The Beacon (Houston)

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!

09/29/2026

Your assistance is needed this week Thursday & Friday, afternoon shift only 10am-1pm please and thank you!

09/28/2026

Join The Beacon’s scrub drive from 9/28 - 10/16 to help us provide laundry with dignity!
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Collect new and gently used scrubs for us to hand out to our Day Center guests.
Once you are done collecting, email us to coordinate a pickup.
A Beacon team member will collect your donation when and where it’s convenient for you.

Or, you can purchase scrubs for The Beacon from our Amazon Wish List at https://bit.ly/BeaconAmznWishList (just be sure to scroll to the bottom and click "See more items").

Swipe through for more information and use this link to download and share our flier: https://bit.ly/BeaconScrubs26

09/26/2026

Young adult Ministry here to serve.

09/23/2026

What an unforgettable night. Last Thursday, more than 340 friends of The Beacon came together for Come to the Table our annual gala held right in the space where our neighbors experiencing homelessness receive essential services and connection every day. The energy in the room was something else.

The food was incredible, thanks to our Chef Committee and Swift + Company. The live auction was electric with a surprise donation from the Cathedral, and the introduction of our new Beacon Champion item, named in memory of Robert Thurmond, co-founder of our Beacon Law program. The perpetual championship belt and take-home robe for our inaugural winner were brought on stage by Dean Nat and Bradley Dennison (set to the Rocky theme song, of course).

The moment of the night belonged to Ursula Hernandez. A graduate of our Brigid's Hope program and now a member of The Beacon's Board of Directors, Ursula shared her own story of lived experience and received a standing ovation that said everything about why we do this work.

We also want to extend a huge thank you to our co-chairs, Susan Reeves, Rev. Dr. Brett McCleneghan, and Judy Brown, for their leadership and hospitality.

Swipe through for a look at the night. To everyone who came to the table with us: thank you. We can't wait to see you again next year!