Our Mission

To help in meeting these needs requires an intentional, concerted effort by developing a "Corps of Compassion" (comprised of churches and other caring organization, armed with expanded resources and training), which reaches out to meet the needs at a personal relationship level. This kind of support goes well beyond bumper stickers and an occasional prayer to truly knowing and supporting individuals, to understand and help meet their individual needs.

Legal Assistance

We are currently networking with lawyers and attorneys in our area to help military that have PTSD and are in need of legal assistance. If you are a lawyer and would like to extend your services to our military, please contact us!

Our Community

In many ways, Houston is a "military town": thousands of serving citizen soldiers, active duty families with parents, sons, and daughters serving around the world; various Reserve component headquarters, a major Veterans Affairs hospital, Bush Intercontinental Airport as a major thoroughfare of military personnel, and an absolute multitude of military veterans.

Following the caring response to the needs of the victims of hurricane Katrina, Houston is nationally recognized as a beacon of compassion. It is our hope that Houston can once again be a model for other cities in recognizing the urgent needs of military families and responding with a heart of compassion. This call also provides an opportunity for national healing, through properly honoring our military service men and women and their families for their service, rather than allowing them to sink into lives of isolation, poverty, and public alienation. Regardless of one's outlook on this war and conflict in general, these families need our compassion. No one supporting the Katrina victims was "pro hurricane" - they were simply responding to the human needs.

Houston Freedom Fest will partner with other like-minded individuals and organizations locally and nationally to execute its mission. It will enhance community cohesion by integrating many other existing groups that support military families, churches, and other ministries throughout Houston.

Wall of Honor - Champions Forest Baptist Church

A church in Klein, Texas is making sure that it honors its members and families who served or are currently serving in the military with the "Wall of Honor". Photos of service men and women are displayed proudly within the main entrance to the worship center.

The Need is Urgent

The Iraq War began in March 2003 and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan started October 2001, with over 2,000,000 troop deployments to date. These deployments have averaged approximately 10 months at a time, with sometimes short returns home. On the national level, U.S. force have sustained over 25,000 casualties, with 3,000+ deaths and another 22,000+ wounded. With plans for bolstering deployments in 2007, many families will be facing their second, third, and even fourth deployment. Additionally, the Veterans Affairs reports over 400,000 untreated cases of PTSD, beginning from Vietnam forward.

From a Texas and Houston perspective, there are thousands of active, guard, and reserve troops and families in our local communities who are silently hurting - bruised and bleeding on our behalf. Men and women returning from service who face difficulty with the transition back to "normal" life, experiencing relationship or financial struggles and even post traumatic stress syndrome, "a ticking time bomb in this generation of returning warriors". The personal and societal effect of these burdens is dramatic, as seen in the rising military divorce rates and in the increased potential for substance abuse, domestic abuse, criminality and suicide.

Hence, there exists a moral mandate, and very practical societal rationale, for the leadership of Houston, Texas, to reach out to these military men, women, and children amongst us who so urgently need our support.

An Impact Houston and Military Ministry Initiative - www.impacthouston.net  / www.militaryministry.org

Houston Freedom Fest Thanks Houston Organizations Who Hire Vets for Their Support!  www.HoustonHiresVets.com

For Inclusion on this Employment Site, go to: www.HoustonHiresVets.com and click on Register

Bridges to Healing

Military Ministry Bridges to Healing is a strategy for churches that want to minister to the military in their midst and are looking for specific training and tools to do so. Bridges to Healing seminars and resources help churches provide appropriate and relevant outreach to military people and their families. They are designed to fit within many existing ministries such as those providing pastoral care, small group discipleship and fellowship, Christian counseling, and other caring/healing services.

Becoming a Bridges to Healing church involves taking a series of practical steps to become effective at ministering to military members and their families in ways that are relevant to their special needs, especially if they are experiencing the effects of combat trauma or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

www.Militaryministry.org