HOUSTON, June 3, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- SEARCH and the American Leadership Forum (ALF) Class XXI hosted the official re-opening of the House of Tiny Treasures' Baby Center located on 1529 Lombardy Street. The Honorable Mayor Bill White, who provided remarks about the homeless issue in Houston, led ceremonial activities. First Lady Andrea White read excerpts from "The Purple House" to the children of The House of Tiny Treasures. The ceremony helped highlight the critical services needed for the homeless, and SEARCH's long-term commitment to providing such services as childcare, literacy, counseling, and vocational and job training.
Currently, an estimated 14,000 homeless people live in Houston, of which 1,400 are children under the age of 12. "We have a moral obligation to take care of the most helpless among us," said Mayor Bill White. "Beyond that, there is a self-interest in doing everything we can to better the plight of homeless children. These children, through no fault of their own, fall behind in health, education and almost every category. That's not the way to keep Houston the healthy, productive city of opportunity that we want it to be."
ALF Class XXI identified the reopening of the HTT Baby Center as its class project to focus its resources and leadership skills. Founded in Houston in 1981, the American Leadership Forum joins and strengthens diverse leaders to better serve the public good. ALF does this through an intense year-long program that fosters learning and trust among experienced leaders from every sector of our community. Benefits to the community include a continuing supply of effective and enlightened leaders trained in collaboration and consensus building and coalitions created to build a more effective community in the Houston/Gulf Coast area.
Harriet Wasserstrum, President of the ALF Houston/Gulf Chapter and a member of the Class XXI, said, "Almost three years to the day of Tropical Storm Allison's demise, ALF Class XXI is honored to be a part of the rebuilding, funding and re-opening of this critical service to the homeless children of Houston. Together, we can celebrate our triumph."
On June 5, 2001, Tropical Storm Allison destroyed the Baby House at The House of Tiny Treasures, the first licensed childcare center in Houston for homeless children ages 6 weeks to 6 years. The House of Tiny Treasures is a program of SEARCH, a United Way agency, that for more than 12 years has provided homeless individuals and their families with the resources needed to get back to work and become self-sufficient. With generous donations by individuals, corporate donors and members of ALF Class XXI, the Baby House was recently rebuilt enabling SEARCH to once again accept homeless babies six weeks and older.
"Without the support of so many individuals, companies and American Leadership Forum Class XXI, these homeless children would be out on the streets," said Sandy Reese-Kesseler, SEARCH's Executive Director. "We are very fortunate to live in such a caring city and thankful so many Houstonians rallied behind this effort. As a way of showing our appreciation and to provide a better understanding of the needs for the homeless, we planned a community open house."
The Community Open House will be held Saturday, June 5, from 10am to 1pm geared toward the entire family at the House of Tiny Treasures located at 1529 Lombardy. During the open house there will be numerous interactive activities including: Reality tours, the educational video "A Walk in Their Shoes, Growing Up Homeless," naming opportunities, Baby Quilt, Giving Tree, Baby Boutique and Back-to-School Shop in which the public could participate. Guests will be treated to a variety of complimentary teas, mud pies, hot dogs and other refreshments provided by the Company Kitchen, SEARCH's culinary and catering program, Shipley Donuts, Dreyer's, and Frenchy's Sausage Co.
As part of SEARCH's focus to assist homeless clients in becoming productive members of the community, The House of Tiny Treasures was created in response to a need for quality childcare services. This licensed early childhood development center serves homeless children ages 6 weeks to 6 years and helps individuals working or participating in a SEARCH job or educational program. The goal of The House of Tiny Treasures is to equip children with the skills needed to reach his or her maximum potential while assisting families in attaining and maintaining self-sufficiency in order to break the cycle of homelessness.
ABOUT SEARCH
SEARCH assists an average of more than 10,000 homeless men, women and children annually. SEARCH serves Houston by assisting homeless people with dignity and providing those who choose to change their lives, the resources necessary to become productive citizens. SEARCH was founded in 1989 by a coalition of ecumenical congregations representing diverse ethnic, social, and spiritual backgrounds. SEARCH has become the leading homeless service provider in our community, serving more than 2,300 men, women and children each month. We are unique in that we serve all segments of the homeless population: the sons and daughters of the welfare generation, the unskilled laborers, the substance abusers, the battered and abused, and the mentally and physically handicapped. Former business professionals and "those who never dreamed it could happen to them" are also our clients. The hallmark of the SEARCH mission is its flexibility and focus on the needs of each individual. We have evolved into a comprehensive program that offers job training, job placement, housing, education, medical support, outreach and child care, in addition to providing basic life saving services, seven days a week. For more information, please visit www.searchproject.org.