BACK to SCHOOL Advice & Tips for the 2019-2020 School Year
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AUGUST 2019 Greatwoodmonthly BACK TO SCHOOL Advice & tips for the 2019-2020 school year Common Threads = 'Kindness, sympathy & has a new spot compassion' A publication of the Check one more item off your back-to-school list! SCHEDULE A COMPLIMENTARY EXAM www.lonestarbraces.com SUGAR LAND OFFICE ROSENBERG OFFICE 4645 Sweetwater Blvd, Ste 100 24004 Southwest Freeway, Ste 502 Sugar Land, TX 77479 Rosenberg, TX 77471 (281) 980-3900 (832) 586-9500 HURRICANE SEASON IS UPON US! Greatwood monthly™ ContentsAugust 2019 & Staff GENERAL MANAGER Lee Hartman [email protected] ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR Marquita Griffin [email protected] ADVERTISING John Oliver [email protected] Stefanie Bartlett [email protected] Ruby Polichino [email protected] COMPOSITION & GRAPHICS MANAGER Alfred H. Dubé [email protected] GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Melinda Maya 6 10 [email protected] Rachel Cavazos [email protected] WRITERS & CONTRIBUTORS Scott Reese Willey Averil Gleason TO ADVERTISE To advertise in Greatwood Monthly please call Lee Hartman, John Oliver, Stefanie Bartlett, or Ruby Polichino, our advertising representatives, at 281-342- 4474 for rates, information and deadlines. PHOTO & ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS We are looking for fresh story ideas and enjoy publishing your articles in the Greatwood Monthly. 17 26 If you have an story idea or photo to publish please send your information to [email protected] with “Greatwood Monthly” in the subject line. ©2019 Greatwood Monthly All Rights Reserved. Greatwood Monthly has 30,000 print circulation and is a sister publication of Fulshear Living Monthly, Pecan Grove Monthly, West Fort Bend Living and is a Publication of the Fort Bend Herald. Our publishing headquarters is 1902 S. Fourth Street, Rosenberg FEATURE | Common ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | Texas 77471 Threads prepares for the Programs for little boys 06 upcoming school year 22 who want to sing, and and continues its work in wedding photos from the community. Mumbai. BACK TO SCHOOL | LCISD SCHOLASTIC SPOTLIGHT | updates, a school supply Campbell Elementary is JULY 2019 10 list and tips for the new 26 named a Top 10 campus Greatwoodmonthly school session. and one Dickinson The Butterfly Project teacher recognized for teaches girls to soar her efforts. TALK OF THE TOWN | Fort Bend Cares awards $170K 17 in grants, Community HEALTH | Free local Like us on Facebook Snapshots & lessons learned seminars about joints, @fortbendherald in the community. 34 urology and HPV. A publication of the Tell us how we’re doing! 4 • Greatwood Monthly Email: [email protected] Feature Story Chidera Kalaji said Common Threads is an ideal place to volunteer for students in search of service hours. A THREAD IN SO MANY LIVES Volunteers and supporters help Common Threads thrive Story & Photos by MARQUITA GRIFFIN | [email protected] here was a time when Common Threads couldn’t hold unteers: “Who needs scissors or a trash can?” more than six round clothing racks, didn’t have a volunteer A couple of volunteers hold up their hands. Taking tags off Tbase or a means to share news other than by word of mouth. clothes is a lot easier with scissors, and it’s pretty helpful to have Times have definitely changed, though. a trashcan nearby to dispose of them. In the beginning, about 19 years ago, the Lamar Consolidated “I love helping others,” said Kylee Gilmore, while hanging ISD clothing assistance program served around 800 families. school uniforms. Nowadays the program is helping thousands of families that live As a volunteer, Gilmore washes, dries, sorts and hangs clothes, within the school district. Close to 2,000 families alone received assembles toiletry bags and organizes shoes. Although each of invitations to Common Thread’s Hope on the Brazos event, set these tasks sounds like a chore, Gilmore doesn’t see it as such. for Aug. 3. Essentially a large back-to-school fair, Hope on the Bra- Not only is she receiving service hours for school, she is learn- zos provides eligible families the chance to collect free school ing about concerns in her community and is enthusiastic to be clothes and supplies for their children in preparation for the a part of the solution. new school year. “There are a lot of people around here who need help,” said “What’s important to remember is this program gives such Gilmore, a17-year-old Foster High School senior. great support to the everyday family,” said Common Threads “If you can, you should donate,” whether that be time, money manger Elida Castillo. “The families we help are not just low- or supplies, she adds. income. There are moms battling cancer, or dads who had their