🏠 Family Promise Offers Families a 90-Day Path to Stable Housing

🎾 Founders Cup Doubles Tennis Crowns Its Third Annual Champions

🌼 A Full Día de los Fieles Difuntos Comes to a Tomball Ranch This Sunday

Monday, October 26
🌤️ Partly Cloudy · 84°F / 58°F
Warm afternoon, mild night. A good day to be outside.
Source: Vaisala Xweather

Family Promise of Montgomery County has served the community since 2001, helping families with children move out of homelessness and toward lasting independence. It is part of a national network of nearly 200 affiliates. Executive director Marilyn Kasmiersky says the mission is about "creating that generational change" for families with children from zero to 18.

The core of the work is a 90-day program for eligible families with children ages 18 and younger. It is not an emergency shelter. After an intake process, families move into the organization's guest center and get access to workforce development, educational advancement, childcare, gas cards, trauma counseling, and budget coaching. The goal is for families to leave with the resources and confidence to stay housed.

Kasmiersky also walked through the math that keeps working families on the edge: a person earning $15 an hour takes home roughly $2,600 a month, and a $1,300 apartment takes half of that before utilities, food, transportation, or childcare. Family Promise also works on prevention, reporting that it served 2,516 families through those efforts. Families in Montgomery County facing homelessness or at risk of losing housing can contact the organization directly, and its website lists events, fundraisers, and ways to volunteer or donate.

Why it matters: homelessness for a family is rarely one problem, and a program built around work, childcare, and budgeting is aimed at the whole stack instead of just the night's bed.

Source/Credits: KPRC Click2Houston

The Woodlands Township's 3rd Annual Founders Cup Doubles Tennis Tournament took place Saturday, Oct. 17, with players competing across four host locations: the Alden Bridge, Ridgewood, Sawmill, and Bear Branch tennis courts. The Township says the tournament had favorable weather, competitive matches, and outstanding sportsmanship.

Gold and silver medals went to teams in eight divisions, sorted by gender and skill level, from Ladies 2.0 to 3.0 up through Men's 4.0+ and Mixed 3.5. One player medaled twice: Mark Leavenworth won gold in Mixed 3.5 with Monica Roberts and silver in Men's 4.0+ with Chad Harris. The tournament also recognized players nominated by their fellow competitors for sportsmanship.

The Township thanked sponsor Maverick Windows, the staff and volunteers who ran all four sites, and Tournament Director Adda Cuthbert. It plans to bring the Founders Cup back for a 4th annual edition in 2027.

Why it matters: a tournament split by skill level gives players at every stage a real shot at the podium, which is a good way to keep a community tennis tradition growing.

Source/Credits: The Woodlands Township

This Sunday, November 1, Cantona Homestead in Tomball is hosting a Día de los Fieles Difuntos celebration, bringing together family altars, a Catrinas parade, music, bread of the dead, and a Farmers Market in what the venue describes as a day for remembering those who came before, outdoors and with family.

The day runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 24706 FM 2978, Tomball. A welcome kicks off at 11 a.m., followed by the Catrinas parade and costume contest at noon, with categories for adults and youth, then the Altar Contest awards at 1:30 p.m. A Camino de Cempasúchil marks the pathways for photos.

Farm animals and children's play areas are open throughout the day, and parking on site is free. It is an outdoor event, so plan for a hat and comfortable shoes. Competition times can be adjusted, with the final program confirmed one week before.

Why it matters: for families who keep this tradition, a ranch in Tomball is hosting it outdoors with altars, a parade, and food, and the venue's own line sums up the point: "Those who left are still here as long as we continue to name them."

🗓️ Headshot Day, Plouvier Art | Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce | 10 AM–1 PM | Members $145, non-members $175 (plus sales tax) | Booking closes Tue., Oct. 27 at 5 PM | Reserve here

🗓️ Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District 25th Anniversary Symposium | Lone Star Convention & Expo Center, 9055 Airport Rd, Conroe | 8:30 AM–4:30 PM | Free, registration required | More info

🗓️ Little Shop of Horrors, Oak Ridge High School Theatre | Grand Oaks High School Theater, 4800 Riley Fuzzel Road, Spring | 7 PM Thu and Fri, 2 PM Sat (Oct. 29–31) | $15 adults, $8 students and children | Tickets

🗓️ Halloween SpookTacular, The Woodlands Children's Museum | 4775 W. Panther Creek Dr., Suite 280 | 9:30 AM–4 PM Fri, 10 AM–5 PM Sat (Oct. 30–31) | Ages 7 and under | Advance tickets recommended | Tickets

🗓️ Live on the Lawn: Halloween Playlist Night, Sarah Kelly Music School | Market Street Central Park | 6:30–8:30 PM | Free | More info

🗓️ Montgomery County Heart Walk | Northshore Park | More info

🗓️ Gymboween Portraits, Meowgic Photo by Plouvier Art | Gymboree Play & Music The Woodlands | 9 AM–3 PM | Essential $39 / Standard $49 / Premium $69, 10% off if booked by Oct. 28 with code GYMBOWEEN26 | Book here

🗓️ Día de los Fieles Difuntos, Cantona Homestead | 24706 FM 2978, Tomball | 10 AM–3 PM | Free parking | More info

🗓️ Fifth Annual Pumpkin Smash, The Woodlands Township | Sterling Ridge Park and Ride, 8001 McBeth Way | 2–5 PM | Free | More info

🗓️ Grand Trolley Reveal, The Woodlands Township | Town Center Trolley boarding point, south edge of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | 10–11 AM | More info

Note: Dates and times are as announced online. Organizers may make changes. Always confirm before heading out.

Lake Woodlands, the 200-acre freshwater lake at the heart of the community, was excavated in 1984 and 1985, a full decade after The Woodlands officially opened. The earliest residents lived, worked, and raised families here before the lake existed.

"You're so low you have to look up to see hell." Translation: about as low and no-good as a person gets.

Every close friend you have was once a complete stranger whose name you didn't know.

What do you call it when a snowman throws a tantrum? A meltdown.

Please consider sharing the The Woodlands Digest with friends and family! Just forward them this email, they can use link below to subscribe.

We want to improve! If you’d like to make a suggestion on how we can improve The Woodlands Digest, please share with us at [email protected]