Moving mountains at Martha’s Home

  • Posted: Wednesday, March 31, 2021, 4:15 pm

Martha’s Home in Amarillo helps single mothers and their children rebuild their lives.

Martha’s Home in Amarillo helps single mothers and their children rebuild their lives.

Martha’s Home is much more than a homeless shelter. Since 1987, it has been a place for Amarillo women, including single mothers with their children, to re-build their lives and break the cycle of poverty. The organization offers life skills training, case management, counseling, life recovery classes, mentoring, and thanks to a $10,000 grant from CNS, they have the ability to continue moving mountains.

“These things are not just a blip in their budget, it’s a mountain,” said Martha’s Home Executive Director Connie Garcia. “When you have a choice between paying car insurance and feeding your children, having someone remove that barrier can make a very tangible impact. They can drive to work without fear of getting a ticket.”

The organization has earmarked the grant funds to take care of special needs for residents, which could include car repairs, insurance, or registration.

Imagine fleeing a domestic violence situation and needing a new driver’s license or birth certificates to enroll your children in school. In Texas, birth certificates are approximately $22 each, which can add up for multiple children. Martha’s Home helps remove that barrier. It also provides special clothing or shoes needed for new jobs as the women get back on their feet.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” said Garcia. “This is an incredible blessing, and we are more grateful than words can say.”

The organization, named after Martha in the Bible, serves approximately 100 women each year in one of their five homes. The women receive more personal attention than at a temporary shelter and stay approximately three to four months before moving out with their housing deposit paid from the special needs fund.

Martha’s Home accepts donations of household items or monetary gifts. They also raise funds by hosting annual fundraisers like the popular Second Chance Prom and the Slack-A-Thon 0.5K Run/Walk.

The $10,000 was awarded by the Pantex Community Investment Advisory Committee, comprised of CNS employees. Through the Community Investment Fund administered by Amarillo Area Foundation, CNS has invested more than $850,000 in local nonprofits in the Texas Panhandle since 2016.

“We chose Martha’s Home to receive a Pantex Community Investment grant because of the lasting positive impact the organization has on helping homeless women in the Texas Panhandle,” said investment committee member Channing Sparks. “It was important for us to support a fund that directly helps single women and women with children with any issues that may arise while pursuing employment, housing, or education on their journey to being successful members of our community.”