PURPOSE
Our Purpose
Known to many as "COA," Christian Outreach Alliance is a cooperative effort of local Clear Lake churches ministering to the people of Clear Lake and surrounding communities. The goal of COA is to reach out with God's love to see the Clear Lake Area transformed into a community with less crime, fewer high school dropouts, a lower unemployment rate, and a presence of God in every household.
Regardless of religious choice, COA works to improve the community's emotional health and safety by providing outreach, intervention, prevention and skills development programs for at-risk youth and their families in the Clear Lake area.
Since 2004 COA has been equipping youth and their families to rise above the disparities they face.
Reason Behind Our Purpose
- 70% of our families live at or below the poverty line.
- 50% of our youth live in homes with parents that cannot read or write in any language.
- 50% of our students have no positive male role model.
- 80% of our youth are performing below grade level.
- Many of our students have only a mother who is struggling to provide just basic needs for the family. She often works two or more jobs leaving children unsupervised and without someone being aware of how they are spending their time.
- Our students are potential targets of human and drug trafficking.
- Local law enforcement tracks several active gangs in our community.
Information gathered by surveys, law enforcement, Clear Creek Independent School District and observational assessments.
Impact of COA
A boy and his family came to us after hurricane Katrina from Louisiana. They lived in the Bays apartments. He was one of our first students that we tutored in the small space at the apartments. He was not interested at all in learning in the beginning. His baby sister would stand outside the glass door to our room in bare feet and diapers wanting to come in. Many tutors contributed to this boy's love of learning. He stopped going to detention because he wanted to come to tutoring. One woman and her husband basically adopted this family and at one point even purchased beds for the family.
Now grown up, this young man graduated with honors, is now in college studying to be a doctor, and manages the store where he works. Certainly COA can not take all the credit for this boy's success, but we would like to think we were a part.
A girl and her sisters from a disadvantaged family took part in the COA preschool, Girl Scouts, and tutoring programs. Although they have moved out of the area, the family comes to receive school supplies and out of gratitude helps us with the effort. The oldest girl made National Honor Society this year. We are so proud of her!