This year marks our 21st anniversary 2010 Luncheon
Twenty-one years is not only a significant milestone for a person, but also for an organization. This year marks our 21st anniversary and an important point of transition. For over 21 years, Rev. Leslie Smith and Change Happens! have been a source of hope for Houstonians and their neighbors; holding strong to its mission to empower families to help themselves. This year’s luncheon will honor long-time community activists, Ann Hamilton with the Dorothy Ables “Making Change Happen” Hero Award. Ann Hamilton is a Houston treasure and a “green” gem in the fight for environmental causes and organizations. In addition to her many years of dedication at the Houston Endowment, serving on numerous charitable and community boards, Ann has devoted her life to making sure that future generations will experience green space, breathe clean air and enjoy an enhanced quality of life.
Join us for this event on Friday, October 29, 2010, 11:30am – 1pm at the Junior League of Houston. For ticket or sponsorship information please contact Kae Shakir at 713-374-1213.
Moments In Crack Alley
Have you ever been certain that you felt or were in the presence of God? I know that may be a strange question, especially from a Reverend, God is everywhere, but I mean literally felt as if you were standing right next to Him or standing in His front yard. I have. I have found a place that I visit, between 6am and 8am, where I can hear His voice on the wind, guiding me, pushing me to do better, do more; where I feel His arms embracing me, assuring me that this can be a better place; where I see the light coming over the horizon, feel it warming my soul and spreading an indescribable peace throughout my body as it expands it reach. Sounds like heaven on earth, right? Now would you believe that this place is located right behind my building in what’s referred to as “Crack Alley.” For those of you who are unfamiliar with where the Change Happens! building is located, allow me to paint you a picture. Our building is located on Elgin Street, in the heart of Third Ward. Behind my building is the beginning of a little alley, and as you travel through this alley and its adjacent streets, mostly after 8pm, you will see run down houses where people live with boards on their windows and holes in their floors. Here you can see the legacy of hard living: drug dealers and users, prostitution, crime; people who have lost hope and purpose. Now don’t get me wrong, in my opinion this is a great neighborhood, full of potential and people full of promise; and I am definitely right where I am suppose to be. Although, It’s hard to believe that these two places are located in the same neighborhood, let alone the same alley. So this got me to thinking about what was said of Jesus in John 1:46, “Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Phillip said to him, “Come and see.””
There are so many good things that have come out of this neighborhood; like the kids that have gone through our program and gone onto college or other successful jobs and careers; all the people that we have helped that have worked so hard to get off and stay off drugs to become better parents; those that we have tested as positive for HIV that instead of spreading the disease further, have found the courage to help us spread the word about the reality of this deadly disease. God is here in “Crack Alley” and good is coming out of it. Good can come out of anything God has His hands on, and the same spiritual energy that I feel in this alley before 8am is there after 8pm, we just have to do a better job helping the people in and around this alley, and areas like this one, channel it and draw power from it, just as I have. So I leave you with this thought and challenge; find a place where you feel at peace and close to God, then from that very spot start trying to spread that peace and love to those around you. If we all do this we should meet in a spot similar to where we began. Share your thoughts about this article with Rev. Smith
In 1982,
In 1982, Rev. Leslie Smith had a dream. The dream consisted of him doing life changing work in former crack houses that had been renovated. In the dream, hundreds of adults and children were standing in a never ending line for help with the social issues that were afflicting their lives. These individuals walked in carrying the burden of societal problems that affect families, such as drug abuse, homelessness, and a lack of health insurance, yet these same individuals walked out changed. Today, Rev. Leslie Smith’s dream has turned into a reality, that reality is Change Happens!
Programs and Services
Change Happens! has a variety of programs and services that includes: youth prevention, intervention and positive youth development, adolescent and adult substance abuse prevention and treatment, supportive services to the homeless, HIV prevention, and assists families of uninsured children in applying for health insurance
“Mules for Haiti” Donate Now
Change Happens
Change Happens! is a local, community based, non-profit program primarily serving adults and at risk youth in Houston and Harris County . Change Happens’s mission is “EMPOWERING FAMILIES TO HELP THEMSELVES.”
Spring Breakfast Program Sponsors
Thank you 2010 Spring Breakfast Program Sponsors
New Logo
Change Happens! formerly known as FUUSA