Not long after the doors opened to the volunteers, 70-year-old hours cut at work ... The cost to get children ready for school Pam Gould walked in, a joyful pep in her step, a cool fountain gets expensive, really fast, and we want to help relieve families drink in hand, and immediately synced with Gilmore. of this expense. Three years ago Gould moved to the Del Webb Sweetgrass “We are here to help kids get what they need.” community and with the extra time on her hands, she sought opportunities to be involved in children-centric organizations. ‘Our volunteers are amazing’ Not only has she volunteered with Lunches of Love — a pro- gram that provides free lunches to students — for the past two On a sweltering Wednesday afternoon, 710 Houston Street in and a half years Gould has been a regular volunteer at Common Richmond was alive with the activity of Common Threads volun- Threads. teers who were organizing clothes, shoes, accessories and sup- “Everyone should do something,” Gould said. “Even us older plies in preparation for Hope on the Brazos and the upcoming folks can get out here and help.” school year. Not far from Gould was 15-year-old Blair Thomas, who attends Castillo steps into one of the former Jane Long elementary Elkins High School. She shared that her father, who works for classrooms, now filled with clothing racks, and addresses the vol- Lamar Consolidated ISD, is the one who told her about Common 6 • Greatwood Monthly From left, volunteer and Briscoe Middle School student Heather Crawford, 12; Irma Garza and Elida Castillo gives instruction to a Common Threads volunteer. Valerie Leyva. “When people ask me who I work for, I say: ‘the Man Upstairs.’” she said. Threads. That Wednesday was her first time volunteering but she one was donating supplies or offering their time. confirmed that she would be returning. Garza stands in the hallway, where she gives the group of boys “It’s good to help people in need,” she said. “This,” she said, as instructions on the objectives of the day. her eyes scanned the room, “is important.” “I’m excited for the growth of this,” she said, referring to the Considering the usual turnout of volunteers — especially the re-design of the gym. Barring any setbacks, the gym will be opera- number of students during the summer — it’s almost absurd to think tional in September. that at one time Common Threads didn’t have a volunteer base. “This place is important to all our families, who come from all As Common Threads’ director, parent involvement facilitator walks of life,” she continued. “This place really does make a differ- and student support service coordinator, Jill Davis finds extreme ence for everyone involved — from the people in charge to the satisfaction in seeing the young volunteers bustling about, keep- people who need us.” ing the program running. Her eyes sparkle with a memory. “On any given day we have upwards of 30 kids there,” she said “There was this little girl who picked out a pair of hot pink with a wide smile. “All of our volunteers are amazing.” high top shoes,” Garza recalled. “The shoes were in great condi- Anyone who wants to volunteer, and is at least 12 years old, is tion, but they weren’t new ... but they were new to her. I remem- welcomed and greatly appreciated, Davis said. ber her putting them on and running up and down this hallway “You don’t need to register, just come on over. We’d love to as fast as she could. have you.” “She was so happy, so amazed at her new shoes.” By the time an hour had passed, scores of young volunteers had Moments like these is what keeps Garza dedicated to the pro- filed through the doors and to their respective stations. gram. That’s why she will roll with any changes or hardships that “I thought it was going to be boring,” said 17-year-old Chidera comes along. Kalaji, a Lamar Consolidated High School student who was look- “I’ve been through Katrina, Rita, Ike and Harvey,” she said of ing for ways to gain service hours. the tropical storms that pushed Common Threads into overdrive. “The biggest excuse [for students not to volunteer somewhere] “Four storms and I haven’t been blown away yet,” she adds is that it is boring,” Kalaji explained. “But I can say that there are with a laugh. different activities [ to complete at Common Threads] every sin- Nearly two decades has revealed plenty to Garza — the amount gle day. And it’s fun.” of people in need, as well as the scores of those who are willing Each volunteer in the room agrees. to step up to provide aid. Volunteer Valerie Leyva, 19, said Common Threads has a way of “We have so many organizations, churches, students, Lions simply enriching your life. Leyva, who warmly greeted every per- Clubs, businesses and average people who are always helping,” son who walked through the door that day, started volunteering she said.