Alternative Giving Market

Welcome to the Alternative Giving Market. For years AGM has provided an opportunity to remember friends, family, and co-workers by making gifts in their honor to non-profit, charitable agencies such as these. Our annual giving market ended, but you may still make a donation as a gift for loved ones to support these worthy organizations below:

Give Online to Support These Organizations Sign Up to Volunteer

2023 AGM Brochure and Shopping List (pdf)

Organizations:

The Abundant Harvest

We humbly appeal for your generous support for the Abundant Harvest Kitchen, a beacon of hope since 2017. Our journey began with a food truck, extending aid to refugees and aiding Hurricane Harvey's restoration. In 2020, as COVID gripped our community, the Abundant Harvest Kitchen emerged, tirelessly addressing urgent physical needs, distributing over a million pounds of food to our neighbors.

Presently, our food pantry nourishes over 1,200 families monthly, while extending services to more than 120 Veterans each month. Your contributions will fortify our mission to Feed the body, Nourish the soul and Transform the community which defines Abundant Harvest Kitchen by St. Isidore Episcopal Church.

Join us in making a tangible, lasting impact – together, we can sow the seeds of abundance and resilience.

Your donations make a difference.

• $10 Provides lunch for someone at our cafe.
• $50 Gives a week worth of groceries to a family of four.
• $100 Covers the transportation costs to pick up donations from local grocery stores
• $250 Covers the costs to feed 100 seniors at a restricted-income apartment complex.

At Risk Youth

At Risk Youth provides prompt financial assistance benefitting low income working families, whose children are enrolled in the Houston Public School System. These families have typically experienced an unexpected crisis that undermines their financial stability. COVID variants combined with employment uncertainties, unsafe apartments, health emergencies, weather related disasters, wage theft, domestic violence and assault, and the threat of eviction are among the many issues these families encounter. At risk youth is a cathedral ministry operated entirely by volunteers, with no overhead. One month’s rent and utilities average $900 a month. Any amount contributed provides welcome relief and restores educational and financial stability to a grateful family.

• $5 Replace a child’s toy destroyed in an apartment fire.
• $25 Partial electric/water bill
• $200 Automobile accident repairs to insure transportation to job and school
• $500 Half a month’s rent to tide a family over after catastrophic illness or death in the family.

The Beacon

The Beacon's mission is to provide essential and next-step services to restore hope and help end homelessness in Houston. These services include hot meals, access to showers, laundry service, mailbox privileges, pastoral care, pro bono legal services, counselling, and mentoring, along with case management, housing assessment, and navigation. All of these services have continued with varied modifications amid the coronavirus pandemic. We are grateful for those that continue to support our efforts. Examples of what gift amounts can help provide:

• $1 A hot meal for a client
• $35 Mailbox privileges for one client for a year
• $50 Scrubs and toiletries for one client
• $200 An apartment starter kit
• $500 A day's worth of meals for 500 clients

Casa Mateo

Casa Mateo welcomes displaced immigrants and asylum seekers by offering hope, hospitality and support services in an effort to promote self-sufficiency. Our 90-day program offers temporary emergency shelter and comprehensive services for unhoused women and children who are legally seeking asylum in Houston

• $25 Package of diapers
• $50 Baby formula
• $100 Bed linens for one family
• $500 Clothing and hygiene products for 10 families

Cathedral Missions

Cathedral Missions organizes all mission trips for individuals at Christ Church Cathedral. Rising 6th grade students through adults can participate. Past mission trips have helped in places such as Baton Rouge, Rockport, Costa Rica, and Houston. Examples of what gift amounts can help provide:

• $1 Public transportationfor a mission participant
• $25 Food for a day
• $50 Lodging for a day
• $100 One-eighth of the costof air travel
• $2100 Full scholarship fora high school mission participant

Christmas at the Cathedral

Christmas at the Cathedral is a highlight of the holiday season. On December 9 the Cathedral will welcome a group of children from Rusk Elementary school and their families to an afternoon of holiday fun with games, a photo booth, gifts from Santa, and a hearty meal for all. Cathedral member volunteer to welcome and serve these special guests. Your donation helps support the event and provides holiday gifts for these children and their families.

