HISD held its annual Partnership Appreciation Breakfast on Friday, Nov. 11 at the Intercontinental in Houston’s swanky Galleria area. The annual event honors organizations that exhibit unwavering support for HISD students through financial support, volunteer hours, and in-kind donations. Though they represent vastly different industries and visions, this year’s Hall of Fame inductees; Reliant, Deloitte LLP; and CARE share a singular passion of improving public education. Reliant, a part of NRG Energy, has awarded more than $100,000 in scholarships since 2006 to HISD schools. Company employees also generously donate their time by volunteering at dozens of HISD schools and at events such as the Back to School Fest. Deloitte LLP has been an active partner with HISD since 2006. Since that time, almost 500 of their employees have impacted the lives of students in many different areas through school beautification projects, leadership seminars, mentorships, and the company’s annual day of service. The Chinese American Relief Effort, or CARE, was formed in 1993 when a group of nearly 30 community organizations banded together to make a difference in public education. Every year, the organization selects an economically disadvantaged school and provides students with school supplies for the year. Among the featured speakers at the breakfast were Channel 2 meteorologist Khambrel Marshall, who served as master of ceremonies; Board of Education Assistant Secretary Michael Lunceford; and Superintendent Terry Grier. HISD’s tradition of honoring outstanding community partners began in 1995, and since that time, 45 steadfast supporters have been inducted into the Partnership Hall of Fame.
