After the Second Ward nonprofit Talento Billingue de Houston ceased operations, an Old Sixth Ward-based program is stepping in to offer programming. Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts, or MECA, which offers cultural enrichment through dance, theater and art workshops, will join with the Mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Board to offer programming at Talento de Billingue de Houston's location in East End, 333 S. Jensen Drive, Houston. The additional programming is funded by at $80,000 grant from the city and the Houston First Corporation. “We’re on a limited budget so we would like to ask everyone to get into their pockets and pull out some funds to help support this on a continuous basis,” said Alice Valdez, MECA executive director and founder. MECA will continue operating at its original location at the Historic Dow School at 1900 Kane St., Houston. “The grant to launch this initiative is an ambitious and exciting new beginning for Hispanic Arts and Culture in Houston," District H Council Member Karla Cisneros said. "Community partners and supporters are stepping up and coming together to define and lay out a vision for Houston’s Latino Art Scene as a world class city that reflects its significant Latino population." 713-802-9370. www.meca-houston.org