The Harris County Clerk’s Office (HCCO) Back to School Birth Certificate campaign was a great success. During this first-time pilot program, the office issued more than 300 birth certificates dedicated to helping families obtain the necessary records to enroll their children in school.
“This time of year can be stressful when you are rushing to get everything you need for back-to-school,” said Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth. “We were able to lessen some of the stress by helping families who could not come by our office during regular business hours.”
According to Clerk Hudspeth, the pandemic has affected the community in many ways, but obtaining the necessary records to register for school should not have to be a burden. HCCO was able to serve the public on two consecutive Saturdays, August 7 and 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 pm. at two different locations, respectively – the main downtown office and the Chimney Rock Annex.
Additionally, the Alpha Eta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. in partnership with Alpha Merit Group Educational Foundation, Inc. offered to donate the funds to cover the cost of birth certificates for the first 25 customers in line at the Chimney Rock Annex. This was a nice surprise for the people who received their documents for free.
“We understand the importance of supporting our community and the services that parents need to get their children in school,” said Fredrick Turner, president of the Alpha Eta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. “Our organization is built on service to the community, so we are happy that our contribution lightened the load for these families.”
“The contribution from the Alpha ETA Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity was an added bonus to our Saturday back-to-school event,” added Clerk Hudspeth. “We are grateful for this partnership and hope to work with them and other community service organizations in the future.”
The Back to School Birth Certificate pilot program proved to be very beneficial to the community and HCCO is looking forward to making this an annual event.
For information on Harris County Clerk services and updates go to www.cclerk.hctx.net, or follow us on social media @HarrisCoTXClerk.