Cheat Sheet: Local Non-Profits to Know
West Texas is privileged to have a powerful list of non-profit organizations fighting a number of issues facing our city and state. And while this is a wonderful thing, it can be overwhelming for locals to know where to get involved, which organizations to give to and what impact it’s having.
Today—in celebration of National Volunteer Week—we’re sharing our cheat sheet for how to give like a local out West! From groups focused on restoring families, building homes, offering safe spaces and a path to healing for those affected by human trafficking, and the unique charitable events that give purpose to a passion, all the way down to age-old non-profits like CASA and Habitat for Humanity, we’re sharing the non-profits to know and how you can get involved.
NON-PROFITS TO KNOW
Buckner International is a ministry that serves vulnerable children and families with resources, including Buckner Foster Care and Adoption, Buckner Family Pathways, and the Buckner Family Hope Center. These programs help find safe and loving homes for abused and neglected children while providing community-based preservation and early intervention services to strengthen families and reduce the factors that led to neglect in the first place.
Learn More // Volunteer // Follow Along
Located in northwest Midland, Bynum School is the only public or private school in West Texas providing uninterrupted year-round services to students from age 3 to adult. Bynum School enrolls individuals who exhibit intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities of all types, unique and rare syndromes, and medical fragility. In their 40 years, the Bynum School has experienced phenomenal growth, reflecting the community’s need for high-quality education for its special need’s population. Bynum School focuses on abilities, not disabilities.
Learn More // Donate // Follow Along
CASA, a national organization that stands for “Court Appointed Special Advocates” recruits, trains and supports committed volunteers who advocate for child abuse victims. When a child enters the foster care system, the judge appoints a CASA volunteer to advocate for the child’s best interested and speak on behalf of them in the court room. The non-profit at large exists because not only do disparities exist in all aspects of society, but especially in the child welfare system. Giving a child a voice leads to greater equity and cultural competency.
Learn More // Volunteer // Follow Along
Every Neighbor is the bridge to supporting community engagement. We help simplify the search for serving opportunities and connect with those in need. Every Neighbor believes when neighbors begin to value themselves and others as human beings, barriers of division and isolation break down, creating a new space for relationships and a healthy community that will have a positive impact in our neighborhoods.
Learn More // Volunteer // Follow Along
Midland Fair Havens is a faith-based, privately funded organization where families end cycles of abuse and poverty and discover new paths towards more sustainable futures. To meet the needs of single mothers and their children, the organization provides both residential and non-residential support.
Learn More // Volunteer // Follow Along
Midland’s Habitat for Humanity is one of the premier institutions responsible for constructing affordable housing. MHFH uses a rigorous qualifying process that includes progress from the application to homeownership. Each participant will contribute 350 hours of “sweat equity” on the worksite and complete a homeownership education program. Successful candidates are then awarded a ZERO PERCENT interest mortgage, making homeownership a reality for families in need.
Learn More // Volunteer // Follow Along
For over 60 years, High Sky Children’s Ranch has been dedicated to healing abused children and promoting family wholeness. High Sky knows that intergenerational trauma can persist in families for decades and is often passed from a parent to a child. Their goal is to break this cycle. Through initiatives like Stay Together, Partnering with Parents, Teen Shelters, Fostering, Adoption and the list goes on, this organization is making waves in our community continuing to provide families with a healthier and safer way.
Learn More // Volunteer // Follow Along
Midland Children’s Rehab Center
Midland Children’s Rehabilitation Center provides occupational, physical, and speech therapy, as well as tutoring for children with dyslexia. The Center was started in 1956 and was originally called the Midland Cerebral Palsy Center. It is the only pediatric-only facility serving children and their needs. Their mission is to change the lives of children by providing neurological, orthopedic, and developmental therapy, in a compassionate environment, regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
Learn More // Support/Give // Follow Along
Reflection Ministries is a non-profit focused on restoring lives for those who have been coerced into a life of human trafficking and provides avenues for restoration, with a focus on identifying victims, and equipping cities through education. By providing crisis stabilization, therapeutic services and educational opportunities that move survivors towards self-sufficiency, Restore Ministries is doing work that leads to true freedom.
Learn More // Volunteer/Give // Follow Along
Serve Midland is an annual charity tennis tournament founded upon a desire in the Midland tennis community to add a philanthropic component. Each year, Serve Midland selects a different beneficiary —By continuing to diversify the non-profit organizations selected, the group hopes their impact continues spread further and further year over year.
Learn More // Volunteer/Give // Follow Along
The West Texas Food Bank is a non-profit, non-governmental hunger relief organization that supports the nutritional needs of children, families and senior citizens through strategic partnerships with civic and corporate groups, as well as private donors. As the largest non-profit in the Permian Basin, WTFB proudly distributes, donates and purchases food for children, families and seniors through a network of 100+ partners across 34,000 square miles of West Texas.
Learn More // Volunteer // Follow Along
