Building Up 500K: Expanding Hope, Healing, Housing & Opportunity

Introduction – The Impact So Far

Since our founding, Building Up The Community (BUTC) has positively impacted the lives of more than 5,000 people, with over 2500 lives touched this year alone, spanning from toddlers to seniors. We’ve provided meals, shelter, therapy, mentorship, and resources to those who needed it most.

Our programs are not just services; they are lifelines. They help families and individuals rebuild, provide young adults with a safe place to sleep, and empower teens to dream bigger.

The Need – Why We Must Do More

The need in Texas is urgent:

• More than 4 million adults in Texas live with a mental health condition.

• 1 in 6 adolescents (483,000 youth) ages 12–17 experience a major depressive episode each year.

• 1 in 9 adolescents (316,000 youth) have serious thoughts of suicide annually.

• 18% of children and teens have experienced two or more adverse childhood experiences – increasing risks of mental illness and substance misuse as adults.

• Over 1 million adults in Texas report needing mental health treatment but not receiving it, often because of cost.

Young people ages 12–24 are among the most vulnerable. According to Understanding Houston, they are more likely than adults 26+ to experience a major depressive episode.

Our Mission – Breaking Barriers and Building Hope

At BUTC, our mission is clear:

• Break the stigma around therapy in our communities.

• Increase our clinician team by 50% so more people can access affordable, quality therapy.

• Expand our telehealth (statewide in Texas) and in-person sessions (Houston) to meet people where they are.

• Grow our acceptance of insurance, including Medicaid, while offering a sliding fee scale so no one is turned away.

Our Programs – Meeting Needs Across the Community

• Mental Health Therapy: Accessible counseling for youth and adults, focused on healing trauma, depression, anxiety, and crisis. This year, we have made therapy accessible to 25 people in various parts of Texas.

• Feed the Friends: From serving thousands annually, we’ve shifted to a model that feeds unhoused individuals four times a year and supports four families monthly with up to $300 in groceries and supplies. Families also attend a two-hour budgeting and financial literacy class. We have fed and distributed hygiene products to over 500 individuals this year. Including an additional 300 hygiene products at a local high school. With an additional 400 at our annual back-to-school event. For our Thanksgiving Giveback, we provided meals to 200 families.

• Teen Money Talk: A financial literacy and mentorship program for teens covering money management, life skills, careers, insurance, and mental health. We have taught than 100 teens about financial literacy in Georgia and Texas.

• Youth Emergency & Transitional Shelter (YETS): Launched in August 2025, YETS provides emergency shelter and wraparound services to young adults ages 18–24. In our first 6 weeks, one participant gained employment, bought a car, and secured an apartment. We currently house three young women, two others, and a mother with a child at an outside emergency location. We have served over 58 individuals and done 248 acts of kindness since launching. 

The Goal – Why We Need You

We have received a $500,000 grant to launch and operate our shelter in Fort Bend County. But that funding is limited; it cannot be used outside this county. The need extends far beyond Fort Bend.

One of our biggest challenges in Fort Bend is access to affordable housing and transportation. With no public transportation system, young adults struggle to access interviews, school, work, and appointments, making it harder for them to maintain self-sufficiency.

Through this campaign, we aim to raise an additional $500,000 by February 1, 2026. These funds will allow us to:

• Sustain our programs beyond the current grant.

• Expand into Harris County.

• Hire more clinicians and expand affordable therapy.

• Increase shelter capacity to serve more young adults.

• Continue feeding families and teaching financial literacy.

Donation Impact – Every Gift Matters

When you give, you make an immediate difference. Here’s how your support changes lives:

• $50 – Helps teens learn financial literacy and life skills.

• $100 – Provides a therapy session for someone in need.

• $300 – Provides groceries and supplies to help feed a family.

• $500 – Covers one month of safe shelter for a young adult.

 No gift is too small. Every dollar contributes to hope, healing, and opportunity.

You can support us in three ways:

• Make a one-time gift today.

• Become a monthly donor and create a sustainable impact.

• Join as a sponsor and help us expand shelter, mental health, food, and teen programs.

Closing – An Invitation to Build With Us

We’re not just providing services. We are building futures. We are breaking cycles. We are creating pathways out of homelessness, hunger, and hopelessness.

This is where you come in. Your support means more than dollars; it means beds, meals, therapy sessions, and hope for teens, young adults, individuals, and families.

Join us in raising $500,000 by February 1st, 2026. Together, we can expand our reach, sustain our programs, and continue building up the community brick by brick, life by life.

"Where There Is Hope There Is A Way"