Posts published in April 2015

HOUSTON – Aldine Family Hope Center, a ministry of Buckner International, will celebrate 25 years of service to the Aldine community Saturday, April 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the center, located at 4700 Aldine Mail Route.

The community is invited to attend the milestone celebration for an afternoon of face painting, games, live music, refreshments and an open house. A recognition program will begin at noon honoring influential individuals who have made a significant impact in the program since it began.

Founded by Sylvia Bolling from the trunk of her car in 1990 as the Aldine Y.O.U.T.H. Community Center, the program joined Buckner International in 2012 where it has continued to improve the lives of at-risk youth and their families, serving about 5,000 households in a community encompassing a two-mile radius of U.S. Highway 59 North of Aldine Mail Route. The service area includes 12 schools, five subdivisions, seven apartment complexes and several businesses and churches.

“Approximately 85 percent of the students living in our community are considered economically disadvantaged,” said ministry founder Sylvia Bolling. “From our beginning, we’ve been committed to improving the lives of local families through serving our neighbors in the most need. As our community has grown, so has our opportunity to serve.”

The center offers a variety of educational, vocational, social, and recreational services to the community as it strives to address the needs of individuals challenged by social, language, cultural, transportation, and location barriers.

“By seeking to help all in need, we’ve become a place where volunteers of all races and ages can empower the youth within our community,” said Shawna Roy, the Family Hope Center’s director. “We are thankful for the support our community has provided us over the years and look forward many more years of service to come.”

Additional Buckner programs in the Houston area include Buckner Family Place, a transitional program for single parents and their children; Parkway Place, a Buckner senior living community; and Buckner Hospice Houston.

Harris County will host a ‘Hazmobile’ collection event on Saturday, April 25, 2015 in Aldine area.

The trash collection will take place from 8 am to 11 am ONLY, at North East Community Center/James Drive Park located at 10918 1/2 Bentley Street, Houston, TX. 77093.

Residents can bring fertilizers and other yard projects as well as paint and paint related products for their proper disposal.

Other items include household cleaners, automotive products such as oil and gas, pool chemicals, aerosol cans, fluorescent bulbs, batteries and small and BBQ size propane.

Electronics and tires WIIL NOT be accepted; washers, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners or household trash WILL NOT be accepted neither.

For more information, please call 281-560-6230.

HOUSTON, TX – The YMCA Achiever’s Program is now offered through the Aldine-Greenspoint YMCA at the North Houston Skate Park (formerly the Spring Skate Park) to provide teens with a positive sense of self and aspirations for professional careers.

The program helps teens set and pursue high educational and career goals that result in higher rates of graduation and acceptance to an institution of higher learning. Through academic aid, career exploration and mentoring, this program encourages youth to raise their academic standards, develop a positive sense of self, build character, explore diverse college and career options, and learn from role models who inspire them to greater heights.

“Even though we are just getting started with the once-a-week program at the skate park, the students have already drafted their contract expressing commitment to the program and attended their first major field trip, reported YMCA Youth Development Director Troy Manchester. “The 12 teens enjoyed an overnight ‘lock in’ at the Langham Creek YMCA before leaving for a visit to the Texas A&M – College Station campus.”

The Aldine-Greenspoint YMCA is unique in that it is a “Y without walls.” All of its programming is hosted at facilities other than a standing YMCA building, such as preschool at Lone Star College – North Harris, youth sports at Thomas R. Wussow Park and now the YMCA Achiever’s Program at the skate park.

To run the program using the skate park’s community room, YMCA staff work hand-in-hand with the Greenspoint District staff who manage the North Houston Skate Park. Also, the District’s Communications Coordinator Alexis Shelly sits on the Board of Directors for the Aldine-Greenspoint YMCA, ensuring lines of communication remain open and initiatives like the Achiever’s program are successful.

HOUSTON, TX – A multi-agency initiative to enforce civil injunctions at the Haverstock Hills Apartments in northeast Harris County netted 32 arrests.

The two-day initiative took place on March 25-26 at the multi-unit complex located on Aldine Bender and the Eastex Freeway.

Arrested were individuals with a gang nexus and/or those with an open warrant.

“This is not going to be part of your territory,” said HCSO Lt. Wayne Kuhlman who oversees the Sheriff’s Office Multi-Agency Gang Task Force. “You will not operate out here with impunity.”

Deputies also confiscated weapons and drugs.

Taking part in the initiative, along with the HCSO, were the Aldine ISD, Katy ISD, and Spring Branch ISD Police Departments, ICE, HUD, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, TDCJ-OIG, and the Houston Police Department.

The 2010 gang injunction banning suspected gang members from entering the 57-acre “safety zone” was the first in Harris County.

Since then the injunction has been expanded to include three other apartment complexes and two more schools in a 217-acre area.