COVID-19 Vaccine Arrives in Houston
 
The City of Houston began administering vaccinations for the Covid-19 virus this past weekend with an overwhelming response from Houstonians. Additional information about the vaccination schedule will be shared with the public as it becomes available. For the latest information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit the Houston Health Department website.
This Saturday, January 9th at 10 am, the District J office will be partnering with Major League Baseball The Players Alliance to host a Food and Supplies Distribution with free youth baseball equipment at Houston Baptist University. The Players Alliance is a collective of over 100 current and former black Major League Baseball players who are striving to advocate for racial equity in baseball and community. The Players Alliance is touring all over the country to make social impact in communities of color. This will be their first stop in Houston. If you know a family in need or a child interested in baseball but does not have the means to buy the equipment to play, please come out. Surprise MLB players will be in attendance.
Neighbors Help Neighbors
 
Council Member Edward Pollard joined other District J residents for a community effort to help elderly citizens clear out items from their homes in time for heavy trash day. The council member and other volunteers assisted an elderly couple in Sharpstown who, due to their age and health, needed help purging items from their home. This is one more example of how we can all come together to help one another.
District J Patrol Launches New Portal
 
The District J Patrol online portal is officially up and running. During a press conference at City Hall in December, Council Member Pollard, his staff and members of the District J Patrol Task Team unveiled the website where residents can report quality-of-life violations within the district. The submissions will be handled by the Task Team, who will work with HPD’s Differential Response Team (DRT) to get the issues addressed. The portal is not a substitute for 311. For emergencies, dial 911. To access the online portal, visit www.districtjpatrol.com.
India House Feeds Those in Need
 
The District J office volunteered at a food distribution event organized and hosted by India House, Sewa International and the Houston Food Bank. Families in the Braeburn Valley West area benefited from the giveaway. To learn more about similar future food distribution events, visit www.indiahouseinc.org.
Holiday Surprise for Layaway Customers
 
The District J office partnered with the Cynthia A. Guillory (CAG) Foundation to make the holidays a little brighter for a few Houstonians. Khaliah O. Guillory, CAG founder, surprised 130 families by raising thousands of dollars to pay off their layaway balances at Walmart in District J.
Business Owners Donate $40,000 to Local Charities
 
Two generous businesses gave away a total of $40,000 to benefit various charitable organizations throughout the Houston area. Celebrity jeweler Iceman Nick and 1st Choice Accident & Injury each donated $20,000 to selected non-profit organizations in December. The charities that benefited from this generous donation included 8 Million Stories, CHAT, Fostering Family, Heads Up Houston, Social Motion, Positive Black Male Association, The Landing, and 2nd Chances. We’d like to give a special thanks to Bret Hightower, Dr. Charlie Huynh and Dr. Andy Huynh.
Toy Drives Brighten the Holidays for Kids
 
Council Member Pollard was on hand to support two toy drives that took place in District J during the holidays. The first was at the 11th Annual Toy Drive at the Southwest Multipurpose Center. The second was at the Black Professional Alliance Toy Drive at Higher Dimension Church. Special thanks to Veronica Hernandez, Police Chief Acevedo, Fire Chief Pena, CM Sallie Alcorn, Council Member Clouser, Justice of the Peace Israel Garcia, HPD, and Mayor Sylvester Turner.
District J Kids Get Bikes for Christmas
 
The District J office partnered with the Solid Waste Department to deliver bicycles to children just in time for the holidays. We’re sure the kids will enjoy these gifts well into the New Year!
 
Road Repair
 
Thanks to the hard working staff in the city’s Public Works department for making repairs to the concrete at the intersection of Plainfield and McAfee. The project was completed within three weeks of the request.