November 21, 2018–Donning an apron and chef’s hat, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner hosted a Thanksgiving Feast at Temenos Place Apartments II for 50 formerly homeless individuals who were recently housed through The Way Home, Houston’s nationally recognized homeless response system.
“Today we recognize that housing is the one true solution to homelessness and that a meal shared in a home, amongst family, is the best meal of all,” said Mayor Turner. “If you truly want to help the homeless this Thanksgiving, work with us to help bring the rest of our brothers and sisters home.”
Houston is leading the nation in reducing homelessness and is a national model for other communities. Since Mayor Turner took office, more than 6,000 homeless individuals, veterans and families have been permanently housed with supportive services. Through unprecedented collaboration between the city and more than 100 organizations of The Way Home, overall homelessness has been reduced by 55% in the Houston area since 2011.
Mayor Turner further expressed, “Hurricane Harvey’s impact on our homeless population threatens the success we’ve made. Therefore, we must come together as a community to double-down on our efforts to house the homeless. Helping this holiday season is not about handing-out our leftovers, but rather giving the homeless true dignity by permanently ending their cycle of homelessness through housing.”
The lunch was co-hosted by the Coalition for the Homeless, the lead agency for The Way Home and First Fruits Christian Center Church.“We’re really thankful for Ballenger Realty’s support in providing the food for this event,” said Marilyn Brown, President and CEO for the Coalition for the Homeless. “I know it means so much for these individuals to have a Thanksgiving meal in their new home.”
Permanent housing, combined with supportive services, is the key to ending homelessness for individuals and families in crisis. Houstonians can help by visiting www.thewayhomehouston.org to donate to the Welcome Home Fund, or to find a list of partner organizations to volunteer with.