LOCAL Houston | The City Guide JANUARY 2016 | Page 49

FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE+LEISURE

By providing resources, education and connection to nearly
600,000 Houstonians, Neighborhood Centers helps families navigate a new economy, a new culture and their new
home. The organization has been working diligently to integrate immigrants and support our neighbors who have the
potential to become naturalized citizens through various programs including: immigration and citizenship services, adult
language classes, free tax preparation as well as direct
access to Workforce Solutions career offices. Since 2010,
more than 24,000 individuals have attended Neighborhood
Centers’ immigration legal forums and information sessions.
As a member of the United Way of Greater Houston’s
THRIVE initiative, Neighborhood Centers has been able to
prepare more than 177,000 tax returns, resulting in net
refunds of $288 million—money that filters back into the
local economy. Last year, Neighborhood Centers served
more than 200,000 people through the Workforce
Solutions centers making the organization an integral institution when it comes to opportunity in Houston.

According to the Brookings Institution, Houston is America
on demographic fast-forward where one-fifth of our population is foreign-born. We are lucky to live in a place where
people can work and build a future for themselves and their
families. In collaboration with other regional businesses,
Neighborhood Centers helps make Houston a welcoming
place of opportunity. There are millions of people in motion
across the world right now and many have come to Houston
to start a new life—this should be something to celebrate.
With such a large population of immigrants, including
refugees, it has always been important that families are
embraced with opportunity. That’s what Neighborhood
Centers represents in Houston.

By Ida Sameri

january 16 |

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