Houston Entrepreneur Gives the Unhoused a Leg Up During Difficult Times

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Neekeita Cooksey. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Neekeita Cooksey, 41, is highly empathetic to the struggles people face when things just aren’t going their way. She faced challenges of her own when she became a single mom after her husband passed due to COVID. Sixteen years ago, it was he who helped her find her entrepreneurial side. That confidence and resourcefulness has gotten her through the ups and downs with her staffing company, but it’s helping people find jobs that keeps her motivated.

In 2016, she decided to go beyond jobs to support the unhoused and underserved by establishing Society of Champions. Together, she and her team connect people with resources, food and education. They hold Back-to-School drives, community baby showers, food distribution events, award scholarships and more. Neekeita’s love of travel has also led her to provide resources abroad.

Now a mother of five and a newlywed, she is more community-focused than ever. Spending time with her family, including her mom, fills her with gratitude while moving her to continue enthusiastically extending a hand to others.

What inspires you to volunteer?

It’s something I’ve done my whole life. As I got older, the passion heightened. I wake up every day trying to figure out how I can put a smile on someone’s face.

My organization is Society of Champions. We call them champions, not unhoused, because no matter what hardships they may face in life they’re still champions. We feed them, but we also try to rehabilitate them back into society.

It started when my mom, my brother and I would go downtown and feed them. I saw things in the community that were needed and wanted more ways to give back. That’s how we started to create our programs. This year, we started my food pantry in partnership with Houston Food Banks. It’s a big milestone for us.

Tell us about your volunteer role with Society of Champions.

I find new partnerships, do community outreach and brainstorm ways to fundraise. We sell fish dinners and hamburger baskets. We run capital campaigns. Whatever is needed, we’re going to do the work.

On the day-to-day, I start out meeting with our team to go over goals and metrics. We try to meet those marks that we set at the beginning of the year.

I have eight people on my immediate team, but I have 60 or 80 volunteers. Our food bank has a food line twice a month, and we see anywhere from 160 to 240 families. I have to have 15 to 20 volunteers. High school students and different corporations will have employees come out. I can’t do what I do without my team, my board members and my volunteers. I’m so appreciative of all of them.

What other kinds of programs do you run?

We designed Peas in a Pod for single parents facing hardships like buying food or finding a job. We provide startup packs for new moms, and we have community baby showers.

In 2019, we went to Haiti and Honduras to provide resources for orphans there and met some young ladies who were graduating from high school. To earn an associate’s degree In Haiti’s education system is only $560, so we were able to provide scholarships for them to go to nursing school.

We hosted a lunch for pandemic first responders in cooperation, and it has become an annual event. My brother is a police officer, so we kind of knew how it felt to be in the field during that time. Even though the pandemic is over, they still deal with a lot of challenges.

We also help kids prepare for college—Boys to Kings for the boys and Crown University for the girls. We teach them lifelong skills, introduce them to trades and go on college tours. We teach PSAT, SAT, hygiene, anti-bullying and more. Around 32 girls and 15 boys meet quarterly.

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?

We haven’t gotten a grant yet, so I’m working on that. In the long term, we would like to purchase an apartment complex so we can provide housing for families in need, as well as the champions that are on the streets trying to rehabilitate. We want to be able to house them while, for example, they’re looking for a job.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

Peas in a Pod is near and dear to my heart, because I was once a single mom. Before I got remarried, it was just me, and I had three kids at the time. Even though I had the finances, it was a struggle. I know how hard it may be for single moms—and dads—who don’t have the resources, so I do my extra best to make sure that program succeeds.

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?

It easily could have been myself with no place to stay, no food, no family. So, I try to be thankful for everything that I have, every opportunity I’ve been blessed with.

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?

You never know the impact you can have on someone’s life until you get out there and start doing it. Nothing is too small—no idea, no resource and no donation.

Do you have any advice for people who want to start volunteering or to start their own organization?

I tell my mentees to find their ”why.” Why are you here? What are you created to do? Then, find your niche. You’ve got to do the work. You can’t be scared. For people starting their own initiative, find someone like myself to partner with who can help bring your vision to life.

What do you want people to learn from your story?

I want people to see the work that I do, not to brag, but to inspire. So that they can see the vision and how they can make an impact. There is a great need, no matter where you are.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Neekeita? Find local volunteer opportunities.