Help Us Welcome Our Interim CEO!

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February 2019

Meet Our New Interim President/CEO, Michael Nichols!

The Coalition for the Homeless is pleased to announce the hiring of Michael Nichols to serve as Interim President/Chief Executive Officer for the organization. Nichols' appointment to this position is key to the Coalition's strategic planning initiative and leading the agency to be an even more visible leader in advocacy and public education on homelessness and related issues, as well as supporting those partner agencies working together as a part of The Way Home.

Nichols has been an active participant in business and civic activities in Houston for more than three decades. After earning his bachelor's degree in History from Brown University and his Juris Doctorate from Emory University, Nichols practiced law and served two terms in the Georgia House of Representatives before joining Sysco Corporation. After retirement, he joined Grocer's Supply Company as Chief Operating Officer. Nichols also served as Interim CEO of the Houston Parks Board.

"I am honored to serve as the Interim CEO for the Coalition for the Homeless at this very important time," said Michael. "I am excited to play a role in helping the Coalition grow and creating a community where homelessness is rare, brief, and non-repeating."

To learn more about Michael and other leadership staff announcements, click here.

2019 Homeless Count & Survey

The Coalition for the Homeless led staff from The Way Home partner agencies and community volunteers in conducting the annual Homeless Count and Survey to identify the number of sheltered and unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness on a single night in Houston, Harris County, Fort Bend County, and Montgomery County.

The Homeless Count & Survey provides a snapshot of the state of homelessness in the Houston area and allows us to look at trends over time. The sheltered portion of the Count took place on the night of January 21, and the unsheltered survey portion of the Count took place over three days: January 22, 23, and 24.

Over those three days, outreach teams conducted brief surveys with individuals on the street to confirm if that had slept unsheltered on the night of January 21. Coordinated Access Housing Assessments were offered on the spot for Veterans, families, youth/young adults, and individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.

Results of the Count will be available later this spring.

2018 Community Conversation Recap

As lead agency to The Way Home, the Coalition for the Homeless,facilitated a Community Conversation on Tuesday, November 27, 2018. The goal of the Community Conversation was to gather input from community stakeholders to create a new strategic vision for the year 2020 and beyond!

With over 200 people in attendance, members of the community spent a full day brainstorming topic areas for The Way Home to tackle in the future. "As I heard from our national and local thought leaders and witnessed the synergy in the room, it made me feel as though everything is possible," said Eva Thibaudeau, Chief Program Officer for the Coalition.

To continue reading, click here.

Staff Spotlight: Meet Michael Fraley!

Michael Fraley, Project Manager with the Coalition for the Homeless, has been with the organization for two years this February. Originally from a suburb of Detroit in Columbus Township, Michigan, Michael moved to Houston to be closer to family in 2017.

"I wish more people knew that it only takes one major life event to become homeless and it can happen to anyone, at any time," says Michael when asked what he would tell someone who was unfamiliar with homelessness.

Click here to learn more about Michael!

2000 Crawford Street Suite 700

Houston, TX 77002

(713) 739 - 7514

The Welcome Home Fund Impact of 2018

The Welcome Home Fund is a restricted fund that is managed by the Coalition of the Homeless that supports the work of The Way Home by removing barriers for people moving into permanent housing. The Welcome Home Fund provides Welcome Baskets full of home goods, furniture, and one-time financial assistance for things like deposits that other funding sources may not cover.

In total, more than $275,000 in funding and in-kind goods were collected by the Coalition in 2018 and disbursed to direct service provider partners of The Way Home so their clients could move into permanent housing.

Click here to continue reading about the impact of The Welcome Home Fund.

It's almost Valentines Day! Share the love with more than just your sweetheart by using AmazonSmile as your pick out those perfect Valentine's Day gifts.

Go to smile.amazon.com/ch/76-0257018 to designate the Coalition as your Amazon charity, and Amazon will donate a percentage of your purchase to the Coalition!