Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston
Share a story
Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston brings people of diverse faith traditions together for dialogue, collaboration and service, as a demonstration of our shared beliefs.
Areas of Service
IM believes that through service and dialogue it is possible for very diverse people to come to know one another and to find common ground, while maintaining their personal beliefs and keeping their cultures intact.
IM manifests the strength of shared beliefs through four areas of service to the greater Houston community:
· Meals on Wheels for Greater Houston delivers more than one million meals each year to seniors in Harris county.
· Refugee Services resettles hundreds of refugees in Houston each year. The Refugee Services program of IM is the Houston affiliate of Episcopal Migration Ministries, the refugee resettlement service of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of The Episcopal Church.
· Office of Disaster Preparedness and Response facilitates communication on behalf of Houston’s faith communities during relief and recovery efforts.
· Interfaith Relations provides a safe harbor for greater Houston through its many interfaith programs and dialogue efforts.
Volunteer opportunities
Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston’s Refugee Services department works in partnership with the community partners, congregations, and volunteers to carry out its work welcoming refugees to Houston. From providing space for English or job skills classes, to mentoring refugee children, practicing English skills with parents, assisting single mothers with childcare, or accompanying a family on their first trip to an American grocery store, opportunities abound for you and your congregation to make a positive impact on the life of a family and on your wider community. Contact Lizeth Zavala, community outreach coordinator for refugee services, at lzavala@imgh.org for more information.
Ministries
RESETTLEMENT SERVICES
Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston's Refugee Services department, in conjunction with the U.S. State Department, Episcopal Migration Ministries and Church World Service, resettles legal refugees fleeing their homeland in fear of political, social or religious persecution. IM helps refugees from around the world make new lives in America.
Today there are an estimated 13 to 15 million refugees throughout the world, with women and children constituting the majority of these displaced people. Each year, hundreds of these refugee families arrive in Houston through Interfaith Ministries.
With support from Episcopal Migration Ministries, IM’s Refugee Services department provides services for newly arriving refugees to help them put down roots in their first months in the United States. This includes securing and fully furnishing an apartment for an arriving family; picking up an arriving family at the airport; and ensuring a culturally appropriate meal awaits the family at their new home, right when they arrive. Food is provided for the family until they can provide their own food; seasonal clothing and footwear is provided for each member of the family (including diapers for infants & toddlers) upon arrival. The family is assisted in applying for assistance and services for which they are eligible; each member of the family receives a health assessment. Children are enrolled in school and adults are enrolled in English and cultural orientation classes. Work-ready adults receive employment services and assistance in applying for and securing a job.
EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
With support from Episcopal Migration Ministries and the Matching Grant program of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (Department of Health and Human Services), IM’s Refugee Services department offers extended employment services to clients, ensuring they will successfully secure employment to support their families and become financially self-sufficient.
LONG-TERM SUPPORT SERVICES
Vocational training and services, extended cultural orientation, and employment transportation
INTERFAITH RELATIONS
Interfaith Relations fosters understanding, respect and engagement among people of all religions through educational opportunities and community service.
ILEAD YOUTH PROGRAM
The iLead program offers high school students a distinctive combination of networking, university level discourse, and unprecedented access to Houston's premier leaders from the business, civil service, and faith communities.
Meals on Wheels
Meals On Wheels provides nutritional support services that enable senior citizens to remain in their own homes and live with dignity and independence.
HOUSTON INTERFAITH DISASTER RESPONSE ALLIANCE (HIDRA)
HIDRA is a network of clergy and lay leaders from Houston area faith communities who gather to learn together and share experiences about disaster preparedness and response. IM serves as host.
ANIMEALS ON WHEELS
The aniMeals on Wheels program was created so that Meals on Wheels seniors would not feel compelled to share their limited food and resources with their four-legged friends. IM collects donated dog and cat food that volunteers deliver monthly to seniors.
News about Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston
Share a story
3303 Main Street
Houston, TX 77002
United States
Contact
