The Houston Independent School District opened a new Sunrise Center in Sunnyside. Here’s how the center is helping local families.
For many Texas families, balancing everyday financial needs with the cost of raising a family is a constant struggle. One local parent, Maria Reynoso, told 2 Investigates’ Robert Arnold last year that she was on the verge of being evicted from her apartment because she couldn’t afford rent on top of everything she needed to buy for her teenage son for school.
Arnold asked her, “So, the choice is get everything your teenager needs or pay rent?” And she replied, “Yes, for me it’s get everything I need for school or pay rent.” It’s an unfortunate reality facing parents in an increasingly expensive world. Thankfully, the Houston Independent School District (HISD) is providing some relief through its Sunrise Centers.
Beginning in 2023, HISD opened seven Sunrise Centers across the district to help bridge the gap. The Centers, which were created in partnership with the Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC), provide clothes, food, supplies, healthcare, educational support, transportation support, and mental health support, among other services.
On October 23, a brand new Center was opened at Worthing High School, bringing the total to nine overall. This is the first time one of the facilities has been established on a school campus, as traditionally they’ve been located in local nonprofits.
The decision to bring one of the Centers to the Sunnyside neighborhood was made after considering numerous factors. One of the primary contributors to that choice was that roughly 10% of families in the area don’t have access to a car, which severely limits their ability to access essentials.
Melanie Gomez, Sunrise Center’s director, said of the new opening, “Sunnyside is a community with proud history and people who deeply care about its future. We are grateful to become part of that story and to join the organizations, neighbors, and leaders who have been showing up for this community for years.”
The deputy chief for family and community partnerships at HISD, Najah Callander, talked about how proud they were to serve the Sunnyside community in this way. “When we started this journey with Sunrise Centers, we talked a lot about where we ought to be, what it meant to be in a community, what it looked like, what it should feel like. Today is an embodiment of all of the seeds that we sowed four years ago,” Callander said.
Residents are grateful for the new location
Another unique factor of Sunnyside’s Sunrise Center is that residents requested the location from the HISD. In response to the community’s need, Worthing High School’s Principal Tammy Russell opted to convert unused spots around campus to create the space needed for HISD’s services.
Stephanie Blackwell is a HISD parent who’s already benefitting from the Sunrise Center’s opening. She said she was originally referred there after losing her home, and the Center’s resources have since been able to help her with school uniforms, food, and bus passes for her children.
Blackwell told the Houston Chronicle, “Sunrise Centers have been a blessing to our lives. I would definitely recommend it to any and everyone.” It’s something that Maria Reynoso, who spoke about her situation back in 2025, expressed similar gratitude for, especially after HISD eliminated its wraparound services due to budget cuts.
Reynoso said at the time, “[I was] worried, as were other parents in my situation; how are they going to do it? Economically, everything’s getting high, but our paycheck is still the same amount.” She added that having access to a nearby Sunrise Center has helped her maintain some stability for herself and her son, and she mentioned how the Centers are often easier to work with.
“It was hard to get an appointment at the school, and up here you can just walk in, and then they can see you right there and then instead of trying to get an appointment,” Reynoso said.
