More than a dozen congregations and faith-based organizations were represented at the midday meeting, held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and hosted by Southwestern Ismaili Council USA. Waheeda Kara, chair for communications and outreach, welcomed the group on behalf of the Ismaili Center and invited everyone attending to a guided tour of the building, which opened this year as a place of gathering, worship and civic dialogue overlooking Buffalo Bayou. For many attendees it was a first look inside.
Representatives from regional interfaith communities also presented updates from their areas. We were honored to have the Fort Bend Interfaith Council, the Interfaith Council of Clear Lake, the Spring Interfaith Council and the Galveston Island Ministerial Alliance join us.
A working session on disaster preparedness
The program’s centerpiece was a working session on disaster preparedness. Representatives from the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance and Connective walked attendees through the Disaster Needs Survey, a shared intake tool that lets congregations and community organizations assess what their neighbors need in the hours and days after a storm, flood or other emergency, then connect those neighbors to help quickly.
The pitch to the room was practical. Houston’s faith communities are often the first places people turn after a disaster, and they are frequently the last to be looped into formal recovery systems. The survey is designed to be usable by a small church office or a volunteer team with no emergency management training, and the data it gathers helps route resources where they are actually needed rather than where responders assume they are needed.
Conversation over lunch, provided by Southwestern Ismaili Council USA and catered by Reza Persian Grill, ranged well beyond logistics. Attendees traded notes on volunteer recruitment and invited one another to upcoming events, including the Festival of Faiths, held at the Ismaili Center on Oct. 4.
How the Network works
The Interfaith Network meets each quarter at a different house of worship or faith-based organization across the region, giving hosts a chance to welcome others into their space and giving people of other faith traditions a chance to learn. The Network brings together faith-based organizations to cultivate a collaborative environment where mutual understanding, education and respect among diverse religious traditions can flourish. Through mutual support, sponsorship and participation, it builds bridges of solidarity.
Attendance draws from Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Bahá’í, Zoroastrian, Jain and Buddhist communities.
Join a quarterly gathering
The meetings are open to staff, clergy, lay leaders and volunteers from faith-based organizations. For more information contact Kim Mabry, Interfaith Relations Officer, at kmabry@imgh.org.
