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May 2022 Newsletter
Houston Welcomes 30 New Emerging Leaders from Complete Communities University Class of Spring 2022
The Department of Neighborhoods (DON) announced the Complete Communities University (CCU) Spring 2022 graduating class of 30 emerging community leaders. Collectively they represent all City Council districts and the Alief-Westwood, Fort Bend Houston, Gulfton, Near Northside, Kashmere Gardens, Second Ward and Sunnyside Complete Communities neighborhoods
 
CCU is an eight-week online training course for emerging leaders committed to making a positive impact in their communities. Course topics include leadership development through civic engagement, volunteerism, and voter education; how city and county governments function and impact neighborhoods; and how to effectively navigate City services and local resources. 

CCU is conducted by DON staff with expertise in civic engagement and knowledge of Houston neighborhoods. The classes feature presentations from subject experts in City departments and partner organizations. 
“Congratulations to the 30 Houstonians who have taken the challenge of serving as leaders in their respective communities. I wish you success as you carry out leadership strategies you learned about through this course. Thank you for your commitment to promoting citizen involvement in civic activities that benefit our neighborhoods.”
- Mayor Sylvester Turner
The next CCU course will be offered in the fall of 2022, running for eight weeks from September 21 to November 9. The classes will be held on Wednesday evenings, online via Microsoft Teams. Applications will be accepted starting on August 1.

To apply, visit the Complete Communities University webpage. For more information, call 832-393-1061.
Complete Communities University, Spring 2022 graduates:
Leslie Meyer, District A                                     
Keith Downey, District B
(Kashmere Gardens)                                
Christy McGowan, District B (Acres Home)
Elaine Britt, District C
Tina Chen, District C       
Ann Green-Terrell, District C       
Ricky Harris,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
Charles Stein, District G
Victor Arizpe, District H (Near Northside)
Yolanda Silva, District H (Near Northside)
D'Jomme Adia, District I (Second Ward)
Parthiv Bhakta, District I (Second Ward)
Elizabeth Bradford Shaver, District I       
Melvalean McLemore, District I
Tabish Siddiqui, District I       
Jo Skillman, District I (Second Ward)
Charmaine LeBlanc, District J
(Alief-Westwood)
Amanda Ortiz Santiago, District J (Gulfton)
Geralene Randolph, District K
(Fort Bend Houston)        
Traveon Rogers, District K
State Regulators Greenlight Construction for
Largest Urban Solar Farm in the Country
Last month, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) granted permit approval to begin construction on the Sunnyside Solar Farm. The project will transform a 240-acre former landfill that has been inactive for more than five decades into the largest urban solar farm in the nation.

The farm, located on Bellfort Street, will provide renewable energy to power
between 5,000 to 10,000 homes, create more than 100 construction and green job opportunities, and take an estimated 120 million pounds of carbon out of the air. 

This effort results from the public-private partnership fostered by the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability, Complete Communities, and Economic Development and the ongoing collaboration between the private sector, community, and city and state agencies. Read the full press release.
Green Opportunities - Houston Career Expo
Was a Great Success
Last month the Mayor's Office of Complete Communities, in collaboration with Houston Community College, the District D Office, and the Sunnyside Complete Community, hosted the first Green Opportunities Houston Career Expo.

Over 300 participants attended the Expo and learned about a variety of paid training programs and green career opportunities. Employers hired residents on-site for internships, apprenticeships, and careers.

Thirty-plus organizations were on-site to answer questions, provide guidance, and interview. Participants included the Houston Public Works department, Houston Parks - HPARD, the Houston Police Department, Houston Fleet Management, Houston Waste Management, CenterPoint Energy, Houston Community College District, and many more. Houston Health Department hosted an on-site vaccination clinic for all participants and guests. District D sponsored meals from local minority-owned food trucks and gave laptops to youth participants.
We're Showing the Love to Five More Parks
The Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) hosted its fifth Love Our Parks Fest at Catherine Delce Park on Saturday, April 23 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Improvements include a new soccer mini-pitch court, a resurfaced basketball court with a new roof, new furnishings, lighting upgrades, barbeque pits, and landscaping. A new playground is expected to be installed in a few weeks. The fest featured family-friendly activities and programming from HPARD, Houston Public Library, HPD’s Greater Houston Police Activities League (GHPAL), and other City departments.

