Longview

Buckner has been caring for vulnerable children, families and senior adults in Longview since 1992 when they first opened the doors to Buckner Children and Family Services. A wide variety of services are offered to children, families and elders.

Programs
Foster Care and Adoption
Buckner provides families in the Longview community and surrounding areas with training and resources needed to become a family to a child living in the state's custody or to a child available for adoption in the United States or internationally. For more information on ways you can be a family, call 903-757-9383. Learn more at www.beafamily.org.

Community Transformation Center
The Longview Community Transformation Center focuses on improving the lives of individuals and families in communities that experience moderate to extreme poverty by providing a holistic ministry approach. The Community Transformation Center is built around current Buckner community programs and develops alliances with other community agencies.

Family Case Management
Families who participate in any Buckner community program have the opportunity to take a Family Resource Inventory to determine the current strengths within the family and identify areas of needed resources. At the completion of the inventory, families will be referred to a Buckner case manager to complete a Family Transformation Plan to address those resources the family rated low in security. The family will continue to receive ongoing case management to address other challenges they may experience along the way. The goal is to equip families with resources that can address the life challenges they may experience.

Jobs for Life
Jobs for Life, a non-profit based in Raleigh, N.C., developed a curriculum that teaches timeless job readiness principles concerning work and the ways those principles are applied in the marketplace. Through this training, men and women develop character and become connected to a community of support to help them obtain far more than just a job.

Individuals enrolled in the program will participate in an 8-week 16-session classroom seminar including two employer round tables, a community resource round table and mock interviews. During the program and up to three months afterward, each applicant will be matched with a job coach who serves as a mentor to individuals as they navigate the job market. Participants receive a letter of recommendation outlining the mastered skills and participate in a graduation ceremony. A $15 charged is required in order to cover the costs of the workbook. Payment plans are available.

Those interested in enrolling should contact Buckner at 903-757-9383 and ask how to sign up for Jobs for Life. If your company is looking for quality employees or you would be interested in participating in the employer round table, please contact Michelle Heflin at mheflin@buckner.org.

Parenting Education Training
Because Buckner believes that every child deserves to be in a safe and nurturing family, we are dedicated to equipping parents. Buckner has inspection technicians that are certified by Safe Kids Worldwide through the National Child Passenger Safety Certification Training Program. Technicians are available to teach parent seminars on the following topics:

Topics Covered
• Proper installation of car seats.
• New child restraint laws.
• Recommendations for proper transport.
• Practice installing car seats correctly every time.
• Injury prevention & crash dynamics
• Seat belt systems. With/without pre-crash locking features
• Vehicle occupant protection systems.
• Child restraints (rear vs. forward facing).
• Misuse of seat belts.
• Car seat referrals to Safe Riders

Buckner technicians are available to lead free on-site training seminars for parent groups of 10 or more. Call Buckner to schedule a session or to set up a Car Seat Safety Check-Up. Car Seat Safety Check-Up appointments available each Wednesday from 9:00am-12:00pm. Call the Buckner Mission Center at 903-234-1399 to set up an appointment for a check-up. No income qualifications.

Mission Center/Crisis Relief Center
The Buckner Mission Center meets the needs of low-income families by providing basic resources, including clothing, diapers and other aid, and connecting families with other community resources for assistance. Items collected and distrusted at the Mission Center include: clothing, household items, baby items, furniture, cleaning supplies, diapers and baby wipes and hygiene supplies. Find out how you can help by calling 903-234-1399.

Buckner also provides crisis relief in the Longview area through three seasonal community programs:
• School Supply Train - Buckner partners with the Junior League of Longview and other community businesses and organizations to serve hundreds of children and families in August with basic school supplies and needs, including vaccines, haircuts and more. To find out how you can get involved, call 903-757-9383.

• Adopt a Family for the Holidays - Each year many families anticipate Buckner's Adopt-a-Family for the Holidays program which matches needy families with sponsors in the community. Sponsors, such as individual families, Sunday school classes, businesses and civic groups provide food and gifts to families. Buckner staff and volunteers are often able to share with clients that it is God's love for us that encourages donors and sponsors to share His love with others, often strangers, at Christmas. Clients truly experience Christ's love through words and deeds during this season. To find out how you can get involved, contact us at 903-757-9383.

• Summer Feeding Program - The Summer Food Service Program serves children in low-income communities who participate in free and reduced feeding programs during the school year. Since these programs end when school does, the Summer Food Service Program helps fill that hunger gap ensuring that children continue to receive nutritious meals during the summer. Summer Food Service Program also provides supervised activities that are safe, fun, and filled with nutrition education opportunities. Children benefit nutritionally by receiving well-rounded meals while parents are able to stretch their food dollars further.

STARS After-school Program
The STARS (Serving, Teaching And Reaching Students) after-school program provides middle school children in Longview with a safe, positive and fun learning environment. STARS students are encouraged in their studies, receive social skills training and are involved in Bible study and recreational activities. The STARS after-school program is a partnership between Buckner and First Baptist Church in Longview. Find out more by calling 1-800-329-5494.

Buckner Westminster Place
Surrounded by tall pines in the heart of Longview, Buckner Westminster Place provides superior choices and exceptional amenities to meet the needs of senior adults. As one of the first communities in Texas to offer the revolutionary Green House® program, Westminster Place provides a continuum of care which includes independent living, assisted living, and advanced memory care at The Harbor.

Learn more at www.bucknerretirement.org.

How You Can Help:
• Pray: Make a commitment to pray for the children and families of East Texas.

• Give: Make a donation online to support East Texas programs or call 214-758-8050 to make a donation by phone.

• Volunteer: Email volunteers@buckner.org to learn how you can get involved!

• Collect Shoes: Host a shoe drive or give a pair of shoes to help vulnerable children in East Texas and around the world. For more information, visit www.shoesfororphansouls.com.

• Be a Foster or Adoptive Parent: Learn more about becoming a foster parent or domestic adoption through Buckner in East Texas by calling 903-757-9383 or at www.beafamily.org. Or to adopt a child internationally, visit www.dillonadopt.org.

Contact Us:
Buckner Children and Family Services
110 E. Cotton St.
Longview, TX 75601
903-757-9383

Mission Center
903-234-1399

Buckner Westminster Place
2201 Horseshoe Lane
Longview, TX 75605
903-234-0000