Houston Welcomes Refugees

What Houston Welcomes Refugees does

Houston Welcomes Refugees is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2015 and headquartered at 946 W 17th Street, Houston, TX. The organization mobilizes the local Houston community — primarily through church partnerships and volunteer networks — to provide resettlement support services for refugees arriving in the Houston area. Its core proposition is delivering Hope, Help, and Honor to refugees during the initial months of their resettlement through coordinated programs.

The organization operates four core service lines: Starting Essentials (Welcome Kits in nine categories such as Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedding, Baby, Kids, Cleaning, and Personal Care, plus weekly Grocery Deliveries), Friendship (Welcome Teams of 4–8 volunteers paired with a refugee family for at least six months), and Community Education (one-hour orientation sessions about refugees and resettlement). A supplementary Refresh Kit product line was added to address ongoing needs of established refugee families. Service delivery is volunteer-driven and geographically concentrated in Houston, with no proprietary technology platform; the Squarespace-hosted website serves as the primary digital surface for donations, volunteer sign-up, and program information.

The business model is donation-based: revenue is generated through one-time and recurring financial contributions (processed via Fellowship One Giving), in-kind donations toward specific Welcome Kits, and non-cash gifts such as stock and mutual funds. Suggested per-kit donation values range from $45 (Bedding Kit) to $180 (Kid's Kit). The organization employs a lean staff of seven across program management, partnerships, and administration, supplemented by a board of directors and a large volunteer base. Strategic partnerships with Prestige Learning Institute (ESL classes) and Clothed by Faith (clothing) extend the service offering, while church and organization partners serve as the primary referral and volunteer recruitment channel.

Name

Houston Welcomes Refugees

Legal name

Houston Welcomes Refugees

Website

https://houstonwelcomesrefugees.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Houston Welcomes Refugees is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 that mobilizes Houston-area churches and volunteers to deliver resettlement support services — Welcome Kits, grocery deliveries, and Welcome Team partnerships — to newly arrived refugee families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee Resettlement Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Refugee Reception & Registration (BPADAHAA), Refugee & Migrant Integration Enterprises (Livelihoods, Services) (BPAGALAN), Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI), Immigrant & Refugee Community Education (Integration/Navigation) (EDAAAFAH)

Keywords

• Refugee resettlement services
• Humanitarian aid programs
• Community volunteer mobilization
• Welcome kits distribution
• Nonprofit social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization generates revenue through one-time and recurring financial donations from individuals and organizations. Donations can be made online via the Fellowship One Giving platform, by check, or through non-cash donations such as stock and mutual funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Houston Welcomes Refugees is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides refugee resettlement support services in Houston through three coordinated programs: Starting Essentials (donated Welcome Kits and weekly Grocery Deliveries for newly arrived families), Friendship (Welcome Teams of 4-8 volunteers partnering with a refugee family for at least six months), and Community Education (orientations, trainings, and events that educate the local community and onboard volunteers). All services are delivered free of charge to refugee families and are funded through charitable donations and in-kind contributions.

Product overview

Houston Welcomes Refugees is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a coordinated suite of volunteer-driven resettlement support services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include Welcome Kits (assembled household essential packages in nine categories), Grocery Deliveries (weekly food support for newly arrived families), Welcome Teams (6-month volunteer partnerships with refugee families), and Community Orientations (educational training sessions). These services are facilitated through a website-based platform for communication, donation collection, and volunteer coordination, built on the Squarespace content management system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Welcome Kits Assembled kits of household essentials across nine categories (Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedding, Baby, Kid's, Cleaning, Personal Care, and additional kit variations) donated to refugee families to help them establish their new homes in Houston.
• Grocery Deliveries Weekly grocery deliveries provided to newly arrived refugee families during their initial weeks in Houston while they wait for food stamps and work authorization to be processed, addressing food insecurity during early resettlement.
• Welcome Teams Volunteer teams of 4-8 people who partner with a refugee family for at least six months, visiting 2-3 times per week initially and then weekly, providing friendship, connecting the family with resources, and supporting their adjustment to life in Houston.
• Refresh Kits Supplementary kits provided to existing refugee families to supplement their initial Welcome Kits as needs arise over time.
• Community Orientations and Trainings One-hour interactive educational sessions that inform volunteers and community members about refugees, resettlement processes, and opportunities to serve, serving as the first step for Welcome Team and Welcome Kit volunteers.

Quantifiable outcome

• New refugee families arriving weekly in Houston
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Prestige Learning InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffers language and conversation classes for men and women to help refugees learn English. Provides a critical service addressing the language barrier that refugees face when navigating life in Houston. Current volunteer needs include After School Volunteers, Teen Girls Volunteers, and ESL Program volunteers.
• Clothed by FaithcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides one week's worth of clothing, shoes, new socks and underwear to children and adults in need. Clothing is carefully selected and presented in nice gift bags with notes of encouragement. Partners with HWR to meet clothing needs of arriving refugee families.
• Churches and Organizations Across HoustoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner churches and organizations across Houston provide volunteers, host Orientations, collection drives, and support Welcome Teams. They are key partners in mobilizing the local community to welcome refugees.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Church World Service (CWS): Faith-based refugee resettlement agency affiliated with multiple Christian denominations operating across multiple U.S. cities; similar faith-mobilization DNA to HWR but at significantly larger scale.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): One of the largest U.S. refugee resettlement agencies, operating in multiple major cities including Houston; provides a similar suite of resettlement and integration services but at national scale and with government contracts.
• Catholic Relief Services (CRS): Large international humanitarian agency with U.S. refugee programs including welcome and integration support; offers overlapping resettlement capabilities as part of a much wider global portfolio.
• HIAS: International Jewish refugee resettlement agency operating across the U.S., providing resettlement, integration, and legal services to refugees and asylum seekers; broader geographic footprint but directly comparable service model.

Regional players

• RefugeeOne: Chicago-based refugee resettlement agency providing housing, employment, and integration services to newly arrived refugees; comparable service model and faith-rooted ethos but operates in a different metropolitan market.

Direct peers

• Refugee Services of Texas: Statewide refugee resettlement agency with offices in Houston providing reception, placement, and integration services; directly comparable services and overlapping Houston service area.
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston: A federally affiliated refugee resettlement agency in Houston offering case management, housing support, and integration services to newly arrived refugees; directly comparable mission and beneficiary population.
• Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston: Houston-based interfaith nonprofit operating refugee and immigrant services, including resettlement support and community education; comparable geographic focus and faith-coalition community mobilization model.
• YMCA International Services: One of the formal refugee resettlement agencies operating in Houston, providing reception, placement, and integration services comparable to HWR's programs; directly competes for refugee clients, volunteers, and donors in the same geography.

Emerging players

• Hearts & Homes for Refugees: Volunteer-driven nonprofit that mobilizes community welcome teams for refugee families; highly comparable to HWR's Welcome Team model at smaller scale and in a different geography.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/houstonwelcomesrefugees
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/houston-welcomes-refugees

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Houston Welcomes Refugees