ALBERTINE “MAMA” HALL YEAGER

The Children’s Center, Inc. is located on a historical site which was once an orphanage founded by an African-American Woman in 1917. TCCI was awarded an “Undertold Marker” from the Texas Historical Commission in 2021.

OVERVIEW

Albertine Hall Yeager Youth Cultural Center

1111 32^nd Street (Between K and L)

Galveston, Texas, 77550-4536

Site of Albertine Hall Yeager Home Received Historical Subject Marker from THC

The original site of the Albertine Yeager Home is located at 1111 32nd Street and acts as a support center for The Children’s Center, Inc. The site received an “Undertold Story” Historical Subject Marker award from the Texas Historical Commission in February 2022.  The plaque is due for installation in 2024.

Who was Albertine “Mama” Hall Yeager?

	Albertine Hall Yeager (Rosenberg Library/Texas History Center-1880- 2019 Collection, 2021)

Albertine Hall Yeager, an African American woman founded the Yeager Children’s Home between 1917 and 1918 in Galveston, Texas. She had so endeared herself to the community that even after her death in 1969, when the new building opened in 1975, the ribbon cutting with Charles Yeager was officiated by then Mayor R.A. Apffel (Kirkpatrick, p. 1, 1975.) Said Apffel:

“For if there was ever a project that which represented a cross-section of this community, this is it” (1975, p.1).

The level of love and respect Albertine Yeager commanded in 1975 became apparent when Texas State Senator Aaron “Babe” Schwartz, sponsored a congratulatory resolution – SR-507 for the New Yeager Children’s Home (Schwartz, 1975). There were wires from the Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe; Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby, and United States Congressman Jack Brooks (Kirkpatrick, 1975, p.1). State Representative Andrew Z. Baker, a board member was unable to attend but sent well-wishes (1975, p.1). Texas State Representative Ed J. Harris, whose wife had served on the board was unable to attend but also acknowledged Mrs. Yeager’s contributions (1975, p.1). Moreover, The City of Galveston passed a resolution declaring May 11 -17 “Yeager Home Week” (1975, p.1).

Born, February 13, 1897 in Palestine, Texas Albertine Hall arrived in Galveston in 1917, (Galveston Daily News, 1969a, p. 1). She married her husband Charles in Galveston in 1917 as well (HERE AND THERE, p.1,1917).

Albertine and Charles Yeager founded the Yeager Children’s Home sometime between 1917 and 1918 in a large home located at 1111 32^nd Street on Galveston Island, Texas (Temple, 1963, p. 7). In an interview with the Galveston News Tribune in 1963, she explained: “I started out keeping the children of war widows while they worked, Mrs. Yeager explained. “And then we started keeping homeless children” (Temple, p. 7). The Yeager’s are mentioned on the Women in Texas History (WITH) website as notable contributors to the World War I support system when they provided child-care for “mothers working in war industries” (Women in Texas History, 2021). Her early efforts were unfunded and largely supported by Charlie Yeager’s job at Armour Packing company (Turner, 1997, p.252). It should be noted that at the time she began her venture, there were only 6 private orphanages in Texas for black children (Turner, 1997, p.252). Ultimately the State of Texas opened one in 1929 (1997, p.252).

By the time Ms. Yeager died in 1969 she had taken care of over 1,000 children, (Galveston Daily News, 1969,p. 1).

In 1975 her legacy was honored when the Harris and Eliza Kempner Fund, the Moody Foundation and private donors provided the funding for the current building that houses the Albertine Yeager Youth Cultural Center, (Kirkpatrick, 1975a, p. 1).

WHAT DOES THE CHILDREN’S CENTER, INC. DO?

Innovative Methodology

The Children’s Center, Inc. is the only nonprofit organization of its kind based in the 13 county HGAC-Region. We have staffed professionals trained in trauma informed care, harm-reduction, applied behavioral analysis and positive youth development methodology. Our Hotline at 844-763-8861 is now staffed 24/7, 365 days per year by our Crisis Intervention Team. All emergency calls are answered by two or more qualified staff members and law enforcement if needed. In short, The Children’s Center, response mobility – our staff goes to the crisis site and assists in bringing victims to safe and secure shelter.

In 2023, The Children’s Center, Inc. (TCCI) will celebrate 145 years of continuous service. It provides a trauma-focused continuum of caring, providing safety, housing and mentoring for children, youth and families, who are survivors of abandonment, abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The Children’s Center, Inc. serves the Texas Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Mexico and provides prevention and intervention services through outreach in Mexico and Central America.

