FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
DATE:  December 16, 2005
CONTACT: Joe Miller, Director of the Family Center, (361) 994-6992; or Steve Paschal, Public Affairs, (361) 825-2336

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WHO:             Haas Middle School Students and their Families; Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Community Outreach Department; University Mentors; and the Family Life Center     
 
WHAT:           Sixth Annual Winter Celebration
 
WHEN:           Friday, December 15 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
 
WHERE:         Haas Middle School Cafeteria
 
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Family Life Center to hold Sixth Annual Winter Celebration at Haas Middle School

The Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Family Life Center will hold its sixth annual Winter Celebration on Friday, Dec. 16 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Haas Middle School cafeteria at 6630 McArdle Rd. The Family Life Center is a grant-funded after-school mentoring program operated by the University’s Community Outreach Department.
 
The celebration will include a banquet, special presentations and a toy drive to benefit the United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign. The banquet will highlight the Family Life Center’s “Family Bonding” initiative to improve family relations, parenting skills, family resiliency and social support networks.

The mission of the Family Life Center is to positively impact the incidence of violence, academic failure and early onset of problem behaviors through the mobilization of community partners, university mentors and enriching activities. The Family Life Center has employed more than 50 A&M-Corpus Christi work-study students to serve as mentors to more than 300 students at Haas Middle School over the past five years.