Leaders from Fort Bend ISD and Baines Middle School officially held a ribbon cutting for a resource room at the school, made possible by an exemplary partnership between the campus and Harvest Methodist Church. The room is called the Longhorn Lock- er, and is set up to provide students with clothing items, food, and school supplies. It is the only exemplary partnership space in the Ridge Point High School feeder pattern, and serves students at not only Baines but also at neighboring campuses. School counselors and district social workers are instrumental in connecting students with needed items.

Along with Dr. Christie Whit- beck, members of the FBISD executive team and Baines administrative staff, Harvest Methodist Church Pastor Ben Lohmer and Director of Outreach and Missions Sarah Boyd were in attendance at the ribbon cutting.

“The support is just phenomenal,” Executive Director of Collaborative Communities Payal Pandit Talati said. “We are so appreciative of what Harvest Methodist Church has provided right across the street in making this happen.”

Staff report that more than a dozen students utilize resources from the Longhorn Locker every day. While Baines is located within what is considered an affluent area in Fort Bend County, principal Elizabeth Williams remarked that it is incorrect to assume that there is no need among her students. “I think what’s most interesting about our Longhorn Locker is that people assume that because Baines is inside of Sienna, we don’t have that need, but we do have that need here,” she said.

An exemplary partnership is a model and sustainable relationship between a school or feeder pattern, a community partner and the District’s Department of Collaborative Communities that measures impacts on students and families in support of the district’s mission. Partnerships are vetted through Collaborative Communities to ensure fit, roles and goals align and include the establishment of resource rooms on campuses similar to the district’s Shared Dreams space where students have access to clothing and shoes, hygiene items, food and school supplies.