40,000+ with housing services, 26,000+ with income support or public benefits assistance, and 29,000+ people were helped with food programs and services. Whether someone needs help finding child care, food stamps, care for an aging parent, or a haven from domestic violence, 211 is the number to call when you don’t know who to call.
The Integrated Client Journey is another tool they use to help families. ICJ brings together non-profit partners and social service resources to help clients access help when and where they need it as they work towards gaining better financial stability. Coaches work one-on-one with people to set goals and access resources to meet those goals.
For example:
The client is a single parent with two small children. They lost their job and need to find employment, but they also need to make sure their kids are in a safe childcare setting so they can continue to work. However, navigating the processes of various non-profits can be daunting; each one has different intake and qualifications. Through the ICJ, a navigator can help identify the resources best suited for their immediate need, and with all of their information logged into the ICJ platform, they don’t have to continue sharing their story and background with each nonprofit they are connected to.
We spoke to the vice president and Chief Advancement Officer for UWGH Angel Harris who gave us a more in-depth look at how they are helping families in our community.