Category: Events

At this year’s Hope Awards in April, iACT will be honoring Central Presbyterian Church for all the good work it has done through its years in downtown Austin.  The church has a rich history dating back to 1839. The present building was completed and dedicated in 1875. Central Presbyterian Church has also affected change by initiating the Austin Faith Dialogue television show and the Interfaith Arts Festival.

iACT’s refugee program began in fall 2002. By 2006, the program had expanded and more classroom space became necessary. The needs were simple: multiple classroom space for multiple years, near a bus stop at a downtown location, free of charge or close to it.

Needless to say, everyone asked had balked at one or more of those needs.  But when Central Presbyterian Church was called iACT got a different reaction.  Rev. Greg McDonell’s only question was: “When do you need to start?”

Eight years later, iACT is starting a fifth class at Central Presbyterian Church. There are typically between 70 and 100 refugees from up to 15 different countries in the building on any weekday.  Between class times, the halls are bustling with the largest number of ethnically and culturally diverse people you could see anywhere.  In summer  over 50 school aged children and about 15 extra volunteer a day are added to the mix. In spite of the constant buzz of conversation and the wear and tear on the building,  students always feel welcome and are treated with dignity and respect by all church staff and members.

During these eight years, Central Presbyterian Church has become “Refugee Central”. When the Multicultural Refugee Coalition lost its space and needed to maintain its programs, it was welcomed at CPC for over a year. When English at Work needed afternoon English classes for the Cuban refugees, CPC was happy to accommodate them. When a newly formed Burmese church needed a space for worship, they were given Sunday accommodations. Open Arms, a business that employs refugee women is housed at CPC. When the Refugee Roundtable needs room for a workshop at short notice, space is made available, smoothly and with minimum fuss.

Rev. Joseph Moore has made it clear on more than one occasion and regularly reminds iACT staff to make it known that all refugees from all faiths are welcome and should feel safe. That even though CPC is a Christian church, people should never feel intimidated or cowed to follow their own beliefs – that the church not only allows, but insists that they follow the faith that is in their hearts no matter what it is.

CPC is the first welcoming space for the 700 refugees a year iACT serves.  In fact, when refugees in Austin refer to “The Church” in their conversations, they specifically mean Central Presbyterian Church.

iACT’s 2014 Hope awards will be celebrated on  April 24, 6 to 9 pm at the Four Seasons Hotel. For more information, check www.interfaithtexas.org/hope/

Is your group or congregation interested in preparing a hot meal for a group who will appreciate it? Are you interested in meeting refugees in Austin?

The Square One Lunch program is a monthly event sponsored by Interfaith Action of Central Texas (iACT) to bring the Austin community into contact with the newly arrived refugees from all parts of the world resettled in Austin. The program takes place on the first Monday of each month at Central Presbyterian Church, which hosts iACT’s ESL classes.

During the event we discuss programs, opportunities or issues relevant to refugees in Austin and are assisted by a number of interpreters speaking the languages of the refugees present.

Congregations, groups or interested volunteers cook or bring a simple hot lunch to share with the refugee families and have the opportunity to listen to some of the issues refugees are facing or struggling with.

For more information, please contact lzeidan@interfaithtexas.org or call 512-386-9145 X 304.

Registration for youth and volunteers is now open for the Amala Foundation’s 8th Annual Global Youth Peace Summit which will take place August 9th-15th in Wimberley, Texas. Each year, the Global Youth Peace Summit unites 70 youth (ages 14-18) representing 25+ countries for a week-long experience devoted to cultural exchange, personal growth, leadership development and community building. For more information, please visit www.amalafoundation.org/youth-programs/global-youth-peace-summit. Partial and full scholarships are available.

Registration is now open for children (ages 4-12) and volunteers for the 14th Annual Camp Indigo. This year, we will offer two sessions of Camp Indigo at Austin Discovery School: June 16th-20th and June 23rd-27th. Camp Indigo promotes increased confidence, clear communication, and a high level of respect for self and others. Some of this year's offerings include music, dance, improv, gardening, and art.

To register or for more information, please visit www.amalafoundation.org/youth-programs/camp-indigo

Scholarships are available.

On February 8, 2014, Refugee Services of Texas (RST) Austin will partner with Ride for Refuge to raise funds for refugees, asylees, and survivors of human trafficking. Ride for Refuge is a bicycle fundraiser that raises contributions for those displaced. This is a great opportunity to become involved in the work that RST does to help families from around the world who now make Austin home. RST hopes to raise over $25,000.

There are plenty of ways to get involved so please check out our website at http://www.rstx.org or the following links for more information: http://rideforrefuge.org/locations/austin and http://www.facebook.com/rideforrefugeaustin

On Thursday, January 23rd at 6 pm, the Multicultural Refugee Coalition will host a healthcare workshop for refugees in the Austin area. The workshop will be held in the MRC Community Center in the Santa Maria Apartment Complex on 8071 N. Lamar. Foundation Communities' Insure Central Texas program will present basic information about the Affordable Care Act and its requirements. Burmese, Vietnamese, and Arabic interpretation will be available.

Following the presentation, Insure Central Texas representatives will be available to answer questions and to conduct an eligibility screening for the attendees.

