Welcome to our success stories page! Here you will find success stories about clients, volunteers and staff.
Every morning, clients begin to line up two hours before SEARCH opens its doors at 7:30 a.m. Breakfast is served in a bright clean room where the tables are covered with green tablecloths and seat four people. The look, deliberately, is more country café than the usual institutional setting. The arrangement is less crowded and designed to foster dignity and self-worth.
Clients often arrive weary from their night on the streets, where discomfort, anxiety and vigilance make rest difficult, if not impossible. Clients begin to line up two hours before SEARCH opens its doors at 7:30 a.m. Breakfast is served in a bright clean room where the tables are covered with green tablecloths and seat four people. The look, deliberately, is more country café than the usual institutional setting. The arrangement is less crowded and designed to foster dignity and self-worth.
Many are scared at night. Things get stolen- anything of value. They are targets, so they stay awake.
They are grateful, physically and spiritually, for this safe haven where they are treated with dignity.
SEARCH is their “home” away from living homeless.
Click here to meet some of our clients and hear their stories.
Billy Roberson
This month we spotlight SEARCH’s cook extraordinaire, Billy Roberson! Billy has been with SEARCH for the past 5 years and has been such a great asset. For Billy, being able to serve the people and interact with them is the highlight of his day. “If I can make just a few minutes of their time easier, that makes me happy.”
“When a client says, thank you Mr. Billy, that is what makes my day here at SEARCH!” Read More
Michael Collier
How does a college graduate with a 3.85 GPA from Chicago and a stable job end up living under the Pierce Elevated in Houston? It was a calamitous yet simple combination of job loss plus identity theft.
Michael Collier came to Houston in 2008 to join the team to install the AT&T U-Verse System. Unfortunately, along with 25,000 ATT employees and contractors nationwide, he lost his job in 2009. Even though he secured a permanent position with DuPont only 3 weeks later, he lost that opportunity as well when he found out that the Social Security office records indicated that he was deceased. DuPont was not able to retain him with insufficient records. Read More
Jeffrey Griddine
“Working in the SEARCH kitchen allowed me to keep on top of my culinary skills,” Jeffrey says.
Even though Jeffrey Griddine, 46, hit a breaking point and hit rock bottom, he did not let his frustration and disappointment ruin his life. Today, Jeffrey has a furnished place to live, he has a stable job and he earned his chef’s certification so he can continue to build his career. Read More
Wendy Thomas
“When you’re homeless, it’s not just about coming up with food and basic needs it’s also about your mind. You’re so busy standing in lines and trying to survive that you have no time to take care of the emotional needs you have.” Read More
Markevin Thurston
“I knew I had to change the people, places and things in my life if I was going to be successful. Meeting the people with SEARCH, and those I reconnected with through Facebook, has been a big part of my recovery.” Markevin Thurston Read More
Harold J. Foster
No matter what your circumstances, “you cannot lose your education and knowledge,” declared Maurice Barksdale. It was this positive outlook and tenacity that helped him work through twelve tough months of living on the streets and various shelters. Read More
Maurice Barksdale
No matter what your circumstances, “you cannot lose your education and knowledge,” declared Maurice Barksdale. It was this positive outlook and tenacity that helped him work through twelve tough months of living on the streets and various shelters. Read More
Kaia Brown
At only 8 years old, standing at a petite 3’5″, Kaia Brown has a heart the size of the State of Texas. One day, she just knew it was the right thing to do….she went into her room and counted up the money she saved from her allowance. Then she told her parents, Tanya and Roderick, that she wanted to make a donation to SEARCH. Last year, Kaia’s mom and dad introduced her to philanthropy by helping her and her brother make sack lunches and hygiene kits for SEARCH clients. The experience stuck with her and she was ready to do more.Read More
Gary Anderson
It was the combination of SEARCH’s Disability Specialist Charity Dominguez’s tenaciousness and a little luck from an internet search. After being separated for at least 20 years, and experiencing homelessness for 7 years, Gary Anderson and his sister and brother-in-law from Indiana were reunited in June of 2012. Read More
Benny Guidry
Like many people, Mr. Benny Guidry was greatly affected by the downturn in our economy. In 2009, he lost his job and thus began a challenging search for work. Benny soon discovered that finding a job was not as easy as it had been years prior. After going through his savings, Benny lost his apartment; not long after, his wallet was stolen. With no ID and no place to live, life became even more difficult. Read More
Allison & Allen
