Founded by Crystal Haynes in 2021, A Greater Way is a non-profit organization that strives to inspire, motivate, bring stability, and hope in helping humanity thrive while advancing the communities. The organization is geared towards helping the elderly and providing them with the resources they need such as a place to live, or even the tools needed for them to continue to “live their journey.”
The inspiration behind A Greater Way was derived from two seniors in the park who were homeless. Haynes recalled that day stating, “I was walking one day, saw them in the park and they were homeless. I had a conversation with them, and we were able relocate them.” It was a good friend of hers who kept encouraging her to start the organization, and from that encouragement, A Greater Way was born. She went through a couple of names, but A Greater Way stood out “because A Greater Way says there is always a way to do many things, but there is always a better way to do things,” she stated.
In addition to helping the elderly, A Greater Way helps the homeless by providing them with the needed tools and resources to get shelter. For the elderly, they also go into senior facilities and work with them to continue “fulfilling their pot” and for them to continue to reach their full potential in life and help make their journey a little brighter.
A Greater Way also help kids from kindergarten through the sixth grade with literacy and math. Every year, they give away backpacks with school supplies in rural areas. They have given out supplies in Houston, Port Arthur, and Longview to reach those “communities that are not touched by nonprofit organizations.”
Getting the organization started was not a huge challenge for Haynes as she received a great amount of support from others who wanted to help. For the two homeless people Haynes helped early on, they were able to raise enough money to put them in a hotel for two weeks, get them food, and relocate them into housing. This is just one example of the many things A Greater Way does to help as many people as they can.
This journey has been great for Haynes as she continues to learn how her organization can help the community through different resources. Haynes stated that, “A Greater Way has opened my mind and has opened my heart to love on people who are not getting that physical touch everyday or not getting that encouraging word every day…I find so much peace and joy in it. It’s like being fulfilled with something that you don’t even have to get paid for.”
A Greater Way has done many great things thus far and they are just getting started. In closing, Haynes said, “My heart is just to bring people together for a greater purpose, and that’s just to show humanity that there’s hope even in disparity.”
For more information, you can find A Greater Way on Facebook.