Centro Paula Escaño (CPE)

Centro Paula Escaño (CPE) is located on the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. It trains socio-cultural leaders and coordinators to improve the relationship between Haitians and Dominicans. CPE is involved in projects such as training young leaders, teachers and pastoral agents in both Haiti and the DR. Since the earthquake in 2010, CPE has focused on emergency aid and emotional recovery workshops with teachers who then spread these techniques of recovery to their families, students, and neighbors in the camps. CPE also assists pregnant women coming to the DR from Haiti because the hospital conditions are better on the Dominican side of the border.

• $10 Training materials for new leaders
• $25 Emotional recovery workshop
• $250 Aid to an expectant mother

Combined Arms

Combined Arms (CAX) is a disruptive backbone organization on a mission to accelerate the impact of veterans and military families, while fundamentally redesigning the military transition process through innovation and collaboration. We streamline the connection between veterans and military-connected individuals and the organizations that serve them, helping our clients not only find needed resources but also connect directly with service-providers faster to get the support they need to thrive after serving our nation. Since 2015, we’ve served 50k individuals across the state of Texas, connecting them to our growing network of 177 member organizations that provide 700+ social services resources.

• $25 One year of service portal access for a veteran
• $100 One year of service portal access for a veteran-serving organization
• $500 One month's access to conference rooms for member organizations
• $1,000 One month's rent for veteran-serving organizations

CUSE

CUSE delivers lasting urban service experiences by bringing together populations in need. We connect faith and non-faith-based organizations to help them support the underserved in Houston. Effectively CUSE acts as a matchmaker, linking groups of volunteers with an appropriate urban service project. With CUSE as their guide, volunteer groups embark on a service experience without the hassle and stress of figuring out the many details behind a successful service project. In turn, local non-profit service organizations gain access to volunteers committed to their mission. Through these joint efforts of both our volunteer groups and our non-profit partners, people who are underserved in our inner-city communities receive the support they deserve.

• $1 Sponsor a bus pass
• $10 Sponsor a set of gloves or safety goggles (Used in urban farming and work sites)
• $20 Sponsor a service project (Materials for a project)
• $100 Sponsor a community outreach event (Dinner with our serving sites)
• $5000 Sponsor a local Episcopal organization that wishes to participate in our program

Education Across Borders

Education Across Borders is a non-profit organization working in Haiti and the Dominican Republic whose mission is to transform communities through relationship. The island of Hispaniola, originally colonized by Spain and France, still bears the scars of colonialism and exploitation. In Haiti, 70% of the populace lives in extreme poverty, 72% lack basic sanitation, and 50% lack clean water. In the DR, where Haitians increasingly seek a better life, the reality is still grim. Your gift will support:

• $10 School supplies for 1 student
• $50 Medical supplies for clinic
• $600 1 year scholarship for a middle school student

Emergency Aid Coalition

The Emergency Aid Coalition (EAC) is an interfaith organization that collaborates to provide temporary assistance in the form of food, clothing, and other basic needs, with an emphasis on serving the working poor.

• $1 Apples for three children
• $10 Clothing for one homeless client
• $50 Groceries for a family of four
• $100 Boots to Work for one working client
• $300 Jeans, socks, underwear, and hygiene products for 30 clients

1,000 Days of Love — Episcopal Relief & Development

The first 1,000 days for children are critical in setting a foundation that affects their ability to grow, learn and thrive over their entire lives. Episcopal Relief & Development works with communities to ensure that children have access to food, clean water, and quality health care. One Thousand Days of Love is a $3 million grassroots Church-wide fundraising campaign dedicated to expanding ERD’s global programs improving the lives of children up to age six.