Allison and her son Allen, age 6, are each SEARCH success stories in their own right. Allen attended SEARCH’s House of Tiny Treasures for one year. The staff not only gave him a sound educational foundation, they offered the special kind of Tender Loving Care he really needed. Finally, Allen was able to feel safe and was able to learn and feel self confident once again. His experience in Kindergarten has been a huge success. Read More
Deborah Brown
Deborah Brown is not the typical SEARCH donor—not because she’s a teen, because the number of teen volunteers and in-kind donors is on the rise at SEARCH. She’s a second generation SEARCH volunteer. Read More
Harry and Marisa Brown
United in a spirit of community action, Harry and Marisa met, volunteered, and began their romance at SEARCH Homeless Services. Read More
Sarah Pander
SEARCH Staff member Sarah Pander is a true warrior for her clients. Recently, one of SEARCH’s clients was in jeopardy of being evicted and needed immediate assistance to secure supportive housing.Read More
Earl Moore
Just days after Earl Moore was released from Texas State prison, he arrived at SEARCH. That same day, he enrolled in our services and started working for one of our partners who is a felon-friendly employer. Read More
Gordon McBee
Gordon McBee has been clean for a little over 8 years. In that time he has worked hard to overcome a life of drug addiction and all of the accompanying complications. Now Gordon participates in Recovery Group and is considering becoming a peer counselor. But Gordon doesn’t stop at self-improvement; he is committed to improving the community, and he keeps animals top of mind. Read More
Jerry Cohn
2505 Fannin is more than a building at the corner of McGowen and San Jacinto. It’s the mailing address for thousands of SEARCH clients past and present. Each week, SEARCH receives around 3,000 pieces of mail for our clients. Organizing this quantity of mail requires the handiwork of a professional. Read More
Russhane Harris
Russhane Harris, Stabilization Services Housing Coordinator, found SEARCH after she was evacuated from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Houston offered job security and a safe place to stay for Russhane and her then ten-year-old son. She found employment at SEARCH through a temporary employment agency and worked for several months as a “temp” before she was hired permanently. Read More
Angela Harris
Angela Harris, former SEARCH client, celebrated a monumental September. In addition to starting a Master’s program in Accounting at University of Houston, she joined Pentagroup Financial as a collector and is now working full-time. She also purchased her first car and her daughter moved back home, after two years of living with relatives.
John Poventud
SEARCH’s Adult Learning Center student, John Poventud, was one of only three winners of the Learner of the Year scholarship, sponsored by the Houston READ Commission on September 13. John received his award during Literacy Night at the Minute Maid Park pitcher’s mound, a far cry from Houston’s streets where he lived after Hurricane Ike.
Dwight Collins
Dwight Collins grew up in San Francisco, leaving home at age 17 to pursue a lifetime dream of being a Chaplin in the Marine Corps. He went on to proudly serve our country for eight years. When he returned multiple family tragedies, including being misplaced by Katrina, left him feeling down on his luck.
Connie & Family
Connie and her husband arrived in Houston three years ago with the hopes of creating a brighter future. After struggling to make ends meet, they finally lost their home. Working diligently with the support of the shelter and SEARCH’s House of Tiny Treasures, Connie and her family are getting back on their feet.
Chris & Tyler
Chris and Tyler, two of the Adult Learning Center GED graduates this Spring, are from very different worlds, but they’ve arrived at SEARCH with the same purposeful resolve.They each are finishing school to make a better impact in the lives of others. Read More
Hilda
At age 48, Hilda finds herself where she never expected – starting life over. Thanks to SEARCH, she has shelter, work, and now, hope for the future. Born and raised in Houston, she faced what no child should ever have to face: the loss of her mother at age ten. Within two years, she also lost her father and grandmother.
George
George had been working as a roughneck for more than 20 years. Toiling on offshore oil rigs is hard and dangerous work, but George has always liked hard work and it kept his home comfortable and food on the table. When Hurricane Ike hit in September 2008 it destroyed everything in its path.
Woody & Michelle
During the past year, SEARCH’s Mobile Outreach team was able to rescue a couple from Peoria, Illinois. Woody and Michelle, both in their late 30’s, packed their suitcases and drove to Houston following a job lead promised by a friend. Like so many situations in a nervous economy, the lead fell through. Read More
Xavier
Xavier dropped out of school in 10th grade. He challenged authority, had behavioral problems, began abusing drugs, and ended up on the streets. His mother was at a loss. When Xavier finally decided he wanted help, he found treatment and shelter at the Salvation Army Men’s Center. Read More
