Mission Statement

building bridges from poverty to promise

Our Strategy

Fortress provides hope and resources for children and their families as they work toward long-term stability, health, and happiness. Through programs focused on academic, social-emotional, and spiritual support, our inter-generational approach utilizes existing strengths and develops new skills to help families overcome barriers rooted in systemic inequities, generational trauma, and life circumstances.

Our Programs

FORTRESS PRESCHOOL provides programming for children ages 6 weeks through 4 years. An emphasis on achieving developmental milestones is balanced with creative play, early literacy, and social-emotional learning. Hours: year-round Monday-Thursday from 8:00am-2:30pm, with limited extended day enrollment through 6:30pm for qualifying families.

FORTRESS AFTER SCHOOL provides programming for Prek3-5th grade students who attend Van Zandt-Guinn Elementary. An emphasis on literacy is supported by hands-on activities, Bible lessons, and social-emotional learning. Hours: Monday-Thursday from 2:15-6:30 during the school year.

FORTRESS SUMMER continues the work started in the school year with our preschool and after school programs. Our primary focus in summer programming is to provide enriching and engaging activities that help students deepen their faith and prevent the well-documented summer slide. Hours: Monday-Thursday from 8:00am-2:00pm.

FORTRESS PARENTS L.E.A.D. (Learn, Engage, Achieve, Disciple) provides classes and activities designed to encourage, empower, and equip the parents of children enrolled in Fortress programs. In lieu of student tuition, minimum parent participation is required for continued enrollment, with a leadership track available for parents who want to pursue it. Hours: More than 120 hours are scheduled each year at varying times to accommodate both working and stay-at-home parents.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT includes five free annual events, an on-site fresh pantry, and partnerships with Historic Southside Neighborhood Association and Van Zandt-Guinn Elementary School. Collaborations with neighboring churches, civic groups, volunteers and fellow service agencies are just some of the ways we work together to love our community well.

Our Guiding Beliefs

Fortress’s first core value is that we are United in Christ. Within that unity, our staff, volunteers, and families represent a wide variety of creeds, doctrines, denominations, and individual practices. We respect and value the diversity of beliefs among our clients, staff and community, and our aim is to follow the heart of the Gospel — to love God and love others — while leaving room for many interpretations of single issues.

Our staff and certain volunteers (including summer mission groups) adopt and uphold these basic tenets of the Christian faith when working with our clients. However, we do not withhold any services from clients on the basis of faith, and we welcome families and students of all faiths and creeds.

Click here to read our faith statement and learn more about how we operate as a interdenominational ministry.

Our Core Values

Fortress staff use seven basic tenets to guide all decision-making and team-building within the organization. Those seven tenets are: United in Christ, Equity Oriented, Learning Centered, Trauma Informed, Unflinchingly Bold, Rooted in Empathy, and Entrepreneurial yet Disciplined. Click here to read more about our core values.