Reach Across Houston's
History
• Ministry Overview • History • Vision and Direction • News • Partners • Volunteer Needs •
Reach Across Houston was founded by Pastor Benny
Sanders and Barbara Oden in 1992. They wanted an organization that could go
beyond the role of a traditional church to meet practical needs. RAH thus seeks
to bring long-term, deeply rooted solutions to people in an area characterized
by welfare families, crime and low-income housing.
RAH was created with the understanding that people, usually through a series of
poorly made decisions, but sometimes through no fault of their own, sometimes
need help. People with poor education often find themselves at the mercy of
vice-driven activities. Crime almost always provides an easier solution than
education, but creates a new set of problems to which solutions must be found.
RAH was founded to intervene in the lives of the people of Houston to provide
other answers to negative societal paradigms through basic and technical
education in a wholesome atmosphere.
At various times in our history, we have offered classes leading to the General
Educational Development (GED) certification, held English as a Second Language
(ESL) classes and held after-school tutoring, sponsored a basketball league for
teen boys, hosted conflict resolution seminars, taught basic computer literacy,
and facilitated job preparedness seminars. Throughout our experience, we have
helped hundreds of Houstonians come closer to realizing their full potential.
Of course, the causes of poverty are not simple. People may need a hand up in
more than one area of their lives. So we offer referrals to organizations that
may help, and we sponsor a variety of programs of our own. These different
strategies have put us in “just the right spot” to touch thousands of lives.
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