Non-Profit

Cy-Fair Helping Hands Hosts "Understanding Homelessness in Cy-Fair"with Local Church Leaders

September 23 2022

Cy-Fair Helping Hands hosted an “Understanding Homelessness in Cy-Fair” luncheon with local church leaders and community members at their food pantry and outreach center Thursday in Houston.

Church leaders from across northwest Harris County attended the event, garnering new and frequently unexpected information about the homeless population in the Cy-Fair area. "Often we think of the homeless as an elderly man on the street corner" stated Randi Lewis, CFHH's Director of Homeless Outreach, "when in fact the elderly make up less than 10% of homeless people in our community." In the Cy-Fair area, homeless families with children make up the largest percentage of people with no place of their own.

Randi Lewis, Cy-Fair Helping Hands Director of Homeless Outreach

Photo Credit: Daniel Arizpe

"In CFISD, 1 out of 100 children are registered homeless" stated Lewis. "This just didn't seem possible, so we double-checked with the district and double-checked the math, and with 1,460 students registered as homeless, this is literally just over 1 in every 100 students who are living in cars, in camps, or are doubled up in someone else's home." This number does not include children whose parents do not register them as homeless, due to embarrassment or fear of the state stepping in.

"Across the US, the typical family is now two paychecks away from being homeless", stated Janet Ryan, Cy-Fair Helping Hand's Executive Director. "When you consider the circumstances that can be contributing factors, sometimes they are simply life events that can happen to any of us, such as a divorce, or a protracted illness, or an unexpected job loss" shared Ryan."This leaves so many families vulnerable, with little to no knowledge of resources available. At CFHH each and every week we hear from more families in our area who have nowhere to live so are often living in their cars, and who want to change their situation but just don't know how. That's when we step in, helping with what we can and then sharing other resources with the families to help them get back on their feet."

Deputy Gregory Temple, H.O.T. Team

Photo Credit: Daniel Arizpe

Special guest speaker Deputy Gregory Temple with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Homeless Outreach Team (H.O.T.) shared resources and information available to the homeless population in Harris County. The H.O.T. Team assists homeless individuals all across the county, helping individuals experiencing homelessness with housing, health care, nutrition, bus fare, and obtaining Social Security benefits.

To learn more and to learn how you can help, visit www.cyfairhelpinghands.org or email info@cyfairhelpinghands.org.

About Cy-Fair Helping Hands

Cy-Fair Helping Hands, (CFHH), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded to help the homeless of Cy-Fair become self-sufficient. Since its inception in 2010, CFHH has grown to include a Community Food Pantry, enabling CFHH to serve not only the homeless, but also the hungry. Programs for our homeless neighbors include provision of Emergency Shelter, scholarships for unprivileged students, a Homeless Outreach, a Homeless Day Shelter, programs for homeless students, and events and programs during the holidays and at back-to-school time.

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Cy-Fair Helping Hands Hosts "Understanding Homelessness in Cy-Fair"with Local Church Leaders

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