CCISD News

Creek Students Change Tragedy to Charity

By Clear Creek Independent School District
July 16, 2005

Shoes which previously had been a display to educate the community about the prevalence of child abuse are being sent to poverty stricken children in Kenya.

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—Journalism students at Clear Creek High School, along with former classmate June Liu, CCHS class of 2004, recently collected nearly 1,000 pairs of shoes to send to Kenya with the help of the Family Service Center of Galveston. The shoes previously had been a display in Galveston, Chamber and Liberty Counties to educate the community about the prevalence of child abuse in their community.

“It is amazing to think that so many shoes were collected,” said Rawya Jabari, CCHS junior. “Such a sad cause can now be used to help people.”

National Child Abuse Awareness Month was in April and to draw attention to the sad reality of child abuse in Chambers County, Family Service Center displayed a total of 927 pairs of worn children’s shoes from trees surrounding the courthouses in Galveston, Liberty, and Anahuac. These displays with informational placards similarly hung, conveyed a sense of the scope of this problem.

During 2004 alone, there were 680 confirmed cases of child abuse or neglect in Galveston County, 208 cases in Liberty County, and 39 in Chambers County.

This might have been the end of the story if it were not for the sensitivity of Jabari and her classmates from Clear Creek High School, who saw the shoes as an opportunity to convert pain into a benefit for poor children in Africa.

After seeing an article about the display in the Galveston County Daily News, Jabari called the Family Service Center and inquired what the organization’s plans were for the shoes.

“I can’t believe that all I had to do was make a phone call and then 927 people who need shoes get shoes,” Jabari said. “I love the fact that I was able to help, it was easy and so many people will benefit.”

The extent of child abuse in Texas and in the United States is shocking, but with the efforts of these outstanding Clear Creek High School students, something of lasting value can come from the distribution of these shoes, said Dr. William Buffum, executive director of the Family Service Center of Galveston. “Sensitivity to the problems of others can be taught in schools but it is truly learned through actions,” Buffum said. “Preventing child abuse begins with sensitivity, but requires long-term commitment to action. The Board and staff of Family Service Center of Galveston County are grateful for the caring that is being demonstrated by Clear Creek ISED … its students and the supporting faculty. May we see fewer shoes in the years to come.”

Family Service Center provides family and individual counseling services to people in Galveston, Chambers, and Liberty Counties. Their STAR program (Services to At-Risk Youth), funded by the State of Texas, provides free counseling to any youth, who is having problems at school, at home, or in the community. Family involvement is encouraged.

The agency’s main offices are in Texas City and Galveston (409) 762-8636. In Chambers County, call Kay Shroyer at (281) 573-9500 and in Liberty County, call Dawn Carson at (409) 336-9666. The agency’s toll-free number is 1-888-332-3251.

Photo update credit: CCISD

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