The Riverside Project

“I wish it was easier to meet real needs in our community…”

Our response? Join the Response Network!

Through the Response Network, we’ve seen simple, everyday acts of care turn into life-changing moments for families.

Recently, we had a need come through for a Kinship parent who has been trying to get licensed but had some challenges with her back deck, preventing her from moving forward through the licensing process. In partnership with Houston's First Baptist Church Sienna Location and Monarch Family Services, we were able to get her deck repaired so she's able to continue moving forward in the licensing process.

The Response Network is a community-oriented solution to mobilize passionate individuals, businesses, and churches to meet real-time needs for families.

👉 Send us a message or an email ([email protected]) and we’d love to help you get started!

Everyone has a place along The River.

Not everyone can foster or adopt, but everyone can do something.

At The Riverside Project, we know that lasting change happens when each person finds their unique role in supporting children and families impacted by the foster care system.

Whether you give, serve, mentor, advocate, or simply learn, there is a place for you.

Healing is a community effort and YOU are invited. We'd love to help you find your place along The River! 💙

Moving forward, we are deeply committed to becoming more local, not less.

Since our start, our growth reflects both the scale of need in Houston and the effectiveness of a coordinated, relational approach to meeting the needs of children and families.

What began as a two-person team in 2018 grew into a ten-person organization by 2025, supported by intentional investments in staff, systems, and infrastructure.

As the child welfare landscape continues to evolve, so does the need for locally embedded teams who can build trust, respond quickly, and sustain long-term relationships within the communities they serve.

To realize this vision, we are working to launch five regionally-embedded teams between 2026 and 2030, bringing us even closer to the needs of specific communities in our city.

This neighborhood-focused approach will allow us to:
➡️ Move closer to the real needs of families
➡️ Mobilize local churches more effectively
➡️ Unite fragmented systems into a coordinated, relational network of care

Read our entire strategic plan: https://riversideproject.org/blog/strategic-plan/

"A lot of times children end up in care not because of intentional abuse or neglect, but because of a lack of resources.”

So grateful for this feature from our friends at The Furniture Bank:

We Can Heal Houston: The Riverside Project Connects Families to Hope, Stability, and Community - The Furniture Bank Partner Spotlight

What role can businesses play in supporting vulnerable children and families? A bigger one than many people realize.

Here's an example:

Recently, a hardworking, single mom of four connected to the child-welfare system lost her only vehicle when it caught fire.

Without nearby family or support, transportation quickly became a barrier as she worked to care for her children and maintain employment.

Within a month of our team receiving that request, Clutch Automotive reached out with an offer to repair and donate a vehicle to a family who could truly use it. Through this partnership with Clutch, they were able to provide this mother with a safe, reliable car and the ability to get to work, care for her kids, and move forward with stability and dignity.

(You can read the full story here: https://riversideproject.org/blog/donating-car/)

We're grateful for partners like Clutch Automotive who recognize that building a thriving city means investing in people.

If your business or organization is interested in finding a place along The River, we'd love to meet you!

No single organization, church, business, or individual can do this work alone.

But when people come together... each bringing their unique gifts, resources, and relationships, we create something far more powerful than any one effort could accomplish on its own.

Our 2026–2030 Strategic Plan marks a pivotal shift we're making to makecollaboration even more effective.

We're moving from a centralized model to five regionally embedded teams serving distinct areas of Houston. This neighborhood-focused approach moves us closer to families, mobilizes churches more effectively, and unites fragmented systems into a coordinated, relationship-driven network of care.

➡️ Read our full Strategic Plan: https://riversideproject.org/blog/strategic-plan/

You don't have to do everything to make a difference.

​You care deeply about children and families impacted by foster care. But sometimes, it’s hard to know where to start – or how to help in a way that’s meaningful and respectful. That’s why we created this for you.

This guide is for those who want to help but aren’t sure where to begin. Whether you’re a neighbor, a church member, or simply someone who cares, this guide will help you to turn your compassion into action.

Explore 31 Creative Ways to Serve Foster and Adoptive Families: https://landing.riversideproject.org/31ways