········· ACAM:
SUPPORTING GREATER HOUSTON'S SOCIAL SERVICE SAFETY NET ········· ACAM is a collaborative committed to excellence in social services and capacity
building for Community Assistance Ministries (CAMs) in the Greater
Houston area.
········· ABOUT
ACAM MEMBERS ········· Community Assistance
Ministries or CAMs are 501(c)(3) basic needs providers and have
served neighbors in need since the early 1980’s. They were
started by coalitions of congregations and remain faith-based in
mission and vision, yet do not require a statement of faith or
participation in religious activity as a condition for receiving
services. As distribution centers for resources gathered from community
groups, local congregations and neighbors-helping-neighbors, CAMs are a
coordinated community effort with a proven track record in helping
persons having trouble meeting their basic needs. Their spirit of
service can be seen in everything they do.
CAMs
are an important part of our community's “social service
safety
net,” preventing homelessness, meeting basic needs and
helping
people remain or become self-sufficient. They annually serve more than
274,000 people with food, clothing, employment services, rent/utilities
assistance, and much more.
To download a copy of our Member Services Directory, click here. CAMs are
known for serving with compassion and a minimum of bureaucracy. With over 10,000 volunteers they are an
efficient way to streamline the desire of more than 500 congregations
to respond to local needs. Find
CAMs in your neighborhood.
········· ABOUT
ACAM ········· ACAM
builds nonprofit capacity to increase organizational sustainability and
help groups proactively respond to growing and changing community
needs.
ACAM's core program
components include:
Capacity Building: ACAM promotes sound practices in nonprofit operations and programming. Organizational assessments inform members on areas of strength and weakness and are used to develop capacity building plans. ACAM supports plan implementation through stipends for training and consulting and direct grants to develop organizational infrastructure.
Networking and Training: This component promotes best practice knowledge, peer learning and information exchange for the following groups: executive directors, resource development managers, volunteer coordinators, client service managers and thrift store managers. Peer mentoring relationships are developed among executive directors. This component also helps to build relationships between ACAM members and funders.
Advocacy and Outreach: This component is aimed at increasing membership by reaching out to underserved parts of Greater Houston, raising the profile of CAMs as service hubs in their communities and raising awareness around the issues affecting the people served by the CAMs. Activities are focused on rallying support for initiatives and funding that will provide pathways out of poverty for the CAMs’ clients.
Collaborative Initiatives: ACAM helps members use their collective strength to develop city-wide service streams and service models that address root causes of poverty. ACAM also organizes member- and funder-driven initiatives to provide immediate response to member needs. ACAM is effective in coordinating efforts to address emergency situations affecting the lives of the clients served by the CAMs, including but not limited to disaster relief.
TO PROVIDE SOCIAL
PURPOSE MINISTRIES WITH A PROFESSIONAL FORUM TO
STRENGTHEN THEIR CAPACITY TO FULFILL THEIR MISSION.
········· OUR
VISION ·········
A HIGH-PERFORMING
NETWORK OF SOCIAL PURPOSE MINISTRIES, FUNDERS, AND
COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO, THROUGH SYNERGISTIC ALLIANCES, WILL EFFECT
CHANGE FOR THOSE IN NEED.
