The Jan. 19, 2025 fire that ravaged SHAPE Community Center’s 3815 Live Oak building was a gut-punch to members of Houston’s vast Black community far beyond Third Ward, where SHAPE resides.
The fire was also a gut-punch to Deloyd Parker personally.
Parker, a certified Black Houston community icon, is the executive director and one of the co-founders of SHAPE (Self-Help for African People Everywhere). In February, he told the Defender that the fire was one of the most devastating blows he has ever had to endure.
But true to Parker’s fighting spirit, he and many others affiliated with SHAPE and its rich history have vowed to build SHAPE back better. Literally.
In fact, SHAPE recently hosted a public gathering to update community members on its “Together Building Back Better Restoration Campaign.”
The meeting, which was facilitated by SHAPE board members Debbie White (secretary) and Ifueko Omorogbe (vice president), was held at SHAPE’s 3903 Almeda Rd. location. The packed house heard updates on the physical rebuild timeline, SHAPE’s award-winning youth program, and more, including the “Building Back Better” fundraising goals and plans.
Building Back Better Campaign
“Following the devastating fire, SHAPE is launching a bold, do you hear me bold, $5 million capital campaign to restore not only the physical building, but to also restore programs, enhance programs, as well as ensure that the community has all the vital tools that are necessary in order for them to move forward,” said White. “That is one of the main reasons why we need your help, and we need your support.
“We want to mobilize and have everyone participate in our ‘Together Building Back Better $5 million Restoration Capital Campaign.’”
Connie Cochran, lead advisor of Cochran Creative Consulting, broke down the $5 million goal into two phases.
“The immediate priority is to restore and fully expand the SHAPE Community Center,” said Cochran. “Insurance will cover approximately $1 million. That only brings us back to what we were.
“We need additional funds to make SHAPE whole and elevate its impact.”
Phase I involves raising $2.5 million, $1.4 million of which is needed immediately, i.e., by July. That $1.4 million will fund things not covered by insurance, including critical infrastructure (foundation work, electrical upgrades, plumbing, structural improvements, restroom upgrades, complete replacement of destroyed technology and furniture and water efficiency).
The remaining $1.1 million will go to expand SHAPE’s after-school and summer enrichment programs.
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According to Cochran, Phase II will focus on SHAPE’s long-term sustainability. The goal is threefold: to establish an endowment, build a Senior Residence Center and strengthen SHAPE for long-term future growth.
Cochran emphasized that success demands an all-in effort.
“Fundraising is the job of everyone. It’s not one person. It’s about relationships. It’s about everybody helping for the greater goal,” Cochran said. “If there’s someone who just wants to support a student for a year in SHAPE, it’s $1,200. We’re making sure that we monetize everything SHAPE needs so that, at whatever level you’re coming in, you can contribute to give back.”
Rebuild
Former SHAPE board member Charles Caves continues to volunteer with the center. Currently, he’s lending his expertise in rebuilding to help guide the process for work needed to be done to resurrect SHAPE’s building, gutted by fire.
“So, with the city, there are two ways they could go,” Caves shared with meeting attendees. “They could give us what’s called a rebuild permit, which is pretty simple and quick. Or they could say, you know what? Y’all need to go ahead and do us a full design package, including electrical, plumbing, mechanical and then submit that to the city for it to go through their entire process of approval.
“If that were to occur, then you’re talking about at least six months to a year for that process to take place alone, just based upon the current projections of time to do those kinds of permits and reviews.”
Caves said members of the SHAPE family hope the city will give them the “simple, quick permit.” Doing so would mean construction on the rebuild could take place soon, as early as late July. Based on that timetable, construction of a refurbished Live Oak campus could be completed as early as the end of this December.
“If we don’t [get the quick permit], then it is definitely going to go into next year,” added Caves.
Youth program update
For all the many services and programs SHAPE provides, for many, it’s best known for its work with youth. This includes SHAPE’s annual Freedom Tour, where Deloyd and other chaperons take youth on a tour of some of the nation’s most iconic Civil Rights Movement sites from Houston to Memphis.
However, SHAPE’s “bread-and-butter” youth-centered offerings include its after-school and summer programs. These programs were put on hold because SHAPE’s Almeda location, unlike SHAPE’s Live Oak center, is not currently up to code to host youth activities.
But SHAPE’s Childcare Director, Mya Southern, shared welcome news with meeting attendees.
“We have finally made it past all of our city-required inspections. We move to the next phase, which is the state inspection,” said Southern. “Hopefully, that will be within the next week. And after that, we will work on bringing the children back. We are prepared to bring them back, hopefully, for the after-school program.”
Call to action
Fabu Modupe, one of SHAPE’s youth group leaders, is clear on why she’s urging people to support SHAPE financially and otherwise.
“It is important in times like these, when everything is being rolled back and they’re taking our history out of the schools,” said Modupe. “SHAPE is one of the only organizations in this immediate region that will teach our children what they will not learn if we don’t teach it. So, we have to keep this institution going so that the kids who come behind us can discover their own inner divinity.”
Parker, too, issued a call to action grounded in the fact that the fire may have knocked SHAPE down, but didn’t take it out.
“SHAPE is not dead. The building got burned, but we’re still kicking,” said Parker, who ran down a long list of organizations that regularly use its Almeda location for meetings and programming, including a Grieving Mothers Group, Cocaine Anonymous and a dance troupe.
And Parker’s excited about the support SHAPE receives daily to help with the rebuild.
“A young group at one of the high schools raised $7,300 [for SHAPE],” shared Parker during the recent gathering as an example of continued community support. “I had to speak at one of these churches down the street the other day about an injustice. As I was getting ready to leave, a lady grabbed me by my shirt and said, ‘Wait a minute; you forgot something.’ She gave me a check for $5,000. So, the community, they support us.”
And SHAPE is looking for more support to meet its $5 million goal.
