The planned 40,000-square-foot headquarters for Cypress Assistance Ministries will allow the nonprofit to bring all of its departments under one roof. The building site is located on Cypress North Houston Road. The planned 40,000-square-foot headquarters for Cypress Assistance Ministries will allow the nonprofit to bring all of its departments under one roof. The building site is located on Cypress North Houston Road.[/caption]

Plans are moving forward on building a new headquarters for local nonprofit Cypress Assistance Ministries. The design process has been completed, and an architectural rendering is now featured on a new sign that has been placed at the building site on Cypress North Houston Road.


The capital fundraising campaign is also moving forward, CAM Executive Director Martha Burnes said. CAM launched its campaign in January, but officials recently finished a formalized plan to present to potential donors.


“Now that we’ve got the building designed, we can go out and start talking to local individuals, companies and past donors,” Burnes said.


Officials met in April to set fundraising goals and develop an outreach plan to raise the $3.5 million necessary to complete the 40,000-square-foot project. Burnes said she is aiming to raise $750,000 by the end of 2016.


Construction will likely begin once fundraising levels reach $1.5 million-$2 million. Burnes said she hopes to be in the new building by the end of 2017. The 4-acre plot is located on Cypress North Houston Road between Barwood Bend and Mile drives.


CAM offers financial assistance, a food pantry and employment help, among other forms of assistance, to people in the Cy-Fair area.


The new location will provide CAM with more space, which could not come at a better time, Burnes said. The number of people coming to the nonprofit for both job assistance and food assistance is up, she said.


“Since January 2015, we’ve really been working to spread awareness that we are here,” Burnes said. “It’s not that there are more people in our community who need help—it’s that there are more people who know we can give help.”


The nonprofit currently rents 18,000 square feet of space spread across three separate shopping centers at the intersection of Huffmeister Road and Fleur De Lis Boulevard. Administrative officers are at the southeast corner of the intersection, but the food pantry is at the southwest corner and the donation center was recently moved to the northeast corner at the request of a landlord.


One major benefit of the relocation will be having all of CAM’s departments under one roof, Burnes said.


“Asking little old ladies to walk across the busy street, especially if they don’t have transportation or have bags to carry, is not ideal,” Burnes said. “It’s not conducive to our mission of helping others.”


Plans for the new building include space for Angels’ Attic Resale, administrative offices, classrooms and workrooms, a food pantry, storage warehouse and loading dock. CAM will host its English as a second language classes in-house. Classes are currently hosted at Cypress United Methodist Church.


Burnes said she hopes the upgraded space with ample parking will increase the number of volunteers who work for CAM.


To contribute to the capital fundraising campaign, visit www.cypress-assistance.org/capital-campaign.