On August 1, local nonprofit Eyes on Me, Inc. held a celebration and a dedication for its new trade skills program building adjacent to The Hangar Unity Center at 4010 Fourth Street in Brookshire. The facility will house training programs which will teach job skills.

The new expanded facility has been a dream since 2017, Eyes On Me Executive Director Dennis Turnipseed told attendees, but original plans were derailed by Hurricane Harvey and subsequent use of the complex as a staging center for recovery supplies to be transported across the Houston area. The trades program originally began in a small building behind The Hangar.

Omar C. Garcia, missions pastor at Kingsland Baptist Church of Katy, described the role of his church in helping to bring the expanded project to fruition, including fundraising by Vacation Bible School classes. Garcia said that he envisioned the center as a place for “training for excellence,” where students could acquire “practical skills for a lifetime of meaningful work.”

Brookshire Mayor Robert Richards said that he began his professional career after receiving training at a facility much like the one at The Hangar, leading to his long and successful career with METRO.

Rather than a traditional ribbon-cutting, the dedication included a “sawhorse cutting” by Garcia and Kingsland Senior Pastor Ryan Rush. “Today, we are offering ‘pastors with power tools,’ “ Turnipseed said in introducing the duo.

The 3,000-square foot building can house up to 100 students, Turnipseed told the Katy Times. Twelve-week courses will be offered in plumbing, electrical, and general contracting; additional courses which will be added soon include welding, auto repair, and HVAC. The programs, which run concurrently with the school semester, offer professional certifications upon completion. The new semester starts in September 2026, Turnipseed said. Classes are scheduled Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 to 4 p.m. and 4:30 to 6 p.m., according to the Eyes On Me website.

For additional information on the program and how to enroll, please call The Hangar at 832-722-8612.