Heights Happenings: A special grand opening for a new LFL Sept 25, 2016

Let me start by saying, if you've never been to the White Oak Friends Quaker meeting house on 26th Street in Shady Acres, you might want to go just to see the building itself. It's a truly gorgeous space, conceptualized by American artist and Quaker James Turrell, who is probably most well known in Houston for the "Twilight Epiphany" Skyspace at Rice University. The meeting house is a real jewel in our community!

Inside of the White Oak Friends Meeting House
Image: hirambutler.com

This weekend, the Friends invite neighbors in the Heights and the greater Houston communities to join them for the dedication of the Children’s Annex to their Little Free Library. The Children's Annex was built by Patrick Brooks and painted by Heights artist Pen Morrison.

Sunday, September 25

1318 West 26^th St

Noon

Refreshments will be provided.

Brooks writes, "For three years, the original Little Free Library under a shade tree along the front fence has been a neighborhood treasure—people find a book they would like to read to take with them, leave a book they have finished for someone else to enjoy.  They leave notes in the log book about how much they enjoy it, and sometimes  they ask for something like more kids’ books. Friends listened, and responded with building a Little Little Free Library in part from wood recycled from the original floor of the Meetinghouse. It is positioned near the original, but slightly lower down for easier access for kids."

The Little Free Library movement began in Wisconsin in 2009  and quickly grew into a movement to promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges and is now worldwide with nearly 40,000 Little Free Library book exchanges. There are over a dozen Little Free Libraries in the greater Heights area, which can all be found on the LFL's map here.

The one in front of Live Oak Friends Meeting was the one of the first in The Heights and the fourth in Houston, now there are a many others, but not many which focus just on children’s books.

For more on the Friends' event: http://www.friendshouston.org/content/LFL_grand_opening

More about the Little Free Library movement: https://littlefreelibrary.org/

Project Prom: Clean your closet. Help students in need.

Communities In Schools at Reagan HS is planning for Prom 2016, which will be held in April. To help students in need enjoy this special event, CIS is asking for donations of formal dresses, shoes, jewelry, or handbags. 

If you're not familiar with CIS, they are the social work component in HISD, working as a "campus-based Dropout Prevention program." They provide direct social services to at-risk students and connect them with community resources. At Reagan HS, they have students struggling with everything from food insecurity to homelessness to abuse, all while trying to graduate and even go to college. You can just imagine how much going to prom will mean for these kids! Most of them won't be able to make it without community support. 

If you do not have dresses to donate but still want to help, the Houston Heights Woman's Club is once again coordinating this drive and they can also accept monetary donations to buy tuxedo rentals for the guys or help with restaurant gift cards for a pre-prom dinner. You can go to their "Donations" page and let them know you want your contribution to go to "Project Prom."

Photo: HISD Blog

In 2013, our community was able to provide dresses and accessories for over 27 young women at Reagan. Click here to read about the last drive and see the HISD photo album!

Sonoma Retail Wine Bar & Restaurant Heights is available as a drop off point during business hours- which is all the time; they are open from lunch until late evening. If you have donations, please feel free to bring them by the restaurant and leave them with a hostess or manager. We love our local businesses and appreciate their support.

This is a great pay-it-forward opportunity, as well. Whatever does't get selected by Reagan students will get passed on to other high needs high schools within HISD for their students. Items that don't get selected for prom for whatever reason go to school theater departments. Can you think of anything better to do with that bridesmaids dress? Probably not!

Email me with any additional questions! I'm happy to get you in touch with whomever is most qualified to answer. info@theheightslife.com

The Heights Helps-- HHWC Supporting Kids in Need with Uniforms

Amazingly, summer is nearing its end for one of the largest school districts in the country. HISD heads back to class August 24. While the Heights is more affluent than it has been for many years, our neighborhood schools still serve a large population of kids in need. For back to school, the Houston Heights Womens Club is focused on their mission of community service work by helping students in need on the Heights. The members are trying to collect 1000 New or lightly used uniform pieces for students in need around our community. 

The goal of the drive is to distribute uniforms, via their schools, to students who have only 1-2 uniform sets and who can't make it through the week on uniforms. Many of these students also have limited access to laundry facilities, which makes the simple act of getting dressed for school a stressful and sometimes humiliating experience. Throw in the challenges of the school day (art projects, lunch, playground tumbles, bathroom accidents) for the younger students, and it adds up to an acute need. The HHWC asked some of the principals to estimate how many students they could help; the administrators were almost confused by the question. One principal said "all of them." Another one said that the need is "bottomless." Many of the participating schools have student populations of over 90% free or reduced lunch.

Participating schools are: Browning, Crockett, Field, Love, Harvard, and Helms Elementary; Hogg and Hamilton Middle, and Reagan High (they have actually hit the Reagan goal with 200 pieces collected, but are short for the other schools). 

Schools are especially in need of khaki shorts in elementary sizes for girls and boys (sizes 4T-12), and navy blue, goldenrod, or Hunter green polo shirts for girls and boys (sizes XS-XL). They definitely take gently used pieces, so this is a great reason to clean out your kids' closets!

Here's a link with info on dress code and sizes, and it also includes a way to donate directly by credit card if you'd like the HHWC to shop for you:

http://www.houstonheightswomansclub.com/Uniform-Drive

Sara's Bed and Breakfast, 941 Heights Blvd, has generously offered to be a collection point for clothing drop offs. Could it be any easier? 

You can find the items students need at local shops like our neighborhood thrift stores and Label Warehouse on 19th Street (they have polos starting at $3.99). Also, national retailers like Target and The Children's Place on Shearn, and Walmart on Yale, have uniforms at good prices.

Thanks for making the back to school transition just a little easier for kids who are already struggling with the material needs of their education. Your help makes a difference and will all year long!