Emancipation Park center of Juneteenth celebrations
HOUSTON – For more than 150 years, Emancipation Park has been the center of activities related to Juneteenth, the date Texas slaves found out they were free. The Rev. Jack Yates was one of the original purchasers of that land, and his great-granddaughter, Jackie Bostic, is the vice chair of the Emancipation Park Conservancy.
“There were no other parks at that time," she said. “But the people who developed that park and who bought that land knew that there needed to be a place for recreation and a place that they could go and celebrate their freedom.”
The park has evolved through the years but has continued to be a gathering place of prominence. Bostic talks about that and more on this week’s "Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall."
LiftFund provides funding for hard to fund projects
If you and your business have failed to get a loan by the traditional bank method, LiftFund is a nonprofit focused on providing that chance. Lisa Riley is the president of Houston and the East Texas Region of LiftFund and says they’re taking a risk but do more than provide cash in order to see the business succeed.
“We actually work with our small business owners to help them develop their income statements their financial analysis,” she said. “We help them not just run their business but have the paperwork in order to have their business in good standing.”
How to qualify and much more on this week’s program.
Career and Recovery Resources celebrates 23 years and CEO retirement
The Rev. Vernus C. Swisher has been the CEO of the Career and Recovery Resources for 23 years. “We are very much focused on employment services and what we call behavior health, which is substance abuse,” he said. “All of us know someone who has been impacted by substance abuse.”
It has been that never-ending quest to provide relief to those who are struggling that has focused Swisher on the leadership of the organization. What his organization does and the celebration of the annual Barrier Breakers luncheon is the topic of this segment.
More information:
• Jacqueline Bostic, Vice Chair, Emancipation Park Conservancy
• EmancipationParkConservancy.org
• 713-528-1872
• Vernus C. Swisher, CEO, Career & Recovery Resources
• https://www.careerandrecovery.org/
• 713-754-7000
• Twitter: @CareerRecovery
• Lisa Riley, president, Houston & East Texas Region, LiftFund
• https://houston.liftfund.com/
• 888-215-2373
• Twitter: @LiftFundUS