This year HACER will concentrate on three service projects: tutoring at the Barrio Student Center, volunteering on RSVP projects (Outreach Day, Project Pumpkin carnival), and collecting gifts for the toy drive at Posada. In the future, some new initiatives might include: translating at Ben Taub Hospital, educating low-income parents about CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program), tutoring in the ESL program, and adopting a family for Thanksgiving. If you have any suggestions or questions, please contact Alex Varela, HACER community service coordinator.

Barrio Student Center

The Barrio Student Center (713-926-1885) is located at the Centro Aztlan building at 5115 Harrisburg. A Houston Chronicle article from 1997 describes their activities. The center serves residents of the East End community which is primarily Hispanic. HACER visits every Wednesday from 3 to 6 pm. We help elementary through high school students with their homework. Spanish-speaking ability is useful but not necessary. Please meet at the circular drive of the RMC at 3 pm if you need a ride. Please feel free to help tutor any day from Monday through Thursday (3 to 6 pm). Contact director Rey Rodriguez for details. During the Spring semester, HACER coordinates a visit of the Barrio Center students to the Rice campus. Read their thank you letters.

Barrio Center group photo, 2001

Rey Rodriguez (center) is flanked by both HACER members as well as the students being tutored. More photos.

Project Pumpkin

In conjunction with RSVP's Children Committee, HACER has a booth at this annual on-campus Halloween carnival (Sat Oct 27, 1 to 4 pm in the Will Rice Quad). Activities include a haunted house in the Sid Rich basement and trick-or-treating at Will Rice and Hanszen. Kids (6 to 12 years old) from all over Houston will be brought to campus. Spanish-speaking volunteers are needed. Contact Zarema Singson to RSVP for more general information. Official Project Pumpkin site. At HACER's booth we will have a piñata for the kids to break. We need your help (holding the rope, placing bandanas over kid's head, making them dizzy). There are three shifts to choose from: 1-2 pm, 2-3 pm, 3-4 pm. Please let Alex know if you can volunteer.

Spring Fling

In conjunction with RSVP's Children Committee, HACER has a booth at this annual on-campus Halloween carnival (Sat Oct 27, 1 to 4 pm in the Will Rice Quad). Activities include a haunted house in the Sid Rich basement and trick-or-treating at Will Rice and Hanszen. Kids (6 to 12 years old) from all over Houston will be brought to campus. Spanish-speaking volunteers are needed. Contact Zarema Singson of RSVP for more general information. Official Project Pumpkin site. At HACER's booth we will have a piñata for the kids to break. We need your help (holding the rope, placing bandanas over kid's head, making them dizzy). There are three shifts to choose from: 1-2 pm, 2-3 pm, 3-4 pm. Please let Alex know if you can volunteer.

Outreach Day: Casa de Esperanza de los Niños

HACER will be participating in RSVP's Outreach Day. Volunteers will work at Casa de Esperanza (713-529-0639) on Saturday September 29 from 10 am to 1:30 pm. Please meet at the RMC circular drive at 10am. Email Alex to let her know if you will be going and if you have a car to offer rides. Casa de Esperanza provides comprehensive residential, medical and psychological care to some of Houston's most vulnerable youth - infants and young children whose lives have been disrupted by abuse, neglect, or the effects of the AIDS virus. Casa seeks to prevent child abuse and neglect by providing residential care to children in crisis in conjunction with counseling and support services to the family. In order to provide permanency for those children, whose families will never be able to safely or adequately care for them. Casa is licensed to supervise long-term foster care and adoptive placements. A critical component of Casa's residential care plan is the medical stabilization and supervision of children in placement. A good number of these children are Latinos.