• $1 gift to help nurture and nourish the earliest learners
• $35 for medicine and nutrition for a mother and her newborn
• $70 to educate a child affected by AIDS
• $95 to purchase a bicycle
• $300 to help 25 families with mosquito nets
• $1,000 for the ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE package to empower communities to help children up to age six thrive and achieve their full potential.

Have Shears Will Travel

Have Shears Will Travel serves hundreds of homeless, displaced families, hospice, veterans, and special needs adults throughout greater Houston each month with free haircuts. Most of its service is provided in a 32' RV converted into a mobile hair salon. Hospice and hospital patients are served in the comfort of their residences. Examples of what gift amounts can help provide:

• $5 comb or brush
• $50 2 hair dryers
• $150 one tank of fuel
• $500 hospice haircuts
• $1000 100 children haircuts

Kids Hope

Kids Hope is an outreach and community service program of Christ Church Cathedral. An all-volunteer cohort provides one-on-one mentoring, reading and academic support to individual at-risk public-school students who are referred to Kids Hope by teachers, counselors and parents. Kids Hope volunteers work closely with partner schools to provide needed school supplies, uniforms, books, program supplies and volunteers. Recent pandemic and weather crises have put significant strains on Kids Hope families and Kids Hope has responded by providing additional support and assistance to individual families in need. More info.

• $2 Super Hero Aluminum Pencil Storage Box for an elementary school student
• $10 materials kit for one student to participate in a Kids Hope Holiday Craft or Lego Imagination Build event
• $50 Set of books for a reading mentor and 3 students to read together virtually
• $500 New laptop/tablet and software for 2 students lacking online access
• $1000 Musical instruments for a dozen students to use for at-home practice

Living Hope Wheelchair Association

Living Hope Wheelchair Association provides survival services for people with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities, many of whom lack benefits, insurance, or stable income. The association provides medical supplies, equipment, and transportation support for members, and open spaces for them to be part of the community. It also helps people with disabilities in times of disaster, during Covid19 pandemic Living Hope is supporting more than 200 households with emergency financial assistance, referral for services and spiritual and emotional accompaniment against isolation. Gift amounts can help provide:

• $1.25 One catheter
• $25 One package of adult diapers
• $100 One pair of tires for a wheelchair
• $300 Six months of transportation support for one member
• $1,200 One year of cell phone and internet access for one person

Lord of the Streets

Lord of the Streets, a mission church of the Diocese of Texas, is a community that “Welcomes, Restores, and Rebuilds” lives through relationship-focused ministries for the homeless. Lord of the Streets works to restore relationships with God, self, family, the church, and society through acts of service, and to rebuild dignity, health, and productivity of the homeless and recently-housed. Examples of what gift amounts can help provide:

• $20 - A 7-pack of underwear
• $50 - 50 Directories of HomelessServices
• $100 - 25 hygiene kits
• $250 - 72 meals and bottlesof water
• $500 - 50 sleeping bags or 30 backpacks

Low Income Student Scholarship Fund

The Low Income Student Scholarship Fund intends to help low income students to get on the road to their success by contributing to their process to go to college. We want to be just that- hands that help these young lives to conquer their dreams.

• $1 Aids for a college meal plan
• $50 A college application fee
• $100 The visit to a potential college
• $250 A college tuition scholarship

Seafarers’ Ministry

Seafarer’s Ministry at the Port of Houston celebrates its 50th Anniversary of providing an ecumenical ministry for international seafarers who find themselves a long way from home. Examples of what gift amounts can help provide:

• $1 One pocket New Testament Bible for a seafarer
• $15 Communion supplies for shipboard worship services
• $50 Supplies to make two Christmas gift boxes for seafarers
• $80 Provide one mobile WIFI (internet connection) to a ship for one year
• $125 Provide a supply chaplain (to cover absences) for one day