Our History

Neighborhood Strong began over breakfast between two friends, Kenneth Campbell and Wayne Lawrence. Kenneth shared that a tree had fallen through the roof of a local home during a recent thunderstorm. As a result, the home was unlivable, and the family was forced to separate and live with various relatives. Being men of great compassion and service, the friends agreed something must be done to help the family. Wayne asked his pastor at First United Methodist Church of Lufkin for funds to assist the family, the church agreed, and a sub-contractor was hired to repair the damaged roof. Before work was completed on the home, another family's home needed repair, and the church again funded the repair work.

It quickly became apparent that home repairs for economically disadvantaged families were an unmet need in the area. As a result, a 501(c)(3) was formed in October 2016, and Neighborhood Strong (Striving to Rebuild Our Neighborhood Great) was officially created.

The duo remained faithful to the cause with Wayne serving as volunteer executive director and Kenneth as projects manager. Under their leadership, Neighborhood Strong has expanded from serving exclusively wards 1 & 2 in Lufkin, to a nine-county region. The compassion that blessed a single family has grown to serve over 440 people and renovate 300 homes. Neighborhood Strong continues to meet a vital and previously unmet need for homeowners in the disadvantaged areas of Angelina and adjacent counties.