By: Curt Williams, Founder & Executive Director
Over the last eighteen months, Youth-Reach Houston has been understaffed, which means that our operations staff members have worked extra hours and carried extra burdens so that the boys would never notice any lack of care. In the last few months, the staff situation has stabilized, with new staff members bringing in fresh energy and creating a healthier situation for the program. We could have filled these positions earlier, but we are very careful and very selective when it comes to new staff, as they are not only going to be trusted with our kids but they are being adopted into our community.
We are excited that the Lord has led some great people to join the community of Youth-Reach. This has positioned us to fill every available bed and to move with haste to design and build the facility that will enable Youth-Reach to be even more effective with even more kids in the future.
The due diligence that we are conducting is intentional and focused on designing a campus that will take the ministry of Youth-Reach into the next generation with an eye on energy conservation, stewardship, flexibility and efficiency. It is our goal to create a larger facility that still reflects the feel of a comfortable home, instead of a sterile institutional environment. This challenge is being met with a partnership between long-time board member Dan Cook, a seasoned, intuitive and wise architect, and the experience of our staff who have worked with troubled and challenging boys for many years. This is no small effort, and though we are pressed for time, we will not rush this stage of the process.
Well over 70% of Christian ministries do not survive the death of their founder, and I am keenly aware that I must provide the coming generation with the ethics, the vision, and the facilities they will need to take Youth-Reach to the next level. That means creating a detailed plan, and we are almost four years into a ten-year plan to create all that is needed for a healthy and strong transition.
Soon we will be sharing more regarding this vision. For now, we all hope that you will pray for us during this most critical stage, and we are deeply grateful to all of you who support this amazing and transformational work.
Thank you….
