NYC Men's Designer Robert Comstock to Showcase at Heart House Charity Fashion Show

Heart House is thrilled to announce that Robert Comstock will be the featured menswear designer in the Heart House Charity Fashion Show to be held on August 23.

The international designer will showcase his upscale sportswear line for men in the fashion show, and has also made an exceptionally generous donation to the event's silent auction. Robert will design a custom, one-of-a-kind piece for the winning bidder (male or female). He will even have a one-on-one consultation and meet-and-greet with the winner to understand his/her tastes and lifestyle.

You will not want to miss seeing Robert's beautiful designs live nor having the opportunity to bid on this one-of-a-kind piece on August 23. Click here to purchase tickets, now on sale.

Heart House would like to thank Keepers exceptional men's apparel for sponsoring Robert's participation in the show. Robert Comstock's fashions can be found/purchased at Keepers.

Here are a few pictures of Robert's work:

Student Spotlight: Kierra

Kierra is a fourth grade student at our North center who has been attending Heart House since the beginning of the school year. She is a bright young woman with creative project ideas and who also excels in our Reading Buddies program. One of the more remarkable things about Kierra is that she has a very close relationship with her younger brother who also attends Heart House. This month, when the older students created activities for the younger students on bullying awareness, she insisted that she be the one who work with her brother. (Both are pictured above.) Her and her close girlfriends at Heart House made a very entertaining video to promote healthy feelings during February’s “Get Fit” theme. Watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyXLUHMTV5A!

Heart House T-shirts

We have you covered for Austin's hot weather! Visit Heart House's CafePress Store to purchase t-shirts, tank tops and more!

Lights……Camera…….Action!

This summer kids will explore the world of performing arts and production. Students will have the unique opportunity to choose their production project. Some kids will work on staging a play, others will create commercials and advertisement, and another group will spend their time creating music videos. We already have an impressive line-up of guest visitors from the Austin acting, filming, and art community who will share their ideas and experiences in topics such as storyboarding, playwriting, costume and makeup design, acting, and video editing.

If you would like to be a part of enriching our performing arts projects in any way, please contact us as soon as possible! The more volunteers we have on board, the greater the experience and final products will be!

Future Teacher OK with Silly Questions

Sara Khanzadeh has been associated with Heart House since 2001 when she volunteered with the original site in Dallas. She also served as a Program Leader and Interim Volunteer Coordinator. Sara is originally from Dallas and first came to Austin as an Undergraduate at UT. “I moved away for a few years and just recently returned again in January to work.” When she’s not busy working as a Physical therapist, Sara enjoys photography, music, reading, watching documentaries and trying new foods. “I’m particularly interested in traveling to foreign countries to see how the rest of the world lives.”

Her most memorable Heart House experience was taking a group of Heart House kids on a field trip to UT. “They got to visit a genetics lab, see inside a student’s dorm, walk through the campus and try Tiff’s Treats cookies and Jamba Juice. I like to tell myself that it made a difference to them and helped them visualize themselves being college students. They were so excited by everything they saw. That was four years ago. I’d love to see where those kids are now.” The kids have certainly learned a lot from Sara over the years. “I hope they have learned to respect people that are different from themselves. I try to point out that being different is a good thing and something to learn from. I hope they see me as someone they can talk to about different issues that everyone has to deal with growing up. I like to take kids away from the group to have impromptu small group talks every now and then. They seem to like that kind of attention.”

Sara hopes to one day become a high school teacher to help kids think outside the box. “Heart House hasn’t changed my plans. UT makes me feel that for at least a couple of hours each week I’m not totally useless. I like to be goofy and ask silly questions. The kids don’t mind it. I can’t do that at work. Plus, I like the dirty, sweaty hugs. I can’t get those at work either.”

Heard at Heart House

“When I grow up I want to work Saturday and Sundays at a daycare, Monday and Tuesday at Heart House, and Wednesday and Thursday as a veterinarian.” — Haley

“I really liked learning about endangered animals. In our class, we learned about pandas and how some of them are isolated from each other. I would like to adopt them and help save them by giving them more food and homes.” — Jaquiece

Mother to Heart House child: "How was your first day at Camp Heart House?"
Reply: "It was a LOT of fun!"

Style Mavens for Safe Havens! Tickets on Sale Now!

Less than 90 days until our fabulous fundraiser. International celebrity designer Robert Comstock joins Texas sensation Joanna Ruley-Garza on the runway to benefit Heart House. Tickets are on sale now. General admission tickets include huge party, drink, food, entertainment, and 4-designer show with original lines shown at the Austin Music Hall. VIP tickets also include Austin Monthly Magazine After-Party with the designers and sponsors at the gorgeous Chateau.

Hurry -- we sold out early last year! Proceeds go to supporting our work in Austin and toward future expansion. Please show your support by purchasing your tickets today! Click here to purchase tickets.

Endangered Animals

All of our kids love animals, and so in May we not only met some animals, but learned about the ways in which many of them are endangered and how they can be protected. Our theme “Endangered Animals” explored some of the animals whose lives and habitats are in danger including bears, ocean life, and rhinos. We also learned the ways in which the environment and animals are connected and how each one affects the other. Special thanks to Hill Country Conservancy, Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), and Texas Parks & Wildlife for providing both of our centers with enriching and engaging visitors and activities!

Donor Spotlight: MODA\VINO and Keepers Clothing

Heart House would like to thank Mr. Chuck Haidet and Keepers men's clothing store for selecting Heart House as the beneficiary of the fabulous MODA\VINO event held on May 15.







MODA\VINO was the culmination of Keepers' and the Italian Trade Commission's week-long celebration of Italy 's premium fashion and wines in Austin. The grand event held Thursday, May 15th at Pangaea in the Warehouse District drew nearly 200 people and featured premier Italian designers from Keepers — Brioni, Zanella, Versace, Ermenegildo Zegna and Lorenzini – Italian wine and food tasting, a Ducati Motorcycle Showcase, and the "Spirit of Italy" art show by local artists. The art pieces were donated for a silent auction that evening, the proceeds from which will be used to fund Heart House's summer programs.


Special thanks to Sue Webber Productions for putting on a spectacular fashion show; to artists from the Austin Figurative Gallery for their live art sketching during the after party; to Cork & Company for the Italian wine; to the ACC Hospitality Management students who served the Italian hors d'oeuvres (and even went out of their way to come downstairs and feed the hungry Heart House volunteers who were working the door!); to the i2i group for assistance with the silent auction; to all of the artists who donated their work; and, of course, to our friends at Keepers!

Camp Heart House is Here!

Monday, June 16 will be the first day of Camp Heart House, our two-month summer program. Camp Heart House is open Monday through Friday from 9 am - 3 pm at both our locations, Heart House North and Heart House South.

The need for youth to be supervised and safe does not end with the school year, and summer programs like Camp Heart House are vital for the well-being of youth. Summer programs are also critical to ensuring that Heart House children receive the same nutritious meals and snacks during the summer as those we offer during the school year. As well as caring for children’s social and academic development, Heart House is determined to teach healthy habits such as physical exercise and a healthy diet. The summer months are great time to reinforce learning with outdoor activities and healthy snacks.

The summer is an exceptionally challenging time for the Heart House families. With most school-year programs closed for the summer and summer child care fees averaging $700 a month per child, most working-class families in the Heart House neighborhood simply cannot afford quality, age-appropriate care for their school-age children during the summer.





Children love Camp Heart House, and so do adults. Take a look at a typical weekly schedule at Camp Heart House (click on the link above to view schedule) and see where you might like to plug in. It's also a great time for you to volunteer as an activity partner or special guest!