MIDLAND, Texas — Exciting news for Midland Independent School District (ISD) - Friday, October 18th, marked the grand opening of its Family Support Center, which has already helped more than 3,000 individuals.
Members of the Midland ISD board, several local nonprofits, and a host of community members gathered to celebrate. The message was clear — it takes a village to support students, and that’s what the Family Support Center aims to do.
The center started from humble beginnings in a small room on the fourth floor of the administration building. Tasha Stephens and Vanessa Zayas, both family support coordinators at the center, recalled the servant heart Jill McCall, the founder and former executive director of student services.
"She just had a vision of helping out students, she was a very servant heart," Stephens said. "She started this in a small closet with a few items and that just progressed into getting a couple of employees and then Vanessa and I came on and we just were the driving force behind it all and just getting our numbers to grow and being out in the community, engaging with other agencies and just making sure that every need that a student may have is met within our community or our district."
Created in 2019, the Family Support Center was designed to meet the needs of students, families, and employees in the Permian Basin. With 61% of Midland ISD students coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the center works to support every one of them.
“Starting in 2020, we served 530 clients,” Zayas said. “To date this fiscal year, from June to present, we’ve served more than 3,800 individuals. We’re on track to serve over 12,000 people by next July through community engagements and Pantry clients.”
The center tailors its services to the specific needs of the community.
“Our food and hygiene program, called Hunger and Hygiene Heroes, provides food and hygiene items to families in need,” Stephens explained. “We also have our Books and Buddies program, which is literacy-focused and gives books to families. Our Jeans for Teens program started at MAP when we saw a high demand for jeans for student uniforms. It’s since developed into a full clothing closet.”
In addition to school supplies and car seats for teen moms, the center plans to offer courses and more opportunities for families.
For Stephens and Zayas, the only two full-time employees, the mission is more than personal.
“I’ve always loved helping people,” Zayas said. “In my previous role, I would set up coloring stations for the kids, but my work was mostly data focused. Jill McCall, our executive director who started all of this, gave me the chance to do what I love — working directly with families. It’s amazing.”
“To me, this fulfills my role as a servant and aligns with the center’s mission of meeting families’ needs,” Stephens said. “The number of people we’ve reached is a clear sign of how hard we work to serve those in need.”
As the center expands, so does its ability to transform lives, one family at a time.
The center will be hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas drives for community donations and is always looking for volunteers.