Just a few words of encouragement to our community and Tisha Armstead on the work she does in our Westside area. If you have not been a part of the H.O.P.E. Center (which stands for Helping Our People Excel) whenever you get a chance come by the Hope Center on Seventh and West Grannis. Check out the wonderful things that are taking place at Hope. It is designed to make future community leaders of our citizens by working towards a better standard of living and working to see our community improve daily. It may not happen overnight, but if each of us starts in our homes, community and churches, we could see a change. As my friend Tisha says, “In order to see a change, we must change.”

Samaritan Counseling Center comes twice a month for our Support Group. Plus, Family Services of Southeast Texas will be at Hope on Nov. 9 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. for a Stress Management workshop. For more information or times, call the center at 984-9015.

If there is anyone out there who can bake cookies or pies, we need you to volunteer to teach the young women in our area sometime in November. Your help will be greatly appreciated. Young women at Hope also participate in trips to parent workshop classes. They come back equipped with tools to help them in their parenting. I am looking forward to learning and applying all the skills I learn through these very important tools.

We live in an ever changing society and what single parents can learn and share with others is a blessing. Thanks Tisha, Daphnie and all of those that volunteer at Hope. God Bless.

We also have classes are the Chamber of Commerce called C.H.I.L.D., which stands for Community Helping In Leadership Development. Come and be a part of what is going on in your community.

We are also looking forward to finding someone to work with the young men in our community. If you have a gift to talk to or volunteer you time to our at risk young men call Hope.

Debra Lyons

Port Arthur