About

Change Happens!! HISTORY
Change Happens!!  is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, community-based organization. Families Under Urban & Social Attack provides a variety of programs that demonstrate the organization’s mission to respond to the community. These programs include:

  • HIV Prevention using street and community outreach and individual counseling
  • Homeless supportive services to individuals and families in more than 20 shelters
  • Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP) outreach assistance in nine counties (including Harris)
  • RESCUE Mentor Program (matching a youth with an adult mentor)
  • Capacity Building and Technical Assistance for non-profit community-based organizations

Since 1989, Families Under Urban and Social Attack, has grown from 1 program to over 18 programs today, with a staff of over 50 employees. 90% of employees hold college degrees; and 20% of the workforce has a master’s degree. The staff represents diverse cultural backgrounds, as 15% of the staff is bilingual. In 2001, Change Happens!! received recognition from the Texas State Legislators for outstanding performance in providing application assistance to uninsured families in Harris, Fort Bend, and Brazoria Counties. The agency has been awarded numerous certificates of achievement from the Department of State Health Services. Change Happens!! has also been chosen by other state and federal officials to provide on-going assessment, training, and technical assistance to other start-up, non-profit agencies seeking to build capacity.

In 1993, Change Happens!! implemented a youth prevention program, the RESCUE program. The RESCUE Program initially focused on preventing alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use in youth. Through continuous program evaluation other components were added. The RESCUE program is now a comprehensive, multi-component program consisting of mentoring, abstinence education, delinquency prevention, as well as, alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention. The RESCUE Program provides community and school-based prevention and intervention services to youth ages 6 to 17 in over 25 Houston and Alief Independent Schools, as well as, an after school and summer program to over 200 youth a year.

Change Happens!! provides after-school and summer programs for youth ages 6 to 17 in the Third Ward area of Houston. Data indicates that youth participating in the after school and summer program enter the program with multiple risk factors, including: neighborhood/community (economically poor, criminal subculture); peer (associating with deviant peers, poor relationship skills, low association with pro-social peers); family (single parent households, parental difficulties, e.g. drug abuse, ineffective discipline and supervision, lack of family support); school (poor academic performance, disciplinary problems); and individual (poor problem solving skills, alcohol and other drug abuse).

Change Happens!! recently built a new 27,000 sq. ft. three-story youth center and office building, located at 3353 Elgin Street, deep in the heart of Houston’s historic Third ward community. With the construction of the new building Change Happens!! is looking to a bright new future. Each day Change Happens!! continues to provide services to adults and at-risk youth in Houston. Change Happens!! looks forward to building upon more dreams.