Community-Based Projects in Celebration of Ms. Yeager

Free Seawall Gulf Viewer- Binoculars for Families

Located on the Southwest Corner of McGuire-Dent Park, Donated by Marsha Wilson Rappaport and Tom Schwenk to the City of Galveston in honor of Albertine Hall Yeager/The Children’s Center, Inc.

Bryan Museum – Historical Presentation: Application Author: Marsha Wilson Rappaport, Preparation: Julie Baker, Galveston Historical Commission.  (October 12, 2023)

Rosenberg Library – Historical Presentation: Application Author: Marsha Wilson Rappaport, Preparation: Julie Baker, Galveston Historical Commission.  (TBA)

Information: Call TCCI: 409-765-5212

WHY SHOULD YOU SUPPORT THE CHILDREN’S CENTER, INC?

The Children’s Center, Inc. is a collective of programs that house, relocate, and educate the underserved, vulnerable and victimized.

Mission: The Children’s Center, Inc. is engaged in changing and saving lives through rescue, nurture and empowerment of children, youth, and families in a quality continuum of caring that facilitates achievement of satisfying living opportunities.

HOW WE HELP:

SAFETY

• The Crisis Response Team is an emergency response team available 24/7/365 on-call that transports runaway and homeless youth and families in crisis to safe and secure destinations. Features unique to TCCI include a TCCI Crisis Line at:  844-763-8861.

Teams are operational in the Houston Metroplex and the entire 13 County, HGAC (Houston Galveston Area Council) region; the Beaumont, Golden Triangle Region (Orange, Jefferson, Hardin); Pasadena – Lower Harris County; Corpus Christi – Coastal Bend Region and McAllen, the Corpus Christi/Coastal Bend (Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Willacy) and Victoria, Texas.

• Safe Place: provides employee training and clearly marked signage for runaway and homeless youth and families in crisis. There are currently 555 verified locations in gas stations, convenience stores and fast-food outlets, throughout the 24 Texas counties served by TCCI.

HOUSING

MENTORING

• Community Youth Development (CYD): juvenile delinquency prevention program, managed by a professional educator, that operates with partner agencies to provide afterschool and enrichment programs.

WHAT IS OUR CHALLENGE?

United States – Growth of Human Trafficking Increases Risk for RHY

Sex Trafficking Victim – A Lived Experience

Approach Methods Utilized:

1.         Trauma informed care

2.         Cognitive behavior techniques

3.         DBT techniques

4.         Safety

5.         PYD

6.         Harm reduction

The Children’s Center, Inc, received an urgent call from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Two men in a Ferrari sped up to the door of the Emergency Room and dropped off a very sick young woman. Once she was examined it was discovered that she was a 17-year-old sex trafficking victim. This young woman was a worst-case scenario, she was in poor physical condition, she was “branded” by the traffickers, had a “death threat tattoo”, and had a tattoo with her birth year. Most alarming was evidence she had been implanted with a “microchip”.

Sex trafficking in minors is still ongoing despite the COVID -19 epidemic.

Outcome:She was referred to Rescue America- she was transported to a safe place. The nurse and I worked on making sure she felt safe by not allowing anyone to come into her room without prior permission, so a safety plan was created to help her with that. In the safety plan, we add who she can call if you need help, such as 911 or the security guard we put outside her door.

Hilda Garcia, MSW, LCCA, LCPAA, Interim CEO of TCCI

There Is A High Risk for Youth of Human Trafficking in Texas

• Sex Trafficking has become such a problem that the State established the Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force. During COVID the problem accelerated: In 2020, when many businesses and industries slowed down due to COVID-19, human trafficking flourished. In 2020, 1.6 million online commercial sex advertisements were posted in Texas, and 223,910 of those are believed to have sold children. Texas is the first state in the country to make sex buying a felony. Texas has handed down 750+

Years in prison sentences for human traffickers since 2016. Over 30,000 people trained to       combat the problem since 2016, (Attorney General of Texas, 2022)

WHY IS TCCI QUALIFIED TO ADDRESS THESE SERIOUS ISSUES?

For over 30 years, The Children’s Center, Inc. (TCCI) has successfully maintained several Federal and State grants dedicated to run away, homeless and traumatized youth. The organization currently has eight BASIC Center Grants from the Department of Health and Human Services, several State of Texas grants, one Department of Housing and Urban Development Grant (HUD)  and numerous private foundation grants.

