More than 40 volunteers collected over 90 bags of litter at the first ever North Forest Community Rally & Clean-Up. District staff and community volunteers spread out throughout the North Forest community for the clean-up effort.
NFISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Adrain Johnson thanked the volunteers for giving their time to help uplift and unite the community by helping to rid the area of litter and debris as students prepare to return to school. The clean-up is part of a larger effort to unite, uplift and transform the entire North Forest community even as the district makes gains and improvements, he said.
Dr. C. A. Williams, the newly appointed principal of North Forest High School, was the leader of a clean-up team assigned to the area near the school. She called the clean-up effort fun and rewarding.
“It was an excellent opportunity to be visible in the community,” Dr. Williams said. “It was a chance to say that we care about the community. It’s not only the place in which we work, but it’s our community too.”
Immediately following the clean-up the district held its annual Back-to-School Festival & Family Empowerment Conference which attracted more than 750 adults and children and featured entertainment, free food, a school uniform give-a-way and the distribution of vouchers for parents to receive free school supplies from now until Aug. 20. School supplies can be picked up at the central administration building from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. beginning until Friday, Aug. 20.
Fiesta Mart, Inc. was the event co-sponsor. Other business and community supporters included Jamail & Smith Construction, Xerox Corp, and Central Care Community Health Center, which provided free immunizations to children.
M.B. Smiley’s Class of 1980, No More Victims and the National Afro-American Corvette Club also donated vouchers for school uniforms for students, and several organizations donated school supplies including the North Forest ISD Council of PTAs, District 1 Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee, True Worship Baptist Church, Greater New Grove Church and the MW Brighter Light Mason Lodge and Starlight Grand Chapter of Eastern Stars.
The Family Empowerment Conference featured information booths operated by various local organizations and agencies. Participants included Houston Votes, which registered 35 new voters and recruited dozens of volunteers as well.
Other family Empowerment Conference participants were Houston Community College, the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, No More Victims, Inc., the NAACP, Broken Chains Outreach, and many others.
|
