HCSD: H.O.P.E. Center marks 5 years in operation

HARRIS COUNTY, Ga. (WRBL)— For some, hope may mean a feeling of trust. For the Harris County School District (HCSD), it means ‘Helping Our People Excel,’ and it’s housed in a building on Mountain Creek Drive.

The HCSD is proud to be recognized by the Georgia School Board Association as one of the first schools in the state, and the first in the Chattahoochee region, to offer multi-disciplinary assistance and services to students and families. It all happens at the H.O.P.E Center that grew five years ago out of the Harris County High School’s ‘Hope Closet.’

“[The H.O.P.E Center] opened in February 2019 as a support for our students and our families in the community to help with items like clothing, food, toiletry items, and connecting them to valuable resources in the community for support that we were not able to give in the school district,” HCSD Assistant Superintendent of Support Services said.

The center hosts counseling support, parent university sessions to teach guardians how to help their students be successful, workshops, professional development for faculty and staff, as well as community outreach. Plus, it acts as the home for the district’s Department of Social Services. Their goal: eliminating the barriers that could hinder a students’ success in the classroom.

“This is discretionary. So, when families come here, it is totally on discretionary measure where there is no judgment by any means. We do our best to hear what their concerns are, to address their concerns as best as we can, and provide them with the resources that we either have on site or the connections that we have with our valuable partners throughout our region,” Baker shared.

The center is located at 106 Mountain Creek Drive in Hamilton, Ga. and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Anyone seeking assistance can also call the center at 706-628-4206 extension 2301.

Folks can also find out more by heading out to The H.O.P.E. Center Saturday, April 20 for their 5-year anniversary celebration. It’s happening from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. The event is free to the public and will feature a number of fun activities, interactive games, and an opportunity for parents and students to tour the facility.

Plus, several of the school district’s partners will be present like Mercer Med, New Horizons, Family Connections, The Lighthouse and more. The director of HCSD’s Telehealth program will also be on-site to assist parents and guardians in enrolling their student if interested.

More information has been attached below.

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