Complete Communities University Welcomes
30 New Emerging Leaders
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The Department of Neighborhoods (DON) kicked off its Spring 2022 Complete Communities University (CCU) online course for emerging leaders on March 2. The 30 participants, selected from a pool of nearly 100 applicants, the participants represent neighborhoods in all City Council districts, including the following Complete Communities: Acres Home, Alief-Westwood, Fort Bend Houston, Gulfton, Kashmere Gardens, Near Northside, Second Ward, Sunnyside and Third Ward.
The CCU curriculum focuses on leadership development through civic engagement, volunteerism and voter education. In addition to exploring how city and county governments function and relate to neighborhoods, participants learn how to effectively leverage City and community services and resources.
The CCU program is offered on a quarterly basis. The next application cycle and deadline will be announced in late spring. Visit the Complete Communities University website for updates. Spring 2022 Enrollees include:
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Leslie Meyer, District A
Keith Downey, District B/
Kashmere Gardens
Christy McGowan, District B/ Acres Homes
Elaine Britt, District C
Tina Chen, District C
Ricky Harris, District C
Ann Green-Terrell, District C
Mark Kosiara, District C
Carrie DesRochers, District D/ Sunnyside
Diana Heath, District D/ Sunnyside
LaLover Horace, District D/ Sunnyside
Buerkie Klokpah, District D/ Third Ward
Tanisha Manning, District D/ Sunnyside
Jonathan Campos, District E
Deborah Brooks, District F
Mellissa Martinez, District F/
Alief-Westwood
Shavon Morris, District F
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Charles Stein, District G
Victor Arizpe, District H/ Near Northside
Parthiv Bhakta, District H/ Second Ward
Melvalean McLemore, District H/
Second Ward
Yolanda Silva, District H/ Near Northside
Jo Skillman, District H/ Second Ward
D'Jomme Adia, District I
Elizabeth Bradford Shaver, District I
Tabish Siddiqui, District I
Charmaine LeBlanc, District J/
Alief-Westwood
Amanda Ortiz Santiago, District J/ Gulfton
Geralene Randolph, District K/
Fort Bend Houston
Traveon Rogers, District K
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City Seeks Community Feedback on
Equity Indicators Survey
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The City of Houston is launching the Equity Indicators project by asking for your comments to one important question: What makes a community equitable? The Equity Indicators Project will facilitate broader conversations on equity and inclusion, take active steps to measure disparities, and have leaders across multiple sectors be held accountable for taking action to increase equitable outcomes for all Houstonians.
The city is seeking feedback from community members to ensure that this project is reflective of Houston's diversity and multiculturalism. Visit houstontx.gov/equity to share your thoughts on what makes a community equitable between March 6 until April 2.
Printed survey cards will also be available at city locations. Houstonians with questions or needing assistance filling out the survey may call 832-393-6637. For more information, read the full press release.
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City & EPA Seek Artists for Houston Inspira
Public Health Storytelling Campaign
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In Houston, there is a 24-year difference in life expectancy depending on what neighborhood you are from. The City of Houston, in partnership with environmental and community stakeholders, is seeking artists, musicians, playwrights, dancers, writers, and all creatives to participate in the Houston Inspira Project.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the City a $200,000 grant to launch a public health campaign to engage environmental organizations, artists, and storytellers to inspire awareness and action to improve health and safety outcomes. The project will occur in five Complete Communities – Acres Homes, Alief/Westwood, Kashmere Gardens, Near Northside, and Second Ward.
The deadline for artists to apply is March 31. Selected storytellers will be announced the week of April 25. The selected storyteller will work with the City of Houston, environmental and community stakeholders over a six-month period in a selected community.
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Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist Nick Anderson unveiled a new cartoon during the campaign kick-off titled “The Hidden Cost of Concrete Batch Plants,” shown above. |
This project will focus on risks communities face from elevated levels of environmental pollutants, primarily PM2.5 (strongly associated with concrete batch plants) and benzene both of which can increase the health risks associated with COVID-19.
