Community Profile

1
Community Profile

• Bianca Avery
• Student Teaching Assignment
• Spring 2005

2
Overview Third Ward, Houston, TX

• The Greater Third Ward District encompasses the
  area south of University of Houston to Old
  Spanish Trail, north to the Gulf Freeway, west to
  Fannin and east to the H.B. T Railroad. Taking
  Scott Street most easily accesses the entire
  District. Cutting through the heart of Third
  Ward, Scott links major thoroughfares and
  freeways such as Gulf Freeway, Elgin, Old Spanish
  Trail and South Loop East. A roughly six-mile
  segment of the roadway runs through neighborhoods
  comprising Texas Southern University, University
  of Houston and a predominantly single-family
  residential area.

3
Resources/Services Available

• Grocery store
• Bank
• Fast Food Restaurants
• WIC office
• Shape Community Center
• YMCA
• Harris County Hospital

4
Resources/Services not available

• Fine Dining Restaurants
• Gym/Recreation Center
• Police Station
• Major Transportation Center (METRO Park and Ride)

5
People as Mentors

• High school students
• College students
• College Professors
• Storytellers
• City Council Members

6
Community Field Trips

• Texas Southern University
• University of Houston
• Buffalo Solider Museum- The primary objectives of
  the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum and Heritage
  Center are to preserve, promote and perpetuate
  the history, tradition and outstanding
  contributions of the Buffalo Soldiers toward the
  development and defense of the United States of
  America.
• The Alabama Garden- affiliated with the Houston
  chapter of Urban Harvest, the national
  organization that encourages community gardening
  as a means of feeding the poor. Texas Southern
  University owns the land on which the garden is
  located.

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Challenges in the community

• At first glance, the Third Ward appears to be
  just another inner-city neighborhood in the midst
  of tremendous revitalization efforts, however,
  the area has a lot of history. Most of the
  challenges in Third Ward are similar to those in
  other urban communities. Problems such as
  loitering, drugs, prostitution, and violence.
• The area also has quite a few abandoned houses.

8
Future of Third Ward

• The Third Ward to Main Street Connectivity
  Project is a collaborative, transportation
  initiative to link Houston's Third Ward community
  with the Main Street Corridor and light rail
  system. The Third Ward is predominantly an
  African-American community, immediately adjacent
  to the Main Street Corridor. Included in the
  Third Ward are the Texas Southern University and
  the University of Houston. Both institutions are
  largely commuter campuses and together serve a
  student population of over 39,000. The project
  will focus on improving and expanding transit
  access between the Corridor and Third Ward
  neighborhoods and institutions, creating
  essential east-west, transportation and
  pedestrian connections.

9
A Piece of History

• The Alabama Garden, a 56-bed vegetable garden at
  2818 Alabama, was started by Verious Smith in
  1985 after he decided he wanted to grow his own
  food. When he saw how fertile the ground was, he
  enlarged the garden, and his brother Voydell
  Smith and friend Christopher Warren cleared
  additional land so they could plant, too.
• Most of the gardeners give away their produce,
  taking it to shut-ins or those in the area who
  are sick. The gardeners also host school supply
  drives, Easter egg hunts and holiday food drives
  for Third Ward residents.