Christian's Manor expands housing and wraparound services for single parents in McAllen

Christian's Manor, a local housing and family-support program, is expanding housing and wraparound services for single parents in the McAllen area, program representatives and participants said.

The program began with 16 housing units in San Juan and is developing a property in south McAllen that will include 16 new apartments, program participants said. To qualify, parents must be enrolled in college, have household income at or below the poverty line and meet with program staff monthly, according to participants.

Why it matters: organizers say the combination of stable housing, mental health counseling and education support aims to help parents finish college and increase household income, which program advocates described as a pathway to breaking the cycle of poverty across generations.

Program services described during the report include mental health counseling for parents and children, wraparound case management, connections to community programs that help with childcare and transportation, and support for workforce credentials. One participant said the program helped her become a certified pharmacy technician and that she is now studying to become a pharmacist.

"Christian's Manor has been life changing," said a resident who spoke about the program. Another participant said, "I finally felt safe. They were always rooting for you and always there."

Program organizers also asked for community support: they welcomed volunteers, donations and social-media shares to help expand services and housing. The program's website was given as christiansmanor.org.

The brief report concluded with a statement identifying the source of the item: "For the City of McAllen, I'm Crystal Garcia."