Charity Challenge Returns

Who will be CultureMap’s 2017 charity partner? That’s up to you as Challenge returns

At CultureMap, one of the things we love most about Houston is the philanthropic spirit of its residents. In the spirit of giving this holiday season, we're hosting our fourth annual CultureMap Charity Challenge.

We've selected eight deserving non-profits to vie for the grand prize, an exclusive promotion and advertising package valued at $10,000 and bragging rights as CultureMap's 2017 charity partner.

The winner will be announced on January 6, 2017.

You can vote once a day, every day, through December 18 at 11:59 pm. But before you do, learn more about these groups that are making a difference in our community:

BAYOU BUDDIES
Bayou Buddies, an affiliate of Buffalo Bayou Partnerships, is dedicated to enhancing Houston's historic waterway, and raising awareness of Buffalo Bayou among Houston’s young professional community.

F.R.E.S.H. YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
Houston Food Bank f.r.e.s.h. young professionals is a service organization motivated to take action and bring awareness to the issue of hunger through fundraising, advocacy, social, and volunteer efforts.

FRIENDS OF DEPELCHIN
Friends of DePelchin is a group of young professionals who are committed to supporting DePelchin’s mission through philanthropy, volunteerism, and raising awareness within the Houston community.

HOMEMADE HOPE
Homemade Hope provides hands-on cooking classes and holiday celebrations in homeless and transitional living shelters where children experience the joy of family meals, the nurturing power of creating healthy dishes, and the stability of developing traditions centered around food.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD YOUNG LEADERS
Planned Parenthood Young Leaders is a group of young professionals in the Houston area who recognize that the future of reproductive freedom and quality healthcare depends on the determination and dedication of their generation.

SCENE
Scene provides inside access to the Alley Theatre through social activities and cultural engagement to develop a community of young supporters for the growth and future of a Houston arts institution.

URBAN GREEN
Hermann Park Conservancy’s Urban Green is a membership and events group made up of young professionals dedicated to the conservancy’s mission to improve and maintain Hermann Park by inspiring new generations of park supporters.

YOUNG TEXANS AGAINST CANCER
Established in 2001 by a group of 44 young individuals in the Houston area, YTAC strives to increase cancer awareness among the generation of 22- to 40-year-olds.

So be sure to vote— and better yet, volunteer to help out one of these organizations or one of your choosing. It will be a great way to end the year and start 2017 off right!

Bayou Buddies is one of eight non-profits in the CultureMap Charity Challenge.

Courtesy photo

Bayou Buddies is one of eight non-profits in the CultureMap Charity Challenge.

fundraisers

Charity Challenge

The 2017 CultureMap Charity Challenge champ has a lot of Homemade Hope

Courtesy photo

Through weekly classes, children are introduced to new foods and educated about nutrition in a loving and supportive environment through Homemade Hope.

For 10 days last month, eight Houston charities vied for the most online votes to win bragging rights as CultureMap’s 2017 charity partner, a designation that comes complete with an advertising package valued at $10,000.

And while all of the participating non-profits, including Bayou Buddies, F.R.E.S.H. young professionals, Friends of Depelchin, Homemade Hope, Planned Parenthood Young Leaders, Scene, Urban Green, and Young Texans Against Cancer, are worthy of the top spot for making Houston a better place to live, there can be only one winner.

This year, that title goes to Homemade Hope, which garnered nearly 41 percent of the votes.

Houstonian Blair Bentley, who founded the nonprofit organization in 2014, was inspired by her experience as a volunteer in homeless shelters, which began while she was at student at Memorial High School, as well as by her mother, the former executive director of a non-profit that does art therapy programs with children in shelters. "My mom has been my mentor and such a support system in starting Homemade Hope," Bentley tells CultureMap.

Homemade Hope, which currently serves five Houston-area shelters, provides weekly hands-on cooking classes for children living in homeless and transitional living facilities, introducing them to simple, nutritious meals they can prepare for their families with readily available ingredients.

During the holidays, the organization hosts celebrations where the children experience the joy of family meals, the nurturing power of creating healthy dishes, and the stability of developing traditions centered around food.

Homemade Hope also organizes field trips, introducing the kids to many of Houston’s iconic and educational sites while helping them to develop life skills otherwise limited by their circumstances.

"We are truly honored to have won the CultureMap Charity Challenge. Being able to spread the word about our mission means so much to a growing charity like Homemade Hope. Thank you to CultureMap and all of our supporters who voted in the challenge," Bentley says.

This September, Homemade Hope will hold its second annual gala honoring Yvonne and Rufus Cormier.

For more information, visit the Homemade Hope website.

Through weekly classes, children are introduced to new foods and educated about nutrition in a loving and supportive environment through Homemade Hope.

Houston, CultureMap Charity Challenge Winner, Homemade Hope, 2017, cooking lessons

Courtesy photo

Through weekly classes, children are introduced to new foods and educated about nutrition in a loving and supportive environment through Homemade Hope.

charity charity-challenge fundraisers

Charity Challenge Returns

Who will be CultureMap’s 2017 charity partner? That’s up to you as Challenge returns

Bayou Buddies is one of eight non-profits in the CultureMap Charity Challenge.

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Charity Challenge

The 2017 CultureMap Charity Challenge champ has a lot of Homemade Hope

Through weekly classes, children are introduced to new foods and educated about nutrition in a loving and supportive environment through Homemade Hope.

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