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On Wednesday, Feb. 17, Kashmere High School celebrated the opening of HISD’s second ProUnitas, Inc., center with the unveiling of the Kashmere Success Center. The center, which was created, supported and financed by 40 different non-profit, for-profit, community, and municipal groups, is dedicated to empowering the Kashmere community by providing much-needed services to students and their families.

“This came about because there was a need in the community and the school,” said District II Trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones. “It does take a village to beat the effects of poverty, which a lot of the kids in this community face. So our village has stepped up and decided to come to the aid of our children.”

Created by former Kashmere teacher Adeeb Barqawi with the help of Skillern-Jones, ProUnitas was designed to provide essential goods and services that were seen to be lacking in the community. The center features a counseling room with trained counselors, a food pantry, a clothing drop, health services, and a workforce and college-readiness development center.

“At the end of the day, what I want you to keep in mind is that this is the product of a community coming together,” said Barqawi. “It’s not that we’re saying change is going to happen in a day. But we’re definitely moving in the right direction.”