Julia C. Hester House provides supportive and comprehensive case management services for both individuals and families. The focus of our family and social services program is to address immediate client needs and eliminate systemic obstacles in order to help families to achieve personal, educational and economic independence. Helping individual families achieve self-empowerment ultimately enhances the quality of life in the Fifth Ward and surrounding communities
YES Prep began in 1995 as a district charter school program called “Project YES” in Houston’s East End community. In 1998, YES Prep expanded to serve students in grades 6th-12th and became a state charter school. Over the last twelve years, YES Prep has grown into a charter school system that today serves 5,400 students on ten area campuses. YES Prep is a replicable and sustainable model for what is possible within the public education system: a system of free, open-enrollment, high-performing schools that provide a college preparatory education for ALL students. For a more detailed account of YES Prep’s growth, please visit our History of YES.
The Julia C. Hester House was originally to be called the Houston Negro Community Center of the Fifth Ward, but before the doors opened it was renamed after Julia C. Hester, a longtime resident of the ward who spent her life working for the welfare of her community. In 1946 the board of directors began searching for a larger building, and three years later, after a successful fund-raising campaign, Hester House moved from rented facilities on Lyons Avenue to its own $150,000 building on Solo Street. It has occupied this site ever since.
Take a Look in Debbies Window 