HCC celebrates back to school in the community
Aug 24, 2017
The hallways of Houston Community College (HCC) are filling up again as students arrive for the Fall 2017 semester. And, once again, HCC participated in BakerRipley’s (formally Neighborhood Centers) Back to School Health Fair.
Nearly 3,000 families lined up August 5 outside the BakerRipley facility for the southwest Houston event, which has now served the surrounding community for 10 years. It provides families with school uniforms, school materials and information about healthcare, city support and higher education.
“This free event is free for whoever wants to come,” said Fabian Rodriguez, a BakerRipley volunteer. “They did not need to bring any type of paper or money. All we needed was the number of adults living at home and how many children are in need of our services.”
HCC has participated for many years in the Back to School Health Fair, along with 20 to 40 different service providers and health screeners. HCC was there to provide community members with helpful information about how to enroll in programs like GED, Intensive English and Work Force.
“BakerRipley is able to host this event thanks to the help of our partners like HCC,” said Frida Villalobos, Director of Communications at BakerRipley. “These partnerships are important to help community members understand what’s available to them. More than 1,000 uniforms and close to 5,000 school supplies were distributed.”
Hundreds of kids left the HCC table filled with joy after receiving HCC paraphernalia. And parents left with the knowledge their older high school students had the opportunity to go and get a college degree. Some parents asked about various classes and certificates HCC has to offer. Many specifically wanted to know about Intensive English classes.
“We are here to educate people on how they can educate themselves and prepare for the future,” explained Miroslava Martinez, an HCC Administrative Assistant. “It is great we participate in events like this. I’m mostly amazed at the number of people who are interested in learning the English language. That has been the most asked about program today.”
HCC enrollment for Fall 2017 is now open and classes will start soon. For more information on our GED, Intensive English and Work Force programs visit: hccs.edu/programs/