DePelchin Children’s Center opened a new volunteer services building in July to expand the organization’s outreach capacity and support more children in Houston and around the state.

The overview

For decades, the center has cared for children in the Houston area by providing foster and adoption services, counseling, parenting programs and residential services for young adults experiencing homelessness.

A July 11 news release from DePelchin stated the original 1940s building could no longer maintain the level of demand and services required.

“We needed more space—more room to train foster parents, more room to sort and store donations and more room to welcome the hundreds of volunteers who help power our mission," the release states.

The new Junior League of Houston Volunteer Services Building will host a variety of events, including parent and adoptive parent trainings, volunteer activities and education programs.

To DePelchin, this new space is more than just a building. According to the news release, it’s a “hub of hope, healing and support.”

About the project

The 21,000-square-foot building is named after the Junior League of Houston in honor of the $2 million donation the league gave to support the expansion. It is located at DePelchin’s main campus on Memorial Drive.

According to the news release, some of the building’s features include:

  • Over 8,000 square feet of warehouse and volunteer workspace for sorting, storing and distributing donated goods
  • Classrooms and flexible training spaces for foster parent education, mental health support and parenting programs
  • Dedicated areas for children’s enrichment activities
  • Covered drop-off and loading zones to make donation drop-offs easier and more efficient
  • Volunteer amenities like a kitchenette, lockers and on-site parking
Volunteers with DePelchin can organize items at the donation station, play with children in residential services, participate in campus beautification and assist in seasonal projects. (Courtesy DePelchin Children's Center)
Volunteers with DePelchin can organize items at the donation station, play with children in residential services, participate in campus beautification and assist in seasonal projects. (Courtesy DePelchin Children's Center)

In their own words

Attendees of the grand opening were given tours of the new space and heard from various speakers, including Temple Webber III, chair of DePelchin’s board of directors.

“Today, we celebrate the completion of a building that will support every program and service that DePelchin offers—now and for many decades to come. Most importantly, it will enhance the well-being of the children and families we serve and, through them, the well-being of our community,” Webber said.

Temple Webber next to Junior League of Houston president Katie Doyle (left) and DePelchin CEO and president Jenifer Jarriel (right). (Courtesy of DePelchin Children's Center)
(From left) Katie Doyle, the president of the Junior League of Houston, Temple Webber and Jenifer Jarriel, DePelchin CEO and president. (Courtesy DePelchin Children's Center)