INTERFAITH ACTION OF CENTRAL TEXAS
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Mission Statement
Interfaith Action of Central Texas (iACT) cultivates peace and respect through Interfaith dialogue, service and celebration. iACT Programs and Services The idea of shared public service lies at the very heart of the mission for Interfaith Action of Central Texas (iACT). We believe that the “Golden Rule” of compassion guides all of the great faith traditions and that one of the most powerful ways to enact that compassion is through interfaith service programs. We invite individuals and teams from area faith communities to join us in serving some of Central Texas’ most vulnerable populations – impoverished senior citizens, those living with disabilities and international refugees from around the world – through our exemplary service programs:
About This Cause
iACT has 4 core programs: iACT for Refugees, Hands on Housing, The Red Bench: Interfaith Conversations that Matter, & The Passport Program. iACT for Refugees: iACT is the only agency in Austin that exclusively teaches English and essential life skills to newly arrived refugees. We help all of these individuals establish roots in their new hometown: Austin. We pride ourselves in not only providing essential language and “cultural orientation” skills, but in making these traumatized families feel welcome. iACT currently serves over 500 adult refugees from 25 different nations each year. In addition, the iACT for Refugee Summer Youth Camp provides ESL and math instruction, cultural orientation, outdoor recreation and more to 50 refugee youths. Hands on Housing: Hands on Housing utilizes volunteers and skilled professionals to repair and revitalize the homes of senior citizens and disabled homeowners who are living in deep poverty. Our goal is to help them safely remain in the homes they love and to provide an outlet for the compassion shared by all of the great faith traditions. Since 1990, Hands on Housing volunteers have repaired over 1,600 homes. At iACT, we find it hard to talk about the “average” Hands on Housing homeowner because we like to think of them all as remarkable individuals – people who have played a vital role in their families and in our community for many decades. However, we do like to let our supporters know who is benefiting from their generosity! So, here are a few facts about our homeowners: • Their average age is 75. • Most have lived in their homes for multiple decades, some for their entire lives • Almost 80% of our homeowners are widