Founded in Montgomery County in October 2011, the Texas Familias Council celebrates its 14th year caring for local families and communities across Texas.
The volunteer-driven, community organization supports families, and inspires healthy, connected communities through women’s leadership, public health support, disaster recovery, resource navigation, youth mentorship, intercultural exchange, and civic engagement. During this year’s National Hispanic Heritage Month, the Council focused on service to local Latino and underserved families facing hardships.
Council Founder, Maria Baños Jordan believes that “Community-building is a special call to care for all neighbors. The journey of those before us helps us learn about the connection to one another, and what we can build together today”.
This month the Council kicked off the month of celebration with a day of service distributing food to 170 families in East Montgomery County with the Abundant Harvest Kitchen and Montgomery County Food Bank. This is the sixth year of this partnership.
The Council held a gathering on Sept. 22 honoring the late renowned Mexican American sculptor, Jesus Moroles, at Lone Star College Kingwood.
The gathering was a celebration of Moroles’ contributions to the world of art, and to the Latino community. The Council has also worked on a support circle project for citizenship with partners in the Houston region. The project has seen seventeen residents prepare for the next steps of citizenship. The Council is also spear-heading work on voter engagement by encouraging higher voting participation.
Our young will emerge as leaders and stewards of their communities. Each one of us is needed to support our young and care for our founding vision”, says Maria Baños Jordan.
The Council’s primary committee, the Empowered Communities Committee, has served the Council since 2011. It’s 10 members are respected experts from various fields and represent many American journeys.
They closed out National Hispanic Heritage Month with a private reception at the Montgomery County Memorial Library System’s Genealogy Department.
Genealogy Department Manager, Laura Politte and library intern Stephanie Machado, shared the department’s special collection of Spanish Surnames of South Texas and Northern Mexico by genealogist Moises Garza with Council members.
These archives help people research their family history across the lands once belonging to New Spain, old Mexico, and then Texas. This collection is open to the public for personal research and study of family surnames. Maria reflected, “There are always missing pieces in families that help us see our everyday lives as part of a bigger hope. It’s my hope that our Latino families discover their precious contributions across generations.
We’re still weaving community from the ancient threads carried during many lifetimes of perseverance. We’re so grateful for Laura’s critical work on connecting the community to genealogy and historical preservation”.
The Texas Familias Council can be reached at www.Texasfamiliascouncil.org.