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Wells Fargo Donates $20 Million to Strengthen
More than 500 Houston Small Businesses
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Wells Fargo announced a $20 million donation to the Houston Fund for Social Justice and Economic Equity, also known as the Houston Equity Fund, to provide small business owners with new ways to grow and own more of their businesses.
The Houston Equity Fund will distribute grants to support economic development in underserved communities. The funding is estimated to reach more than 500 small businesses in Houston. With the donation, The Houston Equity Fund aims to equip small business owners and nonprofits with capital to purchase commercial property, equipment and technology upgrades, particularly in underserved communities.
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The Houston Fund for Social Justice and Economic Equity enacts transformational change by investing resources into organizations and initiatives that empower and uplift communities of color. Mayor Sylvester Turner serves as the Honorary Board Chair of the Houston Fund for Social Justice and Economic Equity.
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Small Business Owners can Apply for Build-Up Houston Free Executive Education Program by March 31 |
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Applications are now open for the seventh cohort of Build Up Houston, a no-cost executive education program that provides small business owners with practical business education, a supportive business network, and access to contracting opportunities. The program is offered by the Office of Business Opportunity (OBO) in partnership with Interise. The seven-month program, held in person on Tuesdays from 5-8 p.m., is set to begin in May 2022.
To qualify for Build Up Houston, a business must be:
- Certified as a small business with the City of Houston
- Operating for a minimum of two years
- Have a minimum of two employees
- Have minimum annual revenue of $150,000
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Complete Communities Bids Fond Farewell to Sandra Imery |
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The Complete Communities team wishes Sandra Imery all the best as she departs from her role as the Program Manager for the Houston Financial Empowerment Centers (HFECs).
Sandra worked incredibly hard as the founding HFEC program manager to build the HFECs into a valuable community resource to reduce economic disparities and support marginalized groups. Thank you, Sandra!
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Shannon Buggs Named Among Top 50
Black Professionals & Entrepreneurs of Texas
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Boosting Vaccinations Across Houston |
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The Equitable Vaccination Acceptance and Distribution to Houston Complete Communities Initiative, also known as VAX HOU, is a new Complete Community project supported by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. VAX HOU's mission is to increase COVID-19 vaccinations, address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and advance health equity in the Houston Complete Communities.
To accomplish these goals, the VAX HOU team coordinates a series of vaccine events conveniently located in the Complete Communities neighborhoods. These vaccine events are free to the public conveniently located in their own neighborhood. Upcoming events for March are listed below:
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ZUMBA at James Drive All Inclusive Park Vaccination Site
Saturday, March 19 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
James Drive All Inclusive Park
10918 ½ Bentley St.
Vax HOU with Neighborhood Public Library
Tuesday, March 8 & 22, noon to 5 p.m.
Shepard-Acres Home Public Library
8501 W. Montgomery Rd.
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BARC Mega Adoption Event
Friday, March 25 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
BARC Animal Shelter & Adoptions
3300 Carr St.
For more information, visit the
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Get Free Tax Return Preparation Services at VITA sites |
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The Houston Financial Empowerment Centers (HFECs) are working with the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to offer free tax return support during this tax season.
VITA sites offer free tax help to people who need assistance in preparing their tax returns, including people who generally make $58,000 or less, persons with disabilities, and limited English-speakers.
VITA program sites are located at two HFECs, the Acres Home Multi-Service Center at 6719 W Montgomery Rd, and the Sunnyside Multi-Service Center at 4605 Wilmington St. You can find a full list of VITA program sites in Houston here: https://bit.ly/3sqsHcH
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Apply for Digital Equity Accelerator Program by March 21 |
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If you’re a nonprofit working to advance digital equity and meet the needs of our Complete Communities affected by the digital divide, don’t miss your chance to apply for Aspen Digital and HP Inc.’s Digital Equity Accelerator Program.
The Digital Equity Accelerator program will support participating nonprofits working to improve digital equity for historically underserved communities.
