Growing Interfaith: Nonprofit plans new location on donated land

Facing increased demand in the space where it has resided since the 1970s, Interfaith of The Woodlands is planning a new facility off Sawdust Road to continue providing services to people in need in South Montgomery County.

A 3-acre donation by Woodforest National Bank on Sawdust Road will allow Interfaith to build a new facility up to 20,000 square feet in size to carry out its activities, said Missy Herndon, president and CEO of Interfaith of The Woodlands.

However, it will hold a capital campaign—the first in the nonprofit’s history—for the building construction, she said.

Two-minute impact

Interfaith has existed longer than The Woodlands itself, having formed in 1973—a year before the first village in The Woodlands officially opened. The nonprofit agency was an integral part of George Mitchell’s vision for the community he founded and its surrounding areas, Herndon said.

Interfaith works in tandem with governmental bodies, businesses and other nonprofits to deliver services across an area that includes The Woodlands, Shenandoah and Oak Ridge North, as well as portions of unincorporated Montgomery County.

Since it opened, and notably since 2022, Interfaith has seen growth in the region translate to increased demand for food, senior services and other programs that have made it more challenging for the organization to serve those in need, Herndon said.••“We just continue to see increased community needs,” Herndon said.

This includes a 25% increase in demand since 2022 for its crisis assistance program, which helps people with costs like rent and mortgage payments.

The new building will be located in the 77380 ZIP code, which receives 28% of Interfaith services as of 2025—the largest share in the region.

"Donating this land to Interfaith of The Woodlands, which we have supported for over 20 years, reflects our long-standing commitment to organizations that provide hope, stability, and essential services for individuals and families across our community," said Robert E. Marling Jr., chairman and CEO of Woodforest National Bank.

Julie Mayrant, president and chief community banking officer, added that this partnership goes back decades.

“Interfaith of The Woodlands has been a trusted partner and a vital resource for our neighbors for decades. We are pleased to support their continued growth by helping to create a space where they can expand their impact and serve even more individuals and families in need," Mayrant said.

The framework

The key areas of support provided by Interfaith—food assistance, crisis assistance and senior programs—represented 82% of its services as of 2025, according to information from the nonprofit.

As many of these programs require an in-person trip to the facility, a location closer to I-45 and closer to its resale store, Hand Me Up Shop, would improve accessibility, especially as rapid growth is occurring east of I-45, where 21% of Interfaith demand is currently seen, Herndon said.

Through crisis assistance, recipients can pick up gas cards and vouchers for clothing at the nearby Hand Me Up Shop. For those experiencing a crisis such as housing insecurity or income loss in the area, the location will be more centralized and convenient, she said.

Even among the nonprofit’s smaller programs, room to grow is needed for its school supply and holiday giving programs, which see increasing demand, Herndon said.

“We need a larger space to be able to do all these programs throughout the year and serve, so those two are the really big pillars of that youth service center,” Herndon said. “Our goal is, quite frankly, just to create another space, a very highly functional space, where people can come in and get help, and to serve out of that.”

Some context

Additional space will also let Interfaith’s food pantry serve more people, Herndon said.

“Our goal is to increase the capacity of the food pantry to be able to continue to serve more neighbors,” Herndon said. “And then also to be able to increase volunteer opportunities within the food pantry.”

In 2025, Interfaith saw about 40% growth in service contracts at the pantry from 2022-25, according to data from the nonprofit.

Assessing the need

Senior services will also benefit from a larger location, Herndon said. As the region’s aging population grows, more seniors will need grocery delivery, transportation, home repair and daily activity programs, she said.

The number of Texans age 65 and older is projected to grow by more than 88% from 2023-50, according to information from the Texas Demographic Center.

Interfaith currently partners with entities such as local governments. It holds programs at its own facility as well as the county’s Kevin Brady Library Community Center and several low-income senior complexes, Herndon said.

It also partners with The Woodlands Township to provide home repairs for senior residents who have challenges keeping up with township covenants due to physical or financial limitations.

Growing its own footprint will also enable Interfaith to work better with county officials in both routine and emergency situations, she said.

For example, Interfaith provides volunteers at county-hosted senior congregate meals at the Kevin Brady Community Center, but it also provides disaster relief at its own building during natural disasters.

An ongoing partnership with The Woodlands Township helps provide transportation for seniors get to appointments, and a new program with the township and Montgomery County Community Foundation helps with other senior transportation needs.

“Most recently ... we added the Interfaith Care Shuttle, which is our van we are transporting seniors from the senior complexes to the grocery store,” Herndon said.

What's next

The next step will be to work with engineers to determine how large of a building can fit on the 3-acre space, which Herndon said could be 15,000 to 20,000 square feet in size.

The initial concept is for a single-story, full-service building and a parking lot, she said.

“It will be ... a full-service center, that is our goal,” Herndon said.

Depending on the results of the capital campaign, Interfaith could also renovate its existing building to provide space for educational classrooms along with senior services and other needs.

Interfaith also plans several anniversaries this year, including for its early childhood development center, its community clinic in Oak Ridge North and its community gardens.