At 66 years old, Buckner’s work in Houston has reached the retirement age. But we’re anything but retired.
On July 1, 1955, the newest Buckner senior living ministry opened on Memorial Drive in Houston. Our Buckner history records that the Texas Baptist Haven “was made possible by the friends, churches, and the Union Baptist Association who, together, raised approximately $250,000 for the first building.”
And while the Haven officially opened in 1955, its history goes back even further to 1948, when W.A. Criswell—pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas, and chair of the Committee on Benevolence for the Baptist General Convention of Texas—met with the Buckner board of trustees and asked them to “consider opening a home for the elderly in Texas.”
The result was the approval of a recommendation from Hal Buckner, president of Buckner at the time, that the organization “re-enter the field of caring for elderly people by providing a home or haven for them.”
Senior adults at Buckner Parkway Place live full and enriched lives. Merrel Schilling is a resident at Parkway Place and is a veteran of the U.S. Navy. He, along with other veterans from Parkway Place, were recently honored for their service. Their photos reside on a wall in Parkway Place and in this photo, Mr. Schilling poses next to the photo of him in his naval uniform.
By 1954, Buckner would open the Trew Home in Dallas to serve seniors. One year later, the Haven in Houston opened. The Haven served Houston seniors until 1998 when Buckner transitioned our senior adult ministry to Parkway Place.
Not only was UBA instrumental in launching our work in Houston, but UBA churches have also provided ongoing ministry—first at the Haven and now at Parkway Place—by providing Bible studies, church services, and other ministries for the residents.
And while our work in the Houston community started with senior adults, we’re also heavily involved throughout Houston with ministries through Buckner Children and Family Services. These ministries are designed to transform the lives of children and families. Among them are:
The Buckner Family Hope Center at Aldine works with families to help them discover their talents and opportunities and help break poverty cycles through education and jobs. One way to achieve that is through the financial and parenting classes offered at the Family Hope Center.
1. The Buckner Family Hope Center at Aldine focuses on improving the lives of families in this North Houston community. Many in the area experience moderate to extreme poverty. So we engage, equip, and elevate families through Buckner community programs and alliances with other community agencies, walking alongside families as they are strengthened.
The Family Hope Center offers critical services such as education, financial empowerment, child and youth development, family coaching, and counseling. This center seeks to strengthen vulnerable families and decrease the likelihood of abuse, neglect, and the removal of children.
2. The Buckner Family Hope Center at Reed Road serves clients at Star of Hope Mission’s Cornerstone Community. The Family Hope Center is a collaborative effort between Star of Hope Mission and New Hope Housing Inc.
As part of this collaboration, the Family Hope Center offers critical services such as education, financial empowerment, child and youth development, family coaching, and counseling. This ministry seeks to strengthen vulnerable families and decrease the likelihood of abuse, neglect, and the removal of children.
The Buckner Family Hope Center helps equip children through child and youth development programs. The Family Hope Center at Reed Road has been collaborating with Young Audiences of Houston to help the children learn through the arts with painting, dancing, theater, sewing and musical classes.
3. Buckner Family Pathways provides single-parent families the opportunity to live in a safe, secure environment while completing their educational or vocational goals and learning the skills needed to become self-sufficient.
Families have access to affordable housing, financial assistance, and case management services (which include referrals to parenting education), budget training, life skills, and individual and group counseling. It is also located at Star of Hope Mission’s Cornerstone Community.
4. In addition to these rich, location-based ministries, we also offer opportunities for Houston-area churches to help children. And one of the most meaningful ways is to participate in a Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls® collection.
Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls is the largest humanitarian aid project of Buckner International and provides new shoes and socks to orphans and vulnerable children in the United States and throughout the world. We rely on churches, organizations, and individuals to donate new shoes by holding shoe drives in their area. While Buckner serves children all over the world, 30 percent of our shoes stay in the United States, offering hope to children in communities just like yours.
So, if your church or you as an individual are looking for a meaningful way to show the love of Christ by engaging in the lives of children, families, or senior adults, we offer many ways for you to do so.
Whether it's making a meal, teaching Zumba, doing crafts, or playing games, serving others (and allowing yourself to be served) is a blessing to us all.