Workshop Houston 2010 Annual Campaign!
A message from the Annual Campaign Committee:
With your help, this can be Workshop Houston’s most exciting year yet! Since its founding in 2003, Workshop Houston has provided hundreds of youth with creative, technical and educational programs, and fostered a vibrant community of people of all ages. In 2010, the programs of the organization’s five shops: the Third Ward Bike Shop (do-it-yourself bike repair), the Chopper Shop (welding and metal fabrication), the Beat Shop (hip-hop music production), the Style Shop (fashion design) and the Scholar Shop (tutoring and academic enrichment) are being tailored to even more effectively educate and inspire our students. With increased emphasis on youth in grades 6-8, Workshop Houston is making a real difference for youth at a vulnerable age.
Your help allows Workshop Houston to provide the daily mentorship and creative activities that give their students the chance to thrive. A donation of any size can make a genuine impact and is greatly appreciated. With the help of a caring and dedicated community, Workshop Houston’s programs will continue to provide youth with the support and resources that can change their lives.
Sincerely,
Thomas Nauls
Deonne Cunningham
John Blackmon & John Roberson
Carl & Rose Cullivan Hock
Jake Goldstein & Amy Dinn
Workshop Houston 2010 Annual Campaign Committee
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The Annual Campaign is an important part of building a strong community of supporters for Workshop Houston’s participants and programs. Individual contributions are pivotal to our Workshop Houston’s ability to offer the creative, technical and educations resources that impact the lives of so many youth in Third Ward. Please consider contributing to the Annual Campaign by making an online donation to Workshop Houston!
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Why support Workshop Houston? More on what motivates 2010 Annual Campaign Committee members.
I became aware of Workshop Houston because one of the founders, Zach Moser, attended Lamar High School with me. After reading more about the organization I knew that they provided something the community has needed for a long time, and that there was not another non-profit organization offering similar programs. I’ve served on the board of directors for a year and continue to be impressed how the people involved are doing everything they can with the resources they have available.
Workshop Houston’s programs are more than just an after school activity for the kids. The shops provide a structured environment for youth to pursue their dreams with the guidance of an organization that cares about them. The results of the shops’ daily mentorship and creative skill-building are obvious when you see the development and accomplishments of the kids in the programs.
- Thomas Nauls
I was introduced and invited to get involved in Workshop Houston by my high school friend and Workshop Houston board member, Thomas Nauls. As a resident of Third Ward, the services and opportunities that the organization provides to our youth are inspirational. In these troubling economic times, when funds for after-school programs and extra-curricular activities are dwindling, Workshop Houston continues to offer worthwhile programs to youth throughout the school week and on weekends.
- Deonne Cunningham
We first connected with Workshop Houston at a fundraiser in 2007. After listening to Zach describe with contagious enthusiasm what had inspired him, Katy, Benjy, and Seth to come to Houston – and how much they had already accomplished in just a few years – we were hooked. The joy they bring to opening doors for kids in and around the Third Ward continues to inspire us with every event, newsletter, update and, especially, proud new bike owner. Connecting reading and responsibility with bikes, t-shirts and music production continues to engage so many young people and helps them to see all that they can accomplish.
-John Blackmon and John Roberson
I first read about the Third Ward Bike Shop in The Chronicle and applauded the idea of teaching kids to build and repair their own bikes using donated and used parts. Wanting to encourage the mechanical aptitude of these kids and having some old bicycles and parts, I took them over and was impressed with what I saw—dedicated young college graduates making a difference in the lives of kids in the Third Ward community.
Later, when Rose realized that tutoring and academic enrichment were provided and that kids had to be working to reach their goals in school before they could participate in the shops (and loving the idea of the Style Shop) she got on board. We hope you will too.
- Carl and Rose Cullivan Hock
I first got involved with Workshop Houston when they showed me how to rebuild the coaster brake on the stained glass bike in the Bike Shop, and now I volunteer most Saturdays. I love what they do. They’re big believers in “do-it-yourself,” just like artcar artists. I’ve seen kids build chopper bikes with such long cool forks that I thought they’d be unrideable, but they rode just fine. I’ve helped a 3rd Ward resident fix his homemade tandem bike, which he made by bolting 2 regular bikes together. It worked fine, but it sure looked unusual. I’ve helped countless kids earn their own bikes, which they did by first fixing up a bike for donation to a charity. And I’ve seen many adults from the community who rely on their bikes for transportation come by the Bike Shop for help.
I like that the Bike Shop does so many practical things on a small budget: it teaches kids useful skills, keeps bikes on the road, and offers a positive place for kids to hang out. The Bike Shop is also a gateway to the other programs Workshop Houston offers for middle school students, including welding in the Chopper Shop, music production in the Beat Shop, graphics classes in the Style Shop, and after-school tutoring in the Scholar Shop. Amy and I give money every year to the Bike Shop so they can continue to expand their programs, and I hope this year you can join us in making a contribution.
- Jake Goldstein and Amy Dinn
