The Beacon (Houston)

10/15/2026

Justin Hayward is beginning an exciting new chapter. After working toward stability and new opportunities, Justin has successfully returned to the nonprofit field and secured a full-time position with Montrose Grace Place.

In his new role, Justin will conduct outreach and support the organization’s new youth shelter, which is scheduled to open next month. This opportunity allows him to use his own experiences, strengths, and passion for helping others to make a difference in the lives of young people in the community.

Earlier this week, Justin attended the unveiling of the new shelter at the Montrose Center, marking a meaningful moment in his journey. His success is a great example of how perseverance, support, and opportunity can lead to a fresh start and the chance to give back to others.

We are excited to celebrate Justin and wish him continued success in this new chapter!

10/15/2026

Organize your school, church or company to volunteer with…Register at www.beaconhomeless.org

10/14/2026

Celebrating our Brigid’s Hope graduates!

One of our favorite moments in this program is watching the women receive their certificates of completion. With every cohort that graduates, we see our community grow, and we get to celebrate alongside everyone who helped support these women along the way.

Two of our amazing board members, ML Young and Ursula Hernandez, shared touching words as the women set out on the next steps of their journey.

Thank you to all of our volunteers, staff, and supporters who make this program and graduation possible. We’re so proud of you, graduates!

10/12/2026

Yesterday our CEO, Ana Rausch, and Director of Essential Services, Tanesha Franks, joined our friends at Unity of Houston for their annual Lunch and Learn, held around World Homeless Day. 💙

Ana shared an update on The Beacon’s work and the state of homelessness in Houston, and then took questions from a room full of engaged, informed congregants.

Unity’s support goes well beyond one Sunday. They hold a toiletry and towel drive in October and a coat and blanket drive in November to benefit our guests, and their Unity in the Community team volunteers at our Day Center every quarter. During their service, congregants also prayed for our neighbors by name as they move from the streets into housing.

Thank you to Board members Alan Stuckert and ML Young for making this connection and for their service, and to the whole Unity in the Community Leadership Team for welcoming us. We’re grateful to have partners like you.

10/10/2026

Did you know that October 10th is World Homeless Day? Today is an internationally recognized day dedicated to understanding and addressing the systemic causes of homelessness and inadequate housing.

Homelessness is a complex issue, but Houston has long been at the forefront of tackling its root causes through collaboration, innovation, and person-centered solutions. These are the same values at the heart of everything we do at The Beacon.

Each day, about 250 people come to The Beacon for services, and for some, it’s their very first visit. Along with essential services, everyone who comes through our doors has access to next-step services designed to guide them toward a lasting solution.

The results speak for themselves: since 2012, Houston has helped house more than 30,000 people, with 90% maintaining long-term stability.

Want to do more this World Homeless Day? Visit our website to learn how you can support the mission of ending homelessness in Houston, or read our blog to see what The Beacon is doing in the community.

https://www.beaconhomeless.org/blog

10/09/2026

Please join us in celebrating Patrick Sellenger, our 2026 Beacon Law Volunteer of the Year! 💙

Since 2018, Patrick has helped about 14 neighbors clear their criminal records, so dismissed charges no longer stand between them and a job, a home, or an education.

“I feel like every client is trying to do something positive with their life,” Patrick says.

Thank you, Patrick! Read his story at the link below.

Patrick Sellenger, The Beacon’s 2026 Beacon Law Volunteer of the Year was first introduced to the program and the opportunity to provide pro bono legal services during a Continuing Legal Education (or CLE) at his former law firm.Beacon Law is The Beacon’s civil legal aid program which primarily ...

10/08/2026

Last month, 5 of our 6 Beacon Law staff attorneys spoke at the 2026 Texas Poverty Law Conference held in Austin, TX.

Pictured above is Sam Marsh who spoke on two presentations. The first was titled, "Where Do I Even Start and What Does This Mean?: Parsing Legal Processes and Procedures for the Pro Se Litigant." For the benefit of our non-attorney followers (like our social media team!), a "pro se litigant" is someone who represents themselves in court. Sam's other presentation was, "Catch 22 - When You Need ID to Get ID: Establishing Identity for Clients Who Have Missing or Incorrect Identification Records."

Both of these presentations received overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees and underscore the importance of the work that The Beacon is doing.

10/06/2026

In case you missed it 👀

The Beacon is holding a scrub drive now through October 16 so we can help our guests access shower and laundry services with dignity. Collect new or gently used scrubs or send us some from our Amazon wish list to help us replenish our stock!

Swipe through the photos for more info👇

10/02/2026

Where did the time go? Catching up on our staff workiversaries as we enter fall and the "-ber" months!

We are so thankful to each of these team members for the way they show up for our clients and each other day after day. We want to do a special shout out to our double-digit anniversaries!

18 years for David Pogue - Senior Associate, Public Benefits and Beacon Law co-founder
15 years for Joy Matthews - Resident Support Coordinator with Brigid's Hope
14 years for Ron Marshall - Manager of our Day Center

Thank you for being part of the team!

09/29/2026

Volunteers needed THIS Thursday & Friday (October 1 & 2)! Are you a returning volunteer looking for your next shift, or a first-timer hoping to join our amazing volunteer community? There's no better time to start! We have two shifts each day:

☀️ 7:15 AM – 10:00 AM
🌤️ 10:00 AM – 1:15 PM

When we're short on volunteers, we have to start limiting services, beginning with laundry. Just a few hours of your time helps keep essential services running and ensures that we can serve our clients with dignity.

Sign up: Volunteer with us!
Contact us: [email protected]

Thank you for all your support!