Mayor Turner has announced the next five parks slated for upgrades as part of this initiative:
  • Irvington Park
  • Evella Park
  • Hobart Taylor Park
  • Independence Heights Park
  • Lincoln Park

Visit the Houston Parks and Recreation website for more information. 
Join City Council Redistricting & CIP Meetings
The city is embarking on a process to adopt new City Council district boundaries using information from the 2020 US Census. There will be multiple opportunities for community members to provide their feedback and stay updated on the process.
The redrawn districts will aim to:
  • Maintain relatively equal population numbers
  • Be composed of whole county voting precincts
  • Have easily identifiable geographic boundaries
  • Maintain communities of interest/neighborhoods
  • Be compact and contiguous
  • Avoid packing or cracking
- Packing: diminishing voting power by calculated demographic concentration
- Cracking: diminishing voting power by calculated demographic dilution
  • Preserve incumbent-constituency relations
 
To learn more about your upcoming meeting or attend a virtual meeting on May 25
Houston Community College (HCC) has launched a first-in-the-nation “Resiliency Center of Excellence” to connect residents, employers, civic organizations, neighborhoods, and small businesses with fast-tracked education and certification to improve community well-being and increase economic stability. The Resiliency Center includes programs such as Public Safety and Rescue, Disaster Case Management, Enhanced Facility and Infrastructure Construction, and more to address challenges from natural disasters and health concerns. The center also offers Resilience 101 courses for businesses, employers, residents and community organizations, as well as Community Emergency Response Team Training. These programs will be offered at HCCs existing campus and Center of Excellence facilities.

At the core of this initiative is the planned one-of-a-kind Resiliency Operation Center (ROC) on the HCC Northeast Campus. This complex will safely train between 3,000 to 4,000 citizens, corporate and small business managers, and first responders a year in authentic field and virtual simulations. Through applied boots-on-the-ground training, participants will safely experience all the situations an individual is likely to encounter in a real disaster.
 
Fill out the form on the HCC website if you're interested in learning more. 
Free Family and Youth Activities This Summer
As summer approaches and school semesters comes to an end, check out the available summer programs and activities that could take place in your community through the Prairie View A&M University's (PVAMU) Cooperative Extension Program. This program offers FREE family and youth activities that can be brought to your local community centers, churches, and schools for their
summer programming. These immersive programs and workshops include cooking classes, food nutrition education,
community gardening, and fitness activities. The services are offered to residents in Harris County with a particular focus on the 10 Complete Communities and other underserved areas.

If you are part of an organization or a service provider in one of the 10 Complete Communities and would like to partner with PVAMU to bring one of their programs to your area, please contact your Complete Communities (CC) Lead Planner on the Complete Communities website by choosing your neighborhood.

Download the flyer for more information:
Submit Grant Proposals for the NFL Foundation Grassroots Program by May 31! 
The National Football League (NFL) Foundation Grassroots Program is a partnership between the NFL Foundation, which provides funding for the program, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), which provides technical assistance and manages the program. The goal of the program is to provide non-profit, neighborhood-based organizations with financial and technical assistance to improve the quality, safety, and accessibility of local football fields. The NFL Foundation Grassroots Program provides grants of up to $250,000 for capital improvement projects.

To be eligible for a grant under the program, projects must be sponsored by non-profit community-based organizations registered as exempt from
Federal Income Tax under Internal Revenue Service Code Section 501(c)(3) or middle or high schools. Email submissions to SportsAndRec@
lisc.org. Please send the proposal as a PDF attachment and include all required documents as per the RFP. Visit LISC.org for more information. 
Get Free Energy Saving Upgrades For Your Home!
CenterPoint Energy’s Agencies in Action (AIA) program helps customers in income-eligible houses provide whole-house energy saving upgrades.
 
