Hope Beyond Bridges is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing meals, clothing, hygiene, spiritual and other assistance to the homeless in greater Houston. HBB has been serving our homeless friends every Saturday for the last 14 years. We have established ourselves as trustworthy, faithful, and non-judgmental advocates for the homeless community. HBB has many established relation
ships with other agencies and ministries that value our insights and expertise. As Co-Founder, and Executive Director, I started Hope Beyond Bridges in 2008 because God placed a calling on my heart to reach out and serve the forgotten, marginalized, and often ignored homeless individuals in the greater Houston area. By God’s grace, HBB has served over 100,620 hot meals, delivered 117,020 hygiene kits, and served the homeless along I-45, for more than 725 consecutive Saturdays without interruption. The homelessness epidemic is fueled by, but not limited to; traumatized individuals who, absent spiritual, family, or community support, turn to drugs, and alcohol to numb the pain of their past. Despite what most believe, the majority of homeless are not lazy, dangerous, or mentally ill. They have suffered complex repetitive trauma and/or complex developmental trauma from an early age, and this experience wires their brains contrary to God’s design. Hope Beyond Bridges knows through experience, our weekly outreach & feedings allow us to build relationships, establish trust, hear their stories, and learn their names. There is incredible power in a name. Our ministry is a relational ministry like Christ was relational – valuing each life as uniquely made in the image of God. Our desire is to restore HOPE, see recovery & restoration from substance abuse, and assist them to exit homelessness permanently. HBB believes and has seen over our 14 years of weekly engagement focused on meeting felt needs, allowing us to earn their trust and build friendships. We want the homeless to see, hear, smell, taste, and experience the love of Jesus Christ through our interactions. Through our relief efforts, we earn the ability to speak the gospel into their lives as the Holy Spirit guides us. By God’s grace, we have seen some accept the grace of Jesus and begin the transformation through recovery & discipleship. We believe every interaction is ordained by God and every prayer we lift on behalf of those we serve has an eternal impact. Our ministry model to accomplish our mission involves partnering with local churches such as our 9 + years with Trinity Lutheran. Our faithful partners purchase food and supplies, provide the commercial kitchen required for food preparation, and the volunteers to go out and serve the food. Our focus area has always been the suburbs between 610 loop and SH99. Our weekly engagement focuses on relief efforts as we provide a hot nutritious meal, something cold to drink, a hygiene kit, and other felt needs. More importantly, than the felt needs, we offer encouragement and prayer. The results of the 2021 annual point-in-time count published by the Coalition for the Homeless Houston recorded 3,047 homeless residents in Harris County, of which 1,510 were living on the streets rather than in shelters.
