CMC brings employees together for good
Representatives from the HEART Program showed their nonprofit in action as they served up lunch as a fundraiser for fair attendees.
Every year the City of Houston’s Combined Municipal Campaign raises money to help nonprofit organizations serve others. But the COH employee donors and volunteers who make the CMC work are also beneficiaries.
Mental health experts cite kindness and helping others as a source of happiness and well-being. This nearly unnoticed side effect of the CMC is real. It creates a bond between City of Houston employee volunteers with one another, with nonprofit agency personnel, and with those who are helped by agency services, even if they never meet them.
And it is that convergence of service and need in our community that inspires this year’s CMC theme: COH Connected.
The 2026 CMC employee giving drive is centered on three primary goals: connecting employees to community needs, fostering internal unity and promoting accessible giving.
The combination of COH department coordinators and nonprofit agency personnel is the power behind the CMC.
Every year the volunteer coordinators from the city go through training to understand their roles. Some come back year after year. Others are in their first year as coordinator. Together they form the backbone of the CMC campaign and attract other employees to help with fundraisers.
The nonprofit agencies bring their own energy. Dedicated personnel collaborate with CMC organizers to promote their agencies and educate city employees about their work. Several agencies send representatives to the CMC’s annual Agency Fair. The H.E.A.R.T. Program — Housing, Entrepreneurship And Readiness Training — is a consistent and popular presence at numerous COH events. The agency serves adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, offering work and other opportunities for people to achieve their potential.
Other nonprofits represented at the 2026 CMC Agency Fair included Emancipet Clinics which provides veterinary services; Summerhouse Houston, which creates opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities; the 3 “A” Bereavement Foundation, which helps low-income grieving families with their needs; UNCF, which provides scholarships and supports historically Black colleges and universities; the Texas Center for the Missing, which helps individuals and families of people who are missing; Citizens for Animal Protection, which provides shelter and adoption services for pets; the Beacon, which provides meals, daily needs and other services for people without housing; the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses; SPARK School Park Program, which helps public schools develop their playgrounds into community parks; and Texas Cops and Communities, which works to bridge the gap between communities and law enforcement.
This year’s theme is about bringing City of Houston employees together for a common purpose, said Tabitha Davis, CMC coordinator for Houston Parks and Recreation.
“It gives us an opportunity to connect with one another and make a meaningful difference in our communities,” she said. “The coordinator workshop was a great opportunity to learn more about the campaign and understand the role we play in helping employees get involved. As a returning coordinator, I’m happy to share what I’ve learned with new coordinators by making myself available and having open dialogue about any questions or concerns.”
Bernice Cendejas, returning CMC coordinator for the Administrative and Regulatory Affairs Department, is teaming up with BARC Community Outreach and Education Coordinator Raquel Juarez for the popular fundraiser Puppy Playtime on Friday, Oct. 1.
BARC is part of ARA. The Houston BARC Foundation is a separate nonprofit that supports BARC’s mission. Both support the Puppy Playtime event to raise awareness about supporting animal care, adoptions, foster programs, wellness services, and volunteer initiatives that benefit the Houston community.
Puppy Playtime funds will go to the Houston BARC Foundation to provide vital care to the puppies featured during the event, as well as the more than 20,000 other deserving pets that come through BARC’s doors every year.
Juarez attended the CMC coordinator training on behalf of BARC, along with Brittany Amend, executive director of the Houston BARC Foundation, as guest speakers.
“We highlighted the importance of employees giving back and how their support can lead to life-saving results for the animals in need at BARC Animal Shelter,” Juarez said.
As a returning coordinator, Cendejas said she is always willing to share her experience and help guide new coordinators.
“The role can feel like a lot at first,” Cendejas said. “I’m happy to share what I’ve learned and offer support along the way.”
Juarez said Puppy Playtime organizers have found that creating an activity where employees can have hands-on interaction with pets in need of homes makes it easy for them to connect with BARC’s mission.
“Seeing the joy that comes from both sides when these surrendered animals receive the love and attention they deserve makes it easy to understand why our cause is worth supporting, and employees are more than happy to get behind us,” Juarez said.
Davis, Cendejas and Juarez said they want COH employees to understand that every contribution matters. Contributing money or giving time as a volunteer helps widen the web of support that makes the CMC so effective, they said.
“Whether someone gives financially, volunteers, or simply encourages a co-worker to participate, we all have an opportunity to make a difference. The strength of the campaign comes from us working together, COH Connected,” Davis said.
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