On Friday, January 24th from 10:00 am until 4 pm, Insure Central Texas will have Vietnamese and Burmese interpreters at their Highland Mall Location (6001 Airport Blvd. On the upper level by the food court) to help eligible attendees officially sign up for health insurance at that location.

On Saturday, January 25th from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm Insure Central Texas will have an Arabic interpreter to assist with the enrollment of eligible attendees.

If you have any questions or concerns about the event please contact Katherine Keegan at kkeegan@mrcaustin.org or 720-670-9232.

If you work with refugees in Austin, would like to work with refugees, or are curious about the work taking place in our city, please join us at the Fourth Annual General Meeting of the Austin Refugee Roundtable Saturday, February 22nd, 2014, 9am - 11 am, at First Baptist Church at 901 Trinity St, Austin, TX 78749.

This meeting is open to all whether you are currently working with any refugees or not. It is an opportunity to network with other groups and agencies and learn what is available for refugees and what gaps are still unfilled. Please bring information about your agency, group or congregation and the work you do with refugees. It is a time to share.

A light breakfast will be available.

Please RSVP to lzeidan@interfaithtexas.org so that we have an approximate headcount.

Center for Survivors of Torture provides free Mental Health Services for refugees that have been resettled in the U.S. for less than 5 years. CST delivers high quality mental health services to refugees to restore their spirit and rebuild their lives.

CST seeks to actively engage refugees in their mental health treatment through individual, family, and group counseling to achieve the best possible outcome - a fulfilling life. Their history, expertise, and success record enables them to provide holistic client-centered mental health services to refugees, many of whom are survivors of torture and trauma.

Please contact Clinical Director, Dr. Russ Adams, Ph.D, LPC-Supervisor, LMFT-Supervisor at 512-358-4612 to make a phone referral for mental health services.
All service providers are invited to CST's monthly learning lunches, the first Wednesday of each month.

Join us on Saturday, October 26th, 9-11 am at Central Presbyterian Church, 200 E. 8th Street, in Smoot Fellowship Hall, for a workshop about the new healthcare opportunities for refugees. The workshop, presented by Foundation Communities' Elizabeth Colvin, Director of Insure Central Texas, will focus on the new health insurance marketplace and what to expect for clients.

Please sign up for the free workshop by emailing your full name, email, phone number and organization you're with to lzeidan@interfaithtexas.org.

Coffee and muffins will be provided. If you have questions or for more information, please contact lzeidan@interfaithtexas.org.

During the 2013 Fiscal Year, which ended on Sept. 30th, 69,930 refugees from 65 countries were admitted for permanent resettlement to the United States.

However the smooth arrival of refugees hit a snag at the beginning of this fiscal year because of the government shut down. The State Department decided to put in place a travel moratorium for refugees who were to travel from October 7th - October 21st. This past week they extended it to the 28th due to the lack of government resolution that continued to impede the abilities of the newly arrived refugees to apply for Social Security cards and subsequently access public benefits (food stamps, Medicaid) once they have arrived. The delay in Social Security cards means refugees would miss important employment opportunities. One federally funded cash assistance program had restricted enrollment slots due to an inability to predict when funding would be available. Below is a message from the Director of Refugee Admissions for the State Department on the extended moratorium.

Dear Partners:

We have had to extend the refugee travel moratorium until October 28 since it is still unclear whether certain federally-funded services and benefits will be available to arriving refugees. We will continue to work with Resettlement Support Centers to identify cases currently booked for arrival prior to October 28 with serious security/protection concerns; urgent medical needs; and all cases of unaccompanied minors in order to evaluate if they should arrive prior to October 28. We will continue to be in contact with national domestic agency partners on such individual cases to ensure immediate needs can be met before approving their travel.

In a blog by Linda Hartke on October 15, called "Government Shutdown 101: What Does It Mean for Migrants and Refugees?" she explained how the closing of the federal government has had a real and drastic impact on immigrants and refugees.

It has "shuttered many federal government agencies and operations. immigration courts, legal orientation programs for individuals in immigration detention, and government offices that protect due process and civil rights for migrants and refugees remain crippled by the ongoing shutdown.

Refugees who have been approved to arrive in the United States have been delayed by a travel moratorium in effect through at least October 28. This delay will perpetuate hardships by keeping refugees overseas where they may have nowhere to call home and keeping families apart who are waiting to reunite.

In addition to the uncertainty and distress caused by this travel ban, refugees scheduled to arrive in the United States this month may have to deal with additional bureaucratic delays caused by their delayed travel. For example, exit visas, medical clearances, or security clearances these refugees obtained to travel internationally will likely lapse while refugees wait for the travel ban to be lifted."

Now that the shutdown is over, it will take some time to have everything caught up and back to normal.

iACT is partnering with the refugee health screening clinic and other healthcare providers in offering free health screenings and flu shots on Oct. 7th, 9-12 am at Smoot Fellowship Hall at Central Presbyterian Church, 200 E. 8th Street. The event, organized and coordinated by Adetoun Obadofin, is open and free for all refugees.

Please spread the word, click here for the flyer or here for a multi-lingual flyer.