The Riverside Project

06/18/2026

What if attending an open house could help transform the foster care system in Houston?

On June 27th, you’re invited to an afternoon of live harp music, champagne, and gourmet desserts in one of Texana Plantation’s most remarkable homes — a 6,322 square foot custom luxury estate on 1.5 private acres, listing for sale on June 24th.

Sip on bubbly champagne (or lemonade!), enjoy great company, and explore this 1.5 Story, 5-bedroom, 8-bath estate built for the way real families gather.

This is a come-and-go event — stop by anytime between 2 and 5 pm, and stay as long as you like.

While you’ll be enjoying an extraordinary time, you’ll also be helping make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families impacted by the foster care system. For every person who attends, Roberta Meggs and a private donor will donate $50 to help further our work here at The Riverside Project. 💙

Share this with someone who should join you at this event! You can find the registration link in our bio. ➡️ The Riverside Project

06/18/2026

“I wish it was easier to meet real needs in our community…”

Our response? Join the Response Network!

Through the Response Network, we’ve seen simple, everyday acts of care turn into life-changing moments for families.

Recently, we had a need come through for a Kinship parent who has been trying to get licensed but had some challenges with her back deck, preventing her from moving forward through the licensing process. In partnership with Houston's First Baptist Church Sienna Location and Monarch Family Services, we were able to get her deck repaired so she's able to continue moving forward in the licensing process.

The Response Network is a community-oriented solution to mobilize passionate individuals, businesses, and churches to meet real-time needs for families.

👉 Send us a message or an email ([email protected]) and we’d love to help you get started!

06/17/2026

Everyone has a place along The River.

Not everyone can foster or adopt, but everyone can do something.

At The Riverside Project, we know that lasting change happens when each person finds their unique role in supporting children and families impacted by the foster care system.

Whether you give, serve, mentor, advocate, or simply learn, there is a place for you.

Healing is a community effort and YOU are invited. We'd love to help you find your place along The River! 💙

06/16/2026

Moving forward, we are deeply committed to becoming more local, not less.

Since our start, our growth reflects both the scale of need in Houston and the effectiveness of a coordinated, relational approach to meeting the needs of children and families.

What began as a two-person team in 2018 grew into a ten-person organization by 2025, supported by intentional investments in staff, systems, and infrastructure.

As the child welfare landscape continues to evolve, so does the need for locally embedded teams who can build trust, respond quickly, and sustain long-term relationships within the communities they serve.

To realize this vision, we are working to launch five regionally-embedded teams between 2026 and 2030, bringing us even closer to the needs of specific communities in our city.

This neighborhood-focused approach will allow us to:
➡️ Move closer to the real needs of families
➡️ Mobilize local churches more effectively
➡️ Unite fragmented systems into a coordinated, relational network of care

Read our entire strategic plan: https://riversideproject.org/blog/strategic-plan/

06/15/2026

Ashley McFarland is a trauma trainer, psychotherapist and co-founder of the Pineheart Center.

With a deep commitment to helping individuals heal from childhood trauma, Ashley also works to bridge the gap between faith communities and mental health awareness. 💙

Her expertise includes Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) and the integration of faith and clinical practice, equipping others to approach trauma with both scientific insight and compassionate care.

In this conversation, Ashley helps us explore:
✅ Why it’s important to build connection and safety before correcting behavior
✅ How churches can help bridge the gap between mental health and faith
✅ Why faith communities need to have a deeper understanding of trauma and mental health

Watch or Listen to Episode 50 here: https://riversideproject.org/podcast/ashley-mcfarland-50/

06/12/2026

"A lot of times children end up in care not because of intentional abuse or neglect, but because of a lack of resources.”

So grateful for this feature from our friends at The Furniture Bank:

Partner Spotlight

06/12/2026

We are so grateful to every person who came together during May in honor of Foster Care Awareness Month! 💙

Whatever your support or involvement looked like last month, you helped us raise $109,300 to help families heal and children thrive here in Houston. We couldn’t do it without you!

If you’re curious about where your unique place is along The River, we’d love to connect with you and help you find it. 🙏

06/11/2026

What role can businesses play in supporting vulnerable children and families? A bigger one than many people realize.

Here's an example:

Recently, a hardworking, single mom of four connected to the child-welfare system lost her only vehicle when it caught fire.

Without nearby family or support, transportation quickly became a barrier as she worked to care for her children and maintain employment.

Within a month of our team receiving that request, Clutch Automotive reached out with an offer to repair and donate a vehicle to a family who could truly use it. Through this partnership with Clutch, they were able to provide this mother with a safe, reliable car and the ability to get to work, care for her kids, and move forward with stability and dignity.

(You can read the full story here: https://riversideproject.org/blog/donating-car/)

We're grateful for partners like Clutch Automotive who recognize that building a thriving city means investing in people.

If your business or organization is interested in finding a place along The River, we'd love to meet you!

06/10/2026

No single organization, church, business, or individual can do this work alone.

But when people come together... each bringing their unique gifts, resources, and relationships, we create something far more powerful than any one effort could accomplish on its own.

Our 2026–2030 Strategic Plan marks a pivotal shift we're making to makecollaboration even more effective.

We're moving from a centralized model to five regionally embedded teams serving distinct areas of Houston. This neighborhood-focused approach moves us closer to families, mobilizes churches more effectively, and unites fragmented systems into a coordinated, relationship-driven network of care.

➡️ Read our full Strategic Plan: https://riversideproject.org/blog/strategic-plan/

06/09/2026

You don't have to do everything to make a difference.

​You care deeply about children and families impacted by foster care. But sometimes, it’s hard to know where to start – or how to help in a way that’s meaningful and respectful. That’s why we created this for you.

This guide is for those who want to help but aren’t sure where to begin. Whether you’re a neighbor, a church member, or simply someone who cares, this guide will help you to turn your compassion into action.

Explore 31 Creative Ways to Serve Foster and Adoptive Families: https://landing.riversideproject.org/31ways