When Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church donated $400,000 to SHAPE Community Center in honor of the late Rev. William A. “Bill” Lawson, it marked one of the largest contributions to SHAPE’s “Together Build Back Better” initiative.
But while SHAPE leaders are deeply grateful for Wheeler’s gift — and for every donation, large or small — they emphasize that much more is needed to reach their $5 million goal.
Where SHAPE stands currently
The beloved 3815 Live Oak building, long a hub for the Third Ward and greater Houston community, was severely damaged by fire in January, forcing SHAPE to move much of its programming to its Almeda location.
Despite the setback, SHAPE has raised close to $1 million toward its rebuilding campaign.
“We don’t want people to think that we have enough money and that $1 million is enough. It’s not enough,” said Connie Cochran, SHAPE’s fundraising consultant. “We have to raise more in order to get the building back to where it was — and better than it was before.”
Nedzra Ward, SHAPE’s board chair, said the organization is determined not only to rebuild but to improve the Live Oak facility.
“Our Build Back Better project encompasses not only getting back into the Live Oak building but also making it more user-friendly,” said Ward. “We can’t change the space, but we can maneuver the layout so that it flows better for the community.”
While SHAPE leaders work toward this goal, the organization’s programs remain active at the Almeda location.
“Ever since the fire, SHAPE Center has not stopped,” said co-founder and executive director Deloyd Parker. “We’ve continued — the children are here for the after-school program, the elders are here on Thursdays, people come for volunteer orientation on Saturdays. Programs continue.
“We just don’t have the capacity to do as much as we were doing in the other building. That’s why we have to get the building restored.”
More support needed
Insurance funds alone are not enough to cover the cost of rebuilding, Ward explained.
“Once the building was demolished, we saw other things that needed to be done — the foundation had to be repaired, leveling had to be done, cracks around the building had to be replaced — but those are not covered under the insurance,” shared Ward. “When we say we need $5 million, people think that’s a lot. But a lot is going out for costs the insurance won’t pay for.”
Cochran added that the campaign has received generous support — including $100,000 each from H-E-B and philanthropist Sam Stovan, an anonymous $30,000 gift, $25,000 from the City of Houston’s District D and Department of Neighborhoods, $15,000 from Union Pacific and $10,000 from Lakewood Baptist Church.
Yet she stressed that every contribution matters.
“Everyone doesn’t have $100,000 or $15,000 or $25,000 to give, but their gift is as important as those big gifts,” Cochran said. “It’s all relative to how much someone has to give. Everything is significant.”
That mindset reflects the Kwanzaa principle Parker invoked: “Cooperative economics.”
“No one person can do everything, no one organization can do everything,” Parker said. “But if each one of them would do something, everything would get done. Everybody can do something within their ability, and that’s what we are asking people to do.”
The value SHAPE provides to the community, Parker added, cannot easily be measured in dollars.
“We open the doors to everybody who shares our vision,” he said. “We’ve hosted the death penalty abolition movement, the Association of Black Social Workers, grieving mothers who have lost their children to gun violence — so many groups. SHAPE Center is often called the United Nations of the neighborhood.”
Ward underscored the cost of maintaining SHAPE’s programs while the Live Oak building is being rebuilt.
“Two donors have stepped up to cover $20,000 a month to sustain programs at Almeda,” stated Ward. “That’s how much value there is in making sure our programs go on.”
Continued programming
Despite the damage to the Live Oak location, SHAPE’s Elders Institute of Wisdom still meets every Thursday, welcoming participants ranging in age from 60 to 105. The afterschool program has resumed now that SHAPE’s Almeda building has been certified for childcare. The center continues to host volunteer orientations, the Association of Black Social Workers, the death penalty abolition movement and other community groups.
One of SHAPE’s signature initiatives, the annual Freedom Tour, takes 35 to 50 youth on a weeklong journey retracing the Civil Rights Movement.
“People without knowledge of their history, culture and origin are like a tree without roots,” Parker said. “After going on that trip, the children will never be the same. We want to continue that.”
How you can help
Construction at the Live Oak building has already begun, with roof repairs underway and framing scheduled to start at the end of September. SHAPE leaders anticipate moving back into the restored facility by April 1, 2026, and plan a community-wide celebration to mark the occasion.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” Cochran said. “SHAPE is a hub in the community for everything. We can’t ever raise enough money to match the value of the services that are being provided and the people who go through SHAPE. But we can raise enough to rebuild, and we need everyone to step up and help.”
Parker agreed.
“It’s going to take more than a fire to put us out,” he said. “We can’t do it without the community’s support. Everywhere I go, people tell me they support SHAPE and ask what they can do. That’s the spirit that keeps us going.”For more information or to make a donation, visit www.shape.org or call 713-521-0629.
