HHD celebrates Community Re-entry Network Program fall graduation

Realigning mindsets, learning from the past, and cultivating a future that leads to long-lasting success and endurance were the key takeaways for graduates during the Community Re-Entry Network Program (CRNP) Fall graduation ceremony on December 16. Formerly incarcerated people who went through the program were celebrated for their efforts and given the tools to reform and successfully reintegrate back home with family and friends to make a change in their world and the greater Houston community.

The ceremony began with opening remarks from HHD Bureau Chief LaTosha Selexman and an invocation from NAACP Houston President Dr. James Dixon, both of whom herald the strengths and vitality of the program and its students.

The Community Re-Entry Network Program is a program of the Houston Health Department (HHD) that addresses the needs of the “whole” person with innovative, evidence-based programming and linkage to services designed to meet the needs of formerly incarcerated persons and interrupting the cycle of recidivism. The program includes case management, housing referrals, job readiness preparation, life skills courses and much more by way of one-on-one counseling, supportive environments, guidance for positive life decisions and career development.

“What drives my devotion is working with the people who choose to be here,” Selexman said. “Everybody that’s here is here by their personal choice. To have an individual come in and say they want to change and to support them with that change is paramount to me.”

Charles English, a former CRNP graduate and member of the Brothers United musical band played a selection of songs with his group and discussed how relying on his network and faith allowed him to create and sustain a new reality for himself. Indeed, no man is an island and various speakers reminded the graduates of the necessity to surround themselves with those invested in their success and be a beacon for those just starting on their journey post-incarceration.

“This is a second chance opportunity and I think everybody needs a second chance,” HHD Director Stephen L. Williams said. “None of us are perfect. We all need a forgiving heart. With that, we have a responsibility to take advantage of that second chance and you all have modeled that by completing the program.”

During the ceremony graduates reflected on their lives leading up to joining the program and how it has helped them transform their perspectives, trajectories and values.

“The program and instructors gave me hope,” said Kamesha Brown, a fall graduate. “I felt like they poured life into me, they gave me ideas, showed me initiative and they were so patient. I didn’t know much about technology, doing interviews or communicating well so they helped me in every aspect of my transitioning back into society.”

HHD employees Wiley Henry and Eric Dargan were also honored as re-entry champions for all they have accomplished since completing the program. Fall graduates Noor Clements and Rashad Renfro, and former students Ronald Proctor and Lynette Brownlee all spoke candidly about the ways CRNP upended their circumstances in a substantial way, opening their eyes to a broader horizon ahead of them.

“Apply for jobs you don’t think you’ll get,” Brownlee said, offering advice she was given during her classes. “Reach higher than your expectations. Real change comes from hard work.”

The ceremony ended with remarks from special guest University of Houston Assistant Professor Dr. Edward Scott Jr., followed by the conferring of the certificates for the graduates.

For recent graduate Kia Kennard, the hope that CRNP provides is unmatched.
“It’s hard to look forward when we have a past that may keep us stagnant and complacent,” Kennard said. “So, this program helps to propel us forward into the future. It’s a new age, so it helps us change the way we think, change the way you look at the world, and helps you learn where you should be placed in this world.”

Graduate Renzy Stone advises future students to approach the program with patience and an open mind to receive the greatest benefits and position themselves for success.

“Just listen,” Stone said. “The program kind of grows on you. When you start, you want to push back or sit to the side but when you hear all the other people interacting and start talking it’s like magic and before you know it, you start to hear yourself say things you never thought you’d say and start challenging yourself.”

Special thanks to HHD personnel for making this ceremony possible and to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Councilwoman Tarsha Jackson for their unwavering support of the program.

Houston Health Department reveals city’s top baby names for 2023

Houston’s most popular baby names for 2023 are Emma, Mia and Camila and Liam, Noah and Mateo, the Houston Health Department announced today.

Records maintained by the department’s Bureau of Vital Statistics show Mia taking over the girls’ second-place spot, booting Olivia to fourth place for 2023 and off the top 3 ranks for the first time since at least 2018. Olivia dropped to second in 2022 after earning the top spot in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Rounding out the 10 most popular girl names for this year are Isabella, Sofia, Sophia, Amelia, Charlotte and Emily.

Emma, Olivia and Camila were the top three most popular names from 2020 to 2022. Mia took the fourth spot last year and in 2018.

Liam, Noah and Mateo have dominated the boys’ top three spots, respectively, since 2019.

Other boy names comprising the top 10 list for 2023 are Santiago, Sebastian, Dylan, Elijah, Lucas, Oliver and Daniel. They also made the top 10 in 2022 except for Lucas, which took the eighth most popular name this year despite not making the top 10 list the past five years.

The department so far this year has recorded 60,840 births. It recorded 64,622 births in 2022, 61,458 in 2021, 61,400 in 2020, 63,095 in 2019 and 64,475 in 2018.

People needing birth certificates or information about requesting one can visit the department’s Bureau of Vital Statistics webpage or call 832-393-4220.

The department maintains records of birth and deaths that occur within Houston city limits and provides birth and death certificates to the public.

Kashmere Gardens debuts resilience hub

In late December, former Mayor Sylvester Turner attended the ribbon cutting for Houston’s first Resilience Hub at the Kashmere Multi-Service Center – a first step in the implementation of the City’s Resilience Hub Network Master Plan.

A resilience hub serves as a trusted community-serving facility that is augmented to support residents by coordinating resources and services as they face everyday stressors and occasional shocks. Through the analysis of existing City of Houston facilities, the Houston Resilience Hub Master Plan supports the retrofit of existing City of Houston community centers and multi-service centers, as well as the construction of new facilities to maximize Resilience Hub operations. The project has been in the works for two years and Kashmere Gardens is just one of the identified sites for phase one of the master plan.

“The resilience hub initiative has really afforded us the opportunity for additional resources so that we can be better equipped at assisting families and individuals to become much more resilient through everyday life stressors, community crises and the recovery associated with it,” said Solly Diaz, Deputy Assistant Director for Multi-Service Center operations.

Diaz says the center was retrofitted in various areas to ensure it is equipped to handle both mild and urgent concerns. The community garden received a facelift which includes a vegetative swale, rain barrel and a solar carport installation. The master plan also allowed the center to augment some of the programming they already have, such as Target Hunger, which has expanded its deliveries to Kashmere Gardens. Guests can also take courses to better understand resilience and prepare for possible unwanted circumstances.

“When people deal with everyday stressors and larger community crises, we don’t really know what one is going to need so our intent is to be a resource where people feel comfortable coming to seek information and help them overcome whatever challenges they’re having,” said Diaz.

The ribbon cutting was accompanied by a tour of the center to observe the new changes. Completed earlier this month, the Houston Resilience Hub Network Master Plan study is already attracting national and international interest, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) looking to designate the City of Houston as the first US Resilience Hub of the UNDRR’s Making Cities Resilient 2030 initiative.

Thank you to everyone in the City of Houston, Houston Health Department and Kashmere MSC staff for making this possible.