We hold CommUnity Nights at our Gethsemane Campus at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Gulfton/Sharpstown. Every week our volunteers serve a hot meal, youth meet with mentors, and young men and women gather in fellowship. It is a decade old tradition that includes music, breakdance battles and sports.

It doesn’t matter whether they are from the neighborhood, our school program or the juvenile justice system, CommUnity Night is about kids enjoying each other’s company.

Houston reVision is a non-profit organization with a No Pay To Play soccer program for youth and adults that provides opportunities for young people from all backgrounds to play soccer and assists them in developing vital life skills such as teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship. The organization is committed to providing its players with a free, high-quality soccer experience to help them reach their full potential.

A typical day for a youth involved in reVision programming might include coming to the reVision Community Center after school, having a snack, and hanging out with friends. On Thursdays, youth can participate in reVision's weekly CommUnity Night, where a live DJ plays music and can learn the fundamentals of breakdancing and other dance styles. Youth may also attend Tuesday night guided dance sessions to receive one-on-one instruction from highly skilled dancers on the reVision staff. If a youth is on the reVision soccer team, they will have organized practice at least twice a week and may also play a game or attend a tournament, usually on the weekends.

Being disconnected can mean a lot of things. Abuse and trauma. Poverty and homelessness. Abandonment and isolation. Youth who lack connection often seek it from gangs or other negative influences. It is a path that can lead to mental illness, incarceration and suicide.

Through regular, one-on-one sessions, our volunteer mentors provide the positive, stable sense of connection that is lacking in their lives.

On the first Friday of each month, our reVision team enters the security doors of the Ellis Unit at Huntsville Prison to meet with the convicted youth servicing adult sentences. We bring pizza, art, music and mentors, who meet with the youth one-on-one.

In some cases, we are the only visitors they will see while they serve their sentences, the only sign that the world outside hasn’t forgotten them.

People trapped in a cycle of chronic homelessness usually had their first experiences in their youth. Houston reVision intervenes with unstably housed youth and young adults to keep them from falling into a pattern of homelessness. First, our case workers stabilize them by finding emergency housing and assistance; then, we work on protective measures like education, employment, and emotional support to keep them from sinking into homelessness.

One of the most successful juvenile justice reform efforts in the country is taking place in Harris County. Houston reVision is deeply involved in that movement by working with county officials as a part of their youth diversion program.

Mentors and case workers meet with teens in the diversion program and with youth who are held in detention, giving them a pathway that can steer them away from future criminal activity.

Youth facing food insecurity, being kicked out of their apartment or facing juvenile detention can’t thrive. or learn or make good choices.

Our professional case managers reduce stress at home by connecting youth and their families with crucial services. They also serve as advocates for youth caught up in the juvenile justice system or school disciplinary proceedings.