You qualify if:
  • You are a residential customer of CenterPoint Energy’s Texas Electric Service area
  • Your home is at least 16 years old
  • You have an annual household income that qualifies you to meet low-income guidelines; or
  • You receive benefits from a public assistance program (SNAP, Medical Assistance or Medicare, Supplemental Security Income, Public Housing, Children’s Health Insurance, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, etc.)
 
The program is open city-wide with a priority focus on all 10 Complete Communities.
 
To apply, fill out the application form or call 855-751-6432
Boosting Vaccinations Across Houston
The Equitable Vaccination Acceptance and Distribution to Houston Complete Communities Initiative, also known as VAX HOU, is a Complete Communities 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 vaccine events conveniently located in the Complete Communities neighborhoods. These vaccine events are free to the public and are conveniently located in their own neighborhoods. Upcoming events for May include:  
New Hope Baptist Church
Saturday, May 7, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
6430 Court Road
FREE Food Distribution offered by the Houston Food Bank 
 
Cathedral of St. Matthew
Saturday, May 14, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
9101 Airline Dr.
Enter RAFFLE to win great prizes!
 
Mt. Hebron Church
Saturday, May 14,10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
4810 Redbud St.
Free food distribution available!
Cigna Sunday in the Park
at Hackberry Park
Sunday, May 15, noon – 4:00 p.m.
7777 S. Dairy Ashford Road
Music, food, games, and more!

Mental Health Awareness Fair at Houston Public Library, Central
Saturday, May 21, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
500 McKinney Street
Free mental health resources, talk with mental health professionals, family activities, yoga, and more!
Watch the Video of the Recent Food
Security Panel Discussion
Last month, the Complete Communities planners held a virtual panel presentation to help residents identify ways to resolve food insecurity challenges and increase access to fresh, healthy food.

Complete Communities residents Keith Downey, President of Kashmere Gardens Super Neighborhood, Tommy Garcia-Prats, Founder and Executive Director of Small Places, and Kristen Bennet, Founder of Communities for Better Health, were featured in a panel discussion where they provided insight into their work to combat food insecurity in their communities.

City of Houston Health Department representatives gave insight into the
resources they provide. Local partners,
Prairie View A&M University, Healthy Houston Initiative, Kids Meals Inc.,
Houston Food Bank, and Brighter Bites helped connected residents to additional food security resources.
 
Watch the recorded video.

Have more questions? Call the City of Houston Planning and Development Department at 832-393-6600.

The Houston Land Bank (HLB) kicks off its brownfields program to help communities reclaim brownfields for the purpose of public good and environmental justice. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a brownfield as land for which expansion, redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Thanks to a $600,000 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Grant, HLB and its coalition with the City of Houston and Avenue CDC will use the funding to:
  • Identify brownfields in your community
  • Perform Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment
  • Conduct Phase 2 Environmental Assessment; and
  • Facilitate reuse planning
Applications for free assessments and planning support, including a community presentation on brownfield redevelopment projects, are accepted from nonprofits, government agencies, and small businesses. The grant is open city-wide, but priority areas are East End, Near Northside, Kashmere Gardens, Liberty Gardens, and Gulfton. Apply online at houstonlandbank.org
Participate in Be Well Acres Home Resident Meeting and Receive a $50 Gift Card 
The Be Well™ Acres Homes team invites Acres Home residents to participate in a discussion about bringing new health and wellness programs to Acres Home this fall. Interested individuals will participate in a two-hour meeting on May 16 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. and will receive a $50 gift card. If you are interested in participating, please complete the sign-up form. 