As part of the program, each participating organization will receive:
- 4 months of mentorship and training
- More than USD $100,000 in cash grants
- Innovative technology from HP
- Post-program support
Applications are open now through March 21, 2022.
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Watch Our Video Presentation to Learn About
Neighborhood Preservation Tools
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Participate in Houston Money Week Contests:
Financial Essay or Financial Meme
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Houston Money Week is sponsoring a writing contest on the importance of financial preparedness. The essay should be roughly 500 words on steps that people can take to be prepared in the event of an unexpected financial challenge.
First prize awards will be $500 for middle school students, $1,500 for high school students and $1,000 for adults. The deadline for submission is Thursday, March 31. Submit your essay. |
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Houston Money Week is also holding a meme and gif contest to highlight the importance of any aspect of financial wellness and health.
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PIP Presentation on Active Shooter Preparedness |
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Police Chief Troy Finner's Citywide "Positive Interaction Program" presentation topic for March will be: "Surviving an Active Shooter."
In the age of Covid-19, economic uncertainty, and social unrest, some individuals are acting out in extremely violent ways. How would you respond if your life was on the line? Stephen Daniel, HPD Sr. Community Liaison will give a presentation about active shooter defense on Tuesday, March 8, 2022 at 7 p.m. at 1602 State St. Houston, TX 77007. The meeting will be live streamed with sign language interpretation on HPD’s YouTube channel. Closed captioning can be enabled on the YouTube platform, or by visiting www.streamtext.net.
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Keeping the Lights On All Across Houston |
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The “All Lights On, Houston!” campaign encourages residents to help brighten up Complete Communities neighborhoods by reporting inoperable streetlights, tree canopies that obscure streetlights, and requesting streetlight investigations. Watch a video on the most recent presentation of this initiative .
Tree canopies that obscure streetlights can be reported to Houston 311, or reported by phone at 713-837-0311. Requests can be made by email as well.
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2022 Hire Houston Youth Summer Jobs Program |
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The City of Houston is now accepting applications for the Hire Houston Youth Summer Jobs Program. Participants must be ages 16–24 years old and able to work 32 hours per week from June 13 to Aug. 4. The online application period is Feb. 1 to March 11.
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2022 Go Neighborhoods LISC Small Grant
Applications Due April 15!
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Through the Great Opportunities (GO) Neighborhoods Initiative, the Houston Office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) invests to create strong and vibrant communities with engaged residents and organizations. Small grants support activities that bring stakeholders together to address issues like housing, health, environment, education, economic development, family financial stability and resident leadership and civic engagement. LISC Houston invites community leaders and organizations to submit proposals to secure available awards from $500 to $5,000.
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Walk the Trail in Acres Home |
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Come walk the trail at the Acres Home Health Center, located at 818 Ringold Street, Houston, TX 77088 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information on programs and amenities at the Acres Home Health Center, contact 281-448-6391.
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Lone Star College North Food Distribution |
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Lone Star College-Houston North is hosting monthly community food distributions at its Victory location. The next event will be on Tuesday, March 22 at noon. Lone Star College-Houston North food distributions are supported by Be Well™ Acres Homes, an initiative of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in collaboration with more than 30 community organizations united together with Acres Home residents.
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Parks & Recreation Department Breaks Ground on New Playground at Harwin Park |
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The Houston Parks and Recreation Department, City of Houston leaders and the Alief Super Neighborhood Council broke ground on a new playground at Harwin Park, 11305 Harwin, on March 3. The park is located in the Alief-Westwood Complete Community and is one of the City of Houston's 50/50 Park Partners' projects. The project includes redevelopment and enlargement of the playground, and features new state-of-the-art playground equipment designed to promote cognitive, emotional, physical and social development. |
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Forum Park Improvements to be Completed in Fall 2023 |
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The improvements approved by City Council in late summer 2021 for Forum Park will include adding a new parking lot with lighting, replacing the asphalt walking trail with concrete, replacing the picnic tables and grills in the picnic area, adding a shade sail at seating area near
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the playground, and upgrading the site lighting and associated detention.
