Arts and Crafts in Northeast Houston
The Arts and Crafts Class at Tidwell Elementary School (NFISD) originated in the fall of 2000, as a result of a parent survey at the school. Principal Mrs. Rodenia McKelvey is the school administrator and Mrs. J. Chatman is the “Read for Texas” Parent Consultant.  There was a consensus between Mrs. McKelvey and Mrs. Chatman that the parents could achieve self-empowerment and business ownership training skills, for future career opportunities. Because of Mrs. Mary Johnson’s expertise in sewing (Arts and Crafts) Chatman asked to assign her as the part time instructor. The program has been in operation for the past two years and has been extremely successful. English as a Second Language Class meets daily at the school from 8a.m.- 12 p.m., Monday - Friday. The success rating has been excellent with several of the parents achieving progress to Pre-G.E.D and G.E.D. status.

Sunrise Kiwanis Club unite for the Youth

The Houston Sunrise Kiwanis Club continues to perform monthly service projects benefiting organizations and individuals in the northwest Houston community. Since March, the Club has painted the baseball dugouts at the Northwest YMCA, raised nearly $6,000 for youth scholarships and leadership training, organized a blood drive for the Blood Center, helped plant trees and shrubs at a Habitat for Humanity home site, helped serve lunch to inner city kids enjoying “Youth Day” at the Saddle & Spurs Ranch, and assisted the Inwood Forest Swim Team with a swim meet.
Currently, the club is working with Interfaith Ministries to collect household items for refugee families from Afghanistan who are settling in Houston.
Reaching out to others is the essence of Kiwanis International, a world-wide service organization for business and community leaders that seeks to help young children and to encourage a sense of service among youth and young adults. In addition to its monthly service projects, the Houston Sunrise Kiwanis Club sponsors a K-Kids Club at Oak Forest Elementary School, a Key Club at B.T. Washington High School, a Circle K at HCC Northeast College, and an Aktion Club at with the Houston Community College System.
The Houston Sunrise Kiwanis Club meets for breakfast every Thursday at 6:45am at the HCC Pinemont Center on Pinemont and Ella Blvd. These meetings are open to anyone interested in getting involved with Kiwanis. For more information, call 713/880-4843 or visit online at www. KiwanisHoustonSunrise.org

Street Olympics Torch Lighting Summer Games kick-off
The annual torch lighting ceremony kicked off the 2002 Street Olympics Summer Games at Mickey Leland Park on June 5. More than 10,000 children throughout Harris County are expected to take part in the 16th annual summer-long program hosted by Harris County Precinct One Street Olympics and Greater Houston Inner City Games. KHOU-TV Channel 11 sports anchor Butch Alsandor participated in the torch lighting as well as three participants of the Street Olympics program.

Harris County Precinct One Street Olympics is partially supported by the Harris County Community Development Department. Among other charities, the Houston Texans Foundation has also chosen to support the Street Olympics program over the next three years. Dozens of children demonstrated activities including jump rope, basketball and street games.
Among those in attendance included Harris County Precinct One Commissioner El Franco Lee, Sheriff Tommy Thomas, Precinct One Constable Jack Abercia, Executive Director of the Houston Texans Foundation Joanie Haley; Chair of the Street Olympics Board Yvette Chargois and Chief Director Harris County Community Development Department Xavier Lemond.

Harris County Precinct One Street Olympics, created by Commissioner El Franco Lee in 1987, provides opportunities for children to participate not only in sports, but also Discovery Camps and the Bright Futures Fair. Any Houston-area child is eligible to participate in this year’s program. Events include track and field (broad jump, long jump, softball throw and various meter runs and relays), basketball, aquatics and street games such as jacks, hopscotch and jump rope. The summer-long program will include track and field meets, three on three basketball tournaments, Harris County Aquatics Program Splashdown and the 16th Anniversary Summer Games Final Event to be held on Friday, August 2, 2002 at the Reliant Astro Arena.

The mission of the Harris County Street Olympics is to promote programs to ensure that Harris County youth have the appropriate training and support to lead healthy and productive lives. Commissioner Lee said, “In the future, Precinct One’s social programming will seek to touch lives of even more youth, providing them with positive options in life and people who are willing to help them along the way.”