Be Well™ Acres Homes is an initiative of The University of Texas MD Anderson
Cancer Center.  
Join us at the Complete Communities and
Mobility Study Meeting for Acres Home
Come to the Acres Home Multi-Service Center at 6719 W. Montgomery Rd. Houston, TX 77091 at 6:30 pm on Tuesday June 7 for the Acres Home Complete Communities and Mobility Study Meeting. The mobility study team will be kicking off their engagement process. We’ve heard your concerns about walkability, safety, and connectivity. We are moving forward in implementing the Complete Community Action Plan by initiating a mobility study in your area. Help us develop the plan for safe new streets, bike lanes, sidewalks, and bus stops.
Visit the Bethune Empowerment Center's New Website
The new website for the Bethune Empowerment Center (BEC) provides information on the programs, benefits and community resources it will offer. The website showcases the vision and projected timeline for construction of the facility, while also providing an avenue for interested organizations to potentially participate and join the BEC. You can find the new website at bethunecc.org.
Alief is Getting Lit!

Bennie Chambers III, a planner with the Community & Regional Planning Division, partnered with residents from District F for a streetlight field trip to survey the community. The All Lights On, Houston!” campaign launched in December 2021 to educate communities on how to report lighting issues including poles that are not working, lights that need to be replaced and to report overgrown trees that obscure lighting.
 
Public safety is more than police work. It's about everyone working together to create safe public spaces. Streetlights are a critical amenity because they make residents feel safer and more comfortable.
 
District F shared a survey in their newsletter, and the results provided additional areas with lighting concerns. Here's what we are learning:
 
  • Cook between Alief Clodine to Bissonnett is dark.
  • Wellington Park has tree canopies that need to be trimmed, with very limited lighting in the area.
  • High Star from Cook to Wilcrest has tree canopies that need to be trimmed.
  • Meadowcroft to Buttercup needs lighting.
  • Harwin Park has very limited lighting, and the lighting that exists is dim.
 
The city is working to correct these and other lighting issues, so if you have street light recommendations contact HPW by email at districtf@houstontx.gov or PD planner Bennie Chambers at Bennie.ChambersIII@houstontx.gov
CHAT Receives Donation from CASE for Kids
Culture of Health-Advancing Together (CHAT) received a donation from Center for Afterschool, Summer and Enrichment (CASE) for Kids. Council Member Edward Pollard's office and Harris County Department of Education partnered with the City of Houston to give a total of $70,000 to 13 Houston area organizations.
Thanks for Joining the March on Crime in Gulfton
In a show of solidarity, the Gulfton community and city leaders recently gathered for a half-mile march against crime. The event sent a message of unity and commitment to fighting crime in the area. Participants included city and community representatives, school children, parents, and concerned community members.

The march began at Benavidez Elementary School and ended at Burnett Bayland Park, where speakers engaged the march attendees and unveiled a new mural. The mural was created by artist Pablo Sanchez of Simply Artistic, and it depicts flags from the many nations that represent the diversity of the Gulfton area. The mural is one of several initiatives to revitalize the Gulfton community.
Kashmere Gardens
Provide Your Input on Kashmere's Sidewalk Plan
The City of Houston is engaging with the community and the Super Neighborhoods Council to help identify community sidewalk and flooding needs. The project goals include enhancing existing sidewalks, filling in sidewalk gaps, improving flooding/drainage issues, and
making flooding/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 the neighborhood.

A virtual community workshop was held at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 25 to discuss potential sidewalk and drainage improvement scenarios. You can watch the workshop videos in English and Spanish.
 