The Children’s Center: A History of Providing Solutions for a Complex Problem

The level of expertise inherent in the Children’s Center is a result of 145 years of caring for youth in the Galveston community.  In fact, their cutting-edge intervention into the problem of runaway and homeless youth was recognized when the Youth Center was featured as a “core program” for a “60 Minutes” television documentary on CBS, narrated by veteran newsman Robert McNeil.

The Galveston Children’s Home was established as an orphanage in 1878. Illnesses and poverty left many children on the streets and Galveston Daily News Publisher, George Dealey, spearheaded efforts to establish the orphanage to better care for these less fortunate children.

In 1901, the Society for the Help of Homeless Children opened a home in Galveston to care for the growing number of children without parents to care for them. A home was purchased and later named the Lasker Home for Children in honor of Morris Lasker, who supported establishment of the orphanage. In 1923, Charlie and Albertine Yeager purchased a home in Galveston, Texas. The Yeager’s used the home initially as a day nursery and kindergarten. By 1930, the home became an orphanage dedicated to African American children in the community.

In 1970 in response to the growing number of runaway and youth on the streets and beaches of Galveston, the YWCA of Galveston established an outreach effort. A “Shell-ter” or mobile beach patrol utilized a mobile home to meet survival needs of Homeless and Runaway youth. The “Shell-ter” evolved into development of an emergency shelter operated by the YWCA and led by youth advocate June Busy.  

In 1973, Dean Coryll was arrested in Houston, Texas ending one of the most horrific serial murders in U. S. History. Over twenty youth were killed in the area. The national spotlight was focused on the plight of runaway and homeless youth. In 1974 concerned citizens from the area, including June Bucy and Steve Wicke of Houston worked to create national support for the plight of Runaway and Homeless Youth. Founding of Texas Network of Youth Services resulted from these efforts. June Bucy became the Executive Director of what was then called National Network of Runaway and Youth Services. Through continued efforts, the RHY Act was established by Congress in 1976. In 1988, the Galveston Children’s Home, the Lasker Home, the Albertine Yeager Children’s Home, and the YWCA of Galveston merged to become The Children’s Center, Inc. The Yeager Children’s Home became the Yeager Youth Crisis Center, taking over the work of the YWCA shelter. The Children’s Center evolved into childcare, foster care, and shelter care for youth.

On a stretch of Interstate 45 between Houston and Galveston, over 30 young women and girls have disappeared since the late nineteen-seventies. The area is now known as “the Texas Killing Fields”. In 1997, the Congressional Congress for Missing and Exploited Children was established by Rep. Nick Lampson who represented the Galveston area. With the support of his office, the Children’s Center embarked upon establishment of Safe Place sites throughout the area to educate youth and better promote their safety.  Today, The Children’s Center is engaged in programs providing Street Outreach, prevention and early intervention services, emergency shelter, host homes, transitional living and permanent supportive housing for domestic and immigrant youth and families who are at risk or are victims of abuse, neglect, trafficking and domestic violence.  

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

The Children’s Center, Inc. is a 501(c)3, nonprofit organization. Donations are partially tax deductible as specified in current IRS regulations.

TCCI utilizes cash donations to “fill-in” the gaps in grants that only pay for direct programming. For example, a runaway and homeless youth often needs food and clothing. Grants don’t cover those costs.

TCCI also accepts and uses “in-donations”. This includes practical items like clothing, diapers and food. However, it also includes services and supplies for repairs and maintenance.

References

Galveston Daily News. (1969). Death Claims “Mama Yeager” (October 23, 1969 ed., p. 1).

Galveston, Texas: The Galveston Daily News.

HERE AND THERE. (1917). 22. In Wedding Announcement Albertine and Charles Yeager (21st ed., p. 1). Galveston, Texas: The City Times. Retrieved from http://newspaperarchive.com/city-times-oct-06-1917-1

Kirkpatrick, J. (1975a). A Dream Comes True for “Mama” (May 12, 1975 ed., p. 1). Galveston, Texas: The Galveston Daily News.

Temple, B. (1963). United Fund Primary Source of Funds for Yeager Home (p. 7). Galveston, Texas: The Galveston News Tribune. Retrieved from http://newspaperarchive.com/galveston-daily-news-nov-26-1915-p-10/