Executive Director

Dear Friends of HomeAid Houston,

Another Project Playhouse is coming to an end…another wonderful season at Minute Maid Park, working in partnership with the Houston Astros and their fantastic staff. We are so blessed to have the Houston Astros as part of the HomeAid family and enjoy our time at the ballpark each year. All the people we work with, from Director of Community Affairs, Shawn Bertani, to the security folks, make our summer experience selling raffle tickets memorable and fun.

It really "takes a village" to create and execute Project Playhouse. First of all, hats off to Trendmaker Homes, for the construction of our beautiful 2011 Playhouse, "The Astros Express." The folks at Trendmaker have worked tirelessly with their generous vendors and suppliers to build and transport this beautiful Playhouse all over the city of Houston, not only for the games at Minute Maid Park, but the Sip'n'Stroll at Sienna Plantation, the GHBA New Home and Remodeling Show and the Houston Astros Wives Gala.

We also want to thank our many amazing sponsors for their financial support. Their donations enabled HomeAid Houston to realize the greatest return on our project in the history of Playhouse.

We could not execute Project Playhouse without the support of our many volunteers who sell tickets with us at our home games. I know I speak for the board of directors in thanking each and every one of our ticket sellers for their efforts in helping us have a successful fundraising event.

Project Playhouse is more than a fundraiser – it's also a way for us to communicate the HomeAid message to our Houston community. We are proud of the contribution we have made, and are making, to the Houston homeless community and we want to share our story with our city. To date we have added 400 beds, with another 165 beds scheduled for completion in 2012, with our two major construction projects – Restoration Hill with Camden Builders and our third building for the Gracewood Elmview campus.

In addition, we are now sponsoring four "HomeAid Care" projects annually. These smaller, renovation-type projects enable us to help homeless care providers improve their surroundings, providing benefit to clients as well as staff.

It is with a very full heart that I say thank you to all of you who are making a difference through HomeAid Houston – bring hope and homes to Houston's homeless.