West Houston Assistance Ministries (WHAM) was founded after seven local churches came together in the early 80's to form a central organization that could address the needs of those coming daily through their church doors seeking help. Today, thousands in Houston still live in poverty and are struggling to meet their needs while facing tough choices on how to allocate scarce resources. This is why WHAM focuses on offering services that meet basic needs like food and clothing, prevent eviction and homelessness, like rent/mortgage and utility assistance, and provide access to education and job training to lift people out of poverty, promote independence, and connect them to tools that help them build better lives. Together with the other services we provide (Back to School, Summer Lunches, Disaster Relief, etc), we contribute to alleviating poverty and building a strong and thriving community. However, we couldn't do it on our own - individuals, businesses, organizations, churches and schools throughout Houston provide the vital resources and volunteer hours to help over 132,000 clients in 2022. Every donation - be it financial, time volunteered, food items, or items donated to our Resale Store, as well as every purchase from our store, benefits the families we serve. This allows us to live out our mission: to serve those who come to us for help regardless of background, belief or circumstance. Our Core Programs Food Pantry (the largest in West Houston); Financial assistance (for rent/utilities); Employment & Education Services (ESL, GED, financial literacy, resume building and job coaching, etc); WHAM Resale Store (Aka Second Blessing)