The 40,000-square-foot facility will feature a warehouse and food pantry.[/caption]Local nonprofit Cypress Assistance Ministries launched a capital campaign in January with the goal of raising $3.5 million for a new headquarters.
In October, CAM officials closed on a 4-acre plot of land where the planned 40,000-square-foot facility will be located. The plot is on Cypress North Houston Road between Barwood Bend and Mile drives, Executive Director Martha Burns said.
“The new space will help us serve the community with the dignity that [it] deserve[s],” she said.
Construction of the new headquarters should take six months to finish with the completion date dependent on how quickly funds are raised, Burns said.
CAM offers financial assistance, a food pantry and employment help, among other forms of assistance, to people in the Cy-Fair area. The nonprofit rents 18,000 square feet of space spread across two separate shopping centers located across from each other on Huffmeister Road. Administrative offices are on one side of the road while the food pantry and thrift shop—Angels’ Attic Resale—are located on the opposite side.
“When families come to see us right now, they have to travel between multiple locations and across a busy street,” Burns said.
Once the new facility is constructed, CAM will be able to serve more families in one central location.
“CAM has been operating for so long in a facility that is designed for other things,” said Darcy Mingoia, a member of CAM’s Capital Campaign Committee. “The staff and volunteers have made due and have done an extraordinary job, but it is time to make sure their facility is safer, more accessible and can allow for more efficient and effective service to their clients.”
Initial plans for the new building include storefront retail space for Angels’ Attic Resale with side access to a large lobby, administrative offices, class and workrooms, a food pantry and storage warehouse as well as a loading dock.
With operations running more efficiently under one roof, Burns said CAM will look to expand its programs. The facility will have space built-in for future growth.
The new facility will allow CAM to hold its English as a second language classes in-house; to date, the classes are held at Cypress United Methodist Church on Cypress North Houston Road.
Burns said she hopes the upgraded space with ample parking will increase the number of volunteers who work for CAM. Last year, volunteers donated over 30,000 hours of work, and CAM was able to serve nearly 3,000 clients and provide 148 tons of food to those in need.
“Whether it is offering coaching and training for job seekers, providing emergency funds or serving as this area's major food bank, CAM helps those [who] need emergency assistance. The recipients of these gifts are given an opportunity, and it changes their lives,” Mingoia said.
To contribute to the capital campaign, visit www.cypressassistance.org/capital-campaign.