Additions also include a soccer mini-pitch court and a basketball half-court will be added, both of which were identified as priorities from the community. These facilities will include new youth programs.
Construction is expected to begin in December 2022 and the new amenities are expected to open in the fall 2023.
We would love your help in spreading the word about this exciting progress. We welcome comments or questions at info@houstonparksboard.org. Thank you for your participation.
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Seeking Community Input on Area Sidewalk Plan |
The City of Houston is engaging with the community and the Super Neighborhoods Council to identify community sidewalk and flooding needs in Kashmere Gardens. The project goals include enhancing existing sidewalks, filling in sidewalk gaps, improving flooding and drainage issues, and making Kashmere Gardens a more resilient community. Based on community feedback, technical analysis, and best practices in roadway safety and design, the plan will identify a vision for neighborhood improvement.
Let us know what you think by filling out this quick survey.
or 832-395-2938.
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Plan de Banquetas para la Comunidad - Queremos Escuchar Sus Comentarios! |
La Ciudad de Houston está interactuando con la comunidad y el Consejo Super Neighborhoods para ayudar a identificar las necesidades de banquetas e inundaciones de la comunidad. Los objetivos del proyecto incluyen mejorar las banquetas existentes, construir banquetas donde haiga brechas, mejorar los problemas de inundación y drenaje y hacer de Kashmere Gardens una comunidad más resiliente. Sobre la base de los comentarios de la comunidad, análisis técnicos y las mejores prácticas en seguridad y diseño de carreteras, el plan identificará una visión para la comunidad.
Para obtener más información
832-395-2938.
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Early Action Grants Available for Community Projects |
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Thanks to the Greater Northside Health Collaborative, community organizations and resident groups in the Greater Northside area are eligible to apply for early action grants. These grants, ranging from $500 to $5,000, are awarded for projects focused on improving community health and promoting healthy behaviors. Some examples of these projects are community gardens, afterschool or summer school programming, neighborhood clean-ups, and park improvements. Contact Avenue’s Health Equity Manager, Imarogbe Stokes to apply and get more information at imarogbes@avenuecdc.org.
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Sign Up for Free Digital Literacy Skills Workshops |
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The Wesley Community Center is offering free, in-person classes for people to learn basic computer skills like email basics, internet safety, Zoom meetings, how to use Google Workspace and more. To register, you can visit the Wesley Community Center workshops page, or contact Cristhian Tolentino at 832-856-6907 or ctolentino@weslycc.org.
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Free All-Day Early Childhood STEM Classes Offered in Near Northside |
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The Leonel Castillo Early Childhood STEM Academy is offering full-day STEM classes to Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 children with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math.
The school is located at 2101 South Street, Houston, Texas, 77009, and is a community-based free public school in partnership with Harris County Precinct 2. This is a campus of Raul Yzaguirre Schools for Success, a program of the Tejano Center for Community Concerns.
The school provides:
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State certified curriculum
- STEM courses (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math)
- Intergenerational programming
- Lovescaping social emotion learning
- Free before and after-care
- Small classes
- One laptop per student
- Breakfast, lunch, and a snack included
Call 832-496-4755 to inquire about admission requirements or to schedule a
campus tour.
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Third Ward Real Estate Council Wants Your Ideas
for a Community Development Project
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The Third Ward Real Estate Council, by way of their Do The Things That Matter campaign (Dt3M), aims to make real estate more equitable through responsible development practices and design. The latest development, called Project Griffin, is still in the early phases of planning and will be created with suggestions from the Third Ward community.
Dt3M would like your help to create an engaging environment that is walkable and connected to the history and spirit of the Third Ward community. You can provide your perspective by answering a few questions about what you think Project Griffin should become by filling out this online survey.
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Complete Communities is a collaborative effort involving the community and all City of Houston Departments and Divisions with City leadership from:
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Sign up to receive updates on activities taking place in your Complete Communities neighborhood.
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