The Youth and Caring Councils that we facilitate as part of the Hogg Foundation’s Harris County Transition- Age Youth and Families Initiative recently held a fun and exciting Fall Celebration and Open House for the community on October 28th at the United Way of Greater Houston. The celebration was to thank everyone involved in the TAYF Initiative for their continued efforts in the 6 month planning phase and build excitement for the great mental health services and supports that will be implemented over the next 4 years in Harris County. The event was also an opportunity to introduce new youth and families to the Youth and Caring Councils.
The celebration was an amazing experience. It was hard not to smile, the high energy was contagious and everyone had a great time. With a good mix of youth, family members, and service providers, the event was fun for fall ages.
The event was planned by Youth and Caring Council leaders in collaboration with TNOYS. Elizabeth, Shea, Cameron, and Donna spoke on behalf of the councils and shared some of their experiences and hopes for the initiative. And TNOYS premiered two more videos in the “My Voice Matters“ video series.
The celebration kicked off with a bang as the room was transformed into a carnival featuring a skeeball area, basketball shoot out, and even cotton candy! When they weren’t enjoying hotdogs, hamburgers, and chicken tenders, the participants got creative in the photo booth!
And finally the dance floor where contestants “battled” to see who had the best moves. With so much energy in the room it was hard not to smile, laugh, or dance.
What a wonderful way to celebrate this initiative’s past success and carry it into the next 4 years!.