Steven's Place: A Shelter Combating Homelessness

Hey! My name is Rayna Fretty and I am a recent college graduate from Texas A&M University (TAMU '20). I am a native Houstonian and on the return from College Station to Houston, I found myself faced with the question newly graduates are so often faced with: Now what? After completing my degree, and really diving into my faith, I realized I have a very large calling on my life. I have a degree in psychology, which I pursued after realizing I have a passion for people, but I want to do more than be a psychologist. I want to build a homeless shelter. I figure why not funnel my passion for people into a place that will cater to the basic human needs of others while focusing on providing mental health assets as well to those who are housed inside. My dream is to build a homeless shelter here in Houston and hire mental and medical health personnel that will be able to provide mental aid along with other medical provisions and educational classes. I realize this is quite ambitious, but I am stepping out on a limb and assuming this was put in my heart for a reason. I am so incredibly thankful for forums like this to be able to raise some money to make this dream a reality. The funds will help me apply for my 501c3 which will recognize this initiative as a nonprofit. I hope to have these funds within 6 months to really put this into motion as quickly as I can to have the shelter ready and intaking by 2023. Once I reach this initial 3,000 goal, I will expand the goal amount so that each stage of this process is funded in moderation. It would make no sense to ask for as much as the entire project would cost at its genesis but I at least want to get the campaign up and running. I will begin the hiring process once I secure a space. I am looking at spaces that are bank owned or have been foreclosed large enough to house 30 residents. Humans deserve housing. Humans deserve mental health care. Humans deserve someone to care about them whether they are a stranger or a friend. Please help me in creating this and combating homelessness in the Houston area. No more tent cities. Lets get these people a home. Any donation or share is so greatly appreciated. Let's "Gig" Homelessness out of Houston! Thanks and Gig 'Em!