On Meet Houston Missions and The Simmons and Fletcher Local Missions Podcast, your host, Paul Cannon, talks with Megan Langham, the founder and President of Society Prosper. Society Prosper was started in 2020 when Megan Langham heard about domestic violence and child abuse occurring during the pandemic. Upon hearing about the increasing rate of child abuse, she reached out to therapists to find out what she could do to help and discovered that many families had children who needed therapy but couldn’t afford it. After hearing that, Megan knew that she could bridge the gap and help get children to therapy. The mission is based in Katy, but serves the Houston and surrounding areas as well, and provides programs to support children who have experienced abuse while growing up. Society Prosper aims to connect children who have survived abuse, neglect, and trauma to therapists who specialize in childhood trauma in order to break the cycle of child abuse and help children overcome and cope with what happened to them. Society Prosper offers services to connect children who were the victims of child abuse with therapists and provide scholarships to cover the cost of therapy for families who cannot otherwise afford it. Currently, Society Prosper’s goal is to expand its therapy program by 20% by the end of the year. Additionally, although they do not yet have a permanent home, Society Prosper hopes to find a location where they can have therapists, volunteers, and people seeking help meet and learn about the program they have to offer.
Society Prosper’s Scholarship for Therapy Program
For children who have suffered childhood abuse, neglect, or trauma, overcoming what they faced can be difficult, especially without getting the help to properly work through their trauma. When children are exposed to violence, it changes who that child is as a person. Without getting the treatment they need, children who suffered abuse are more likely to struggle with a learning disability, less likely to graduate high school, more likely to struggle with drug and alcohol abuse, more likely to have a teenage pregnancy, more likely to be incarcerated, and are 30% more likely to abuse their own children. Society Prosper is there to prevent these issues from occurring and stop the cycle before it is too late. The organization offers a Scholarship for Therapy program that pairs children with therapists who specialize in childhood abuse and trauma. Additionally, the program offers funding for children to visit their therapists so that children whose families cannot afford therapy are still able to heal. Society Prosper provides connections to therapists and funds for children to visit a therapist because the organization knows that it typically takes 10 to 15 therapy sessions for a child to begin to overcome their past experiences, and they want to provide the children with a way to learn how to cope with, overcome, and process their experiences. Additionally, Society Prosper hopes that by providing access to therapist services, the child will learn how to forgive their perpetrator, which is a big step in moving past their trauma.
Society Prosper began its Scholarship for Therapy program in 2022. By providing these scholarships, the organization is able to cover anywhere from 4 to 6 months of therapy for the child at a time. This extended period of time allows the child to receive between 20 and 24 hours of therapy and begin to process and overcome their past trauma. Since the program launched in 2022, Society Prosper has been able to make 1,602 hours of therapy accessible to the most vulnerable children. For those looking to receive funding for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, or trauma, there is an application link listed on the Society Prosper website. Once the child has been approved, Society Prosper will send the funds directly to the therapist so that the family does not have to worry about paying for their child to receive the therapy they need.
Society Prosper’s Future Goals
Society Prosper currently has a goal of growing the hours of therapy they are able to provide by 20% by the end of the year. This goal would allow more children to receive therapy and provide additional therapy sessions to those who need extra help. In addition to growing the number of therapy hours they are able to provide, Society Prosper is looking to have an office space one day. The office space would be used as a place for volunteers, therapists, and families to meet and discuss the mission and the programs it has to offer.
Volunteer Opportunities
Society Prosper has only 5 current permanent board members and relies heavily on volunteers to keep operations running smoothly. As an organization based on helping children work through the trauma they have faced, this would be a good opportunity for teens, families, and therapists to provide assistance to children working through their past experiences. As a volunteer, you may be able to be a part of their fundraiser planning committee, help set up and run fundraisers, and help put together sunshine boxes, yellow boxes filled with age-appropriate items that the child might enjoy, and distribute them. Additionally, Society Prosper is looking for volunteers to be a part of their ambassador program. Members of the ambassador program are considered the first line of spreading awareness about the organization and the programs it has to offer. Ambassadors will also be taught about the details of child abuse, what child abuse looks like, and how to stop child abuse so that they can bring awareness to the community. For other ways to volunteer, go to the organization’s website and click Get Involved.
Other Ways to Help
If you want to help Society Prosper but are unable to volunteer, there are other ways to help. One way you can help is by attending the organization’s fundraisers. In May, Society Prosper is hosting a Healing in Bloom Fashion Show. The event will be a fun afternoon of fashion, philanthropy, and bringing the community together to provide a better future for the most vulnerable children. This Fall, Society Prosper is hosting a Casino Night fundraiser, where attendees can take part in a gala followed by an evening of casino games. Towards the end of the year, Society Prosper will also hold a Christmas gift-giving program where donated toys will go to children working through their past trauma.
Additionally, if you are unable to attend the organization’s fundraising events, you can visit their website and donate to the cause. On their website, scroll to the middle of the landing page, and select or enter the amount you would like to donate. You can also email the organization and ask if there are other ways you can support them.
Contact and Info
The website address is societyprosper.org. On the site, you can find more information about their mission and how to donate or get involved.
You are also welcome to call them through the Contact Us page at the bottom of the landing page or email Megan Langham directly at megan@societyprosper.org.
Society Prosper is a 501©(3) non-profit organization. All donations made are tax-deductible as per the IRS guidelines.
Meet Houston Missions and The Simmons and Fletcher Local Missions Podcast is presented by Simmons and Fletcher, P.C. Paul H. Cannon is a partner in the firm.
Author
