AVANCE Honors Community-Oriented Klineberg Family and García family

By Mahala Price

AVANCE-Houston honored long-time Houston community leaders, Margaret and Stephen Klineberg, on Friday, March 29 at the organization’s annual gala at Vargo’s Restaurant, 2401 Fondren, Houston, TX 77063.

            “The theme for this year’s gala was Magical Milestones, which marked AVANCE’s 20-year history of serving at-risk children and parents through family education programs and support services. Additionally, the AVANCE family of Rosalío and Maria Garcia was recognized for their own milestones-which personify the true magic bestowed by support from the community.  Rosalío and Maria Garcia are participants of various AVANCE Family Education programs and represent the values AVANCE strives to instill in their families,” said Gala Co-chair Mike Wallace.

            The gala proceeds exceeded $115,000 to benefit AVANCE’s programs, which include parent education, early childhood development classes, adult literacy, GED, English, computer training and school readiness.  AVANCE nurtures children by involving the entire family in the educational process, and is unique in conducting classes for parents simultaneously with educational programs for their children. 

            Both honorary families exemplify two of AVANCE’s most important tenets – parental involvement in their child’s education and responsible parenting, which builds family unity and strong communities. Both have stressed the importance of good parenting to their children, who today model this same parenting behavior for their own children.

“As founding-director of the Houston Area Survey, Dr. Klineberg’s research documents the need to invest in Houston’s Hispanics and in their pursuit of education, which is so closely aligned with AVANCE’s mission,” added Co-chair Pamela O’Rourke. “In addition, the Klinebergs have passed on the importance of civic engagement to their own children, who continue their parents’ tradition of giving back to the community.”

Since 1988, AVANCE-Houston has served more than 30,000 children and their parents through comprehensive, community-based education programs. In partnership with other agencies, AVANCE offers programs at 16 sites throughout greater Houston.

Stephen and Margaret’s children continue the family tradition of engagement in the community. Their son, Geoffrey, is a lawyer in Washington D.C., and he finds time, among other commitments, to chair the District of Columbia Bar Association Legal Ethics Committee.

Katharine, their daughter, stopped working in advertising when her children were born and is now a major volunteer in her children’s school, serving as Vice President of the Association of Parents and Teachers. Both Geoffrey’s and Katharine’s spouses, Ursula and Rick, are also active volunteers in their communities.

Stephen Klineberg, a professor of Sociology at Rice University since 1972, has received numerous teaching awards and other honors. In 1982, he and his students initiated the annual Houston Area Survey, which for 27 years has tracked the changes in demographic patterns, life experiences, beliefs, and attitudes among the residents of Harris County.

The Houston Area Survey has received widespread support from the community as a whole, enabling the survey to reach large representative samples each year from Houston’s Anglo, African-American, and Latino communities, and in 1996 and 2002, of Houston’s Asian communities as well. Stephen is a strong proponent of education for all, and he continually emphasizes its significance for immigrant families, as they assimilate into American society and move forward, both economically and culturally, in our community.

            Margaret has worked full-time as an attorney for over thirty years, yet believes that her most important occupation has been to serve as a mother and now a grandmother. She and Stephen take a special trip with each of their grandchildren when the child turns 13, and they stay involved in the community in multiple ways.