Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Landes.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Rebecca. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have considered myself a “helping” professional for the past thirty years. After securing a bachelor’s degree in political science, I worked in Central American in the Peace Corps.
That opportunity inspired me to continue working with people to support each individual to reach their goals and potential. A native Virginian, an internship led me to Houston where I have continued to work in social services across a variety of positions from educator to case manager to CEO, serving those in need; including men, women, and children experiencing food insecurity, facing eviction, searching for employment, escaping domestic violence, and seeking to secure a stable home and a safe life beyond homelessness. Through my background in counseling and social services, I have come to realize that it is essential to meet people where they are and support them in the journey to where they want to be. This is core to the helping professions.
My work experience and desire to join the community-wide effort to reduce and end homelessness in Houston led me to The Beacon. The Beacon is driven by its mission to provide essential and next-step services to help end homelessness in Houston. As the Chief Executive Officer, I have the opportunity to work alongside a dedicated board of directors, staff and volunteers. We partner with nearly a hundred organizations as part of the collaborative known as The Way Home to effectively tackle the complex issues of homelessness. The Beacon started 16 years ago as an outreach mission of Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Houston and the Cathedral remains our strongest supporter today. Last year, we served over 8,000 men and women, providing hot meals, access to laundry and showers, case management, civil legal aid, and access to housing.
Has it been a smooth road?
I was privileged to have very supportive parents who encouraged me and financially supported me to complete college. After working for over ten years in Houston and with two small children, I was married at the time but with very little financial and emotional support from my husband. I enrolled in a Masters in Counseling program to improve my career options. Soon after, divorce and single parenting forced me to focus fully on my career with the goal of creating a secure financial environment for my children.
For many years, I lived paycheck to paycheck and made some tough choices, juggling the bills. I could relate to many of the families that I served and understood very clearly that I was often a paycheck away from not being able to maintain my rent or housing. I, like many individuals and families, was a crisis away from homelessness. I was lucky as I had the support of family and improved my career outlook with experience and formal training.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Beacon – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
The Beacon is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization established by Christ Church Cathedral located in the heart of downtown Houston. Since its inception in 2002, The Beacon has grown beyond its original model of providing essential services to the homeless and is now a key partner in the community-wide homeless response system known as The Way Home, matching homeless individuals with appropriate supportive housing solutions.
Together, this initiative and other core programs provide essential and next-step services to empower and engage homeless individuals in their recovery from life on the streets.
In early 2017, Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Office of Homeless Initiatives launched a plan to house 500 chronically homeless individuals prior to year’s end. The Beacon was an important partner in this effort, offering its expertise of engaging individuals by meeting their basic needs with hot meals, access to showers and laundry services. The Beacon’s housing assessors supported the initiative by determining housing status and vulnerability to poor outcomes on the streets or early death. In addition, our staff team provides civil legal aid to remove barriers to housing and employment and provides transitional housing to women in recovery who were formerly incarcerated. By year’s end, the initiative resulted in providing stable housing to more than 700 men and women. The Beacon received a proclamation from Mayor Turner for our efforts.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Houston’s diversity of the population is one of the aspects that makes it a strong and attractive city to live in. We are also seeking to make improvements to our city and enhance community opportunities for dining, entertainment, and outdoor activities. In addition, Houston is blessed to have very generous residents who open their hearts and give of their time, talents, and treasures during ordinary times and extraordinary times – such as following Hurricane Harvey last year.
Houston’s downsides revolve around the issues of flooding and managing the tremendous growth – keeping pace with the infrastructure to support that growth. This is a good challenge to have as we continue to welcome new residents to our community.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1117 Texas Ave Houston, TX 77002
- Website: www.beaconhomeless.org
- Phone: 713-220-9716
- Email: blandes@beaconhomeless.org
Image Credit:
Chris Kuhlman
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