You can also provide feedback by taking a quick survey. To learn more, visit the engagehouston.org website or contact Houston Public Works Planner Manager, Donald Buaku at donald.buaku@houstontx.gov or
832-395-2938.  
Kashmere Gardens Spring Resilience Fest Recap
The Kashmere Gardens Spring Resilience Fest was a collaborative success! The resilience fest was held on April 21 and hosted two community workshops on community resilience. The first workshop featured comments from Kashmere Gardens Super Neighborhood President Keith Downey, Kashmere Gardens Lead Planner Davonte Caldwell and Deputy Director of Houston’s Office of Emergency Management Thomas Munoz. The workshop included presentations from Houston Public Works, MIG, University of Texas Arlington, and Resilient Cities Catalyst (RCC), and covered topics such as a proposed lily pad/resilience hub, a green infrastructure study, and a neighborhood sidewalk plan for Kashmere Gardens.

The second workshop engaged with Kashmere High School students to collect their feedback on prioritizing key functions and needs in a resilience hub.

This event was led by the Northeast Houston Redevelopment Council (NEHRC) in partnership with the City of Houston and RCC.

Attendees had the opportunity to engage with the presenters and provide input on
their projects at their interactive booths.
Kashmere High School Principal, Bradon Dickerson and seniors with staff members from City of Houston, RCC, and NEHRC. 
We want to thank Trinity Gardens Church of Christ and Kashmere High School for hosting these community engagement sessions.

What is a Lily Pad?
A Lily Pad is a physical space for residents to gather and obtain necessary services and can serve as a resource connector during emergencies and respond directly to shocks and stresses, including extreme heat, intense flooding, and power outages. The proposed Lily Pad is located in Kashmere Gardens, but it intends to serve residents living in Kashmere Gardens, Fifth Ward, Trinity Houston Gardens, Denver Harbor and surrounding areas.
Familia Latinas Por La Educación Training Program
Familias Latinas Por La Educación is a training program for adult family members who want to influence children's educational experience in their family.

Ideal candidates are mothers, fathers, guardians or other adult relatives of students in the Houston school district in elementary schools.

For more information visit the Latinos for Education website or email info@latinosforeducation.org
Familias Latinas Por La Educación es un programa decapacitación para familiares mayores de edad que quiereninfluir en la experiencia educativa de los niños en su familia.

Candidatos ideales son madres, padres, guardianes u otro familiar mayor de edad de estudiantes en el distrito escolar de Houston en las escuelas primarias Gallegos o Tijerina.

Para obtener más información, visite el sitio web de Latinos for Education o envíe un correo electrónico a info@latinosforeducation.org
May Day of Service
The Second Ward Super Neighborhood Council, The Magnolia Park Civic Club, and other organizations are looking for volunteers to help them clean and beautify the former Magnolia City Hall Building located at 7301 Avenue F, on May 21, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information contact Cathryn Martinez at 713-754-7065, or by email, cathryn.martinez@careerandrecovery.org
Dia de Servicio
El Súper Consejo Vecinal de Second Ward, el Club Cívico de Magnolia Park y otras organizaciones están buscando voluntarios para ayudarlos a limpiar y embellecer el antiguo edificio del ayuntamiento de Magnolia, ubicado en 7301 Avenue F, el  21 de mayo, de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m.

Para obtener más información, comuníquese con Cathryn Martinez al 713-754-7065, o por correo electrónico, cathryn.martinez@careerandrecovery.org
Grand Opening of Sunnyside’s Newest Little Library
Last month the South Union CDC Solor Outdoor classroom, located at 2020 Hermann Drive, held a grand opening event for Sunnyside’s newest little library. Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization with more than 100,000 registered Little Free Library book-sharing boxes worldwide. Ben Litofsky constructed and donated a new little library to the Sunnyside Complete community as his Bar Mitzvah project. 
Celebrate Emancipation Park's 150th Year
Save the Date!
Saturday, June 18th and Sunday June 19th 
4 -10 p.m.
3018 Emancipation Avenue Houston, TX 77004
Emancipation Park will celebrate its sesquicentennial year with an epic two-day Juneteenth Celebration! Come out and enjoy two days of entertainment and fun with your family and friends. The 150th Juneteenth Celebration is presented by Kinder Foundation.

The event is FREE with a ticket, and they will be available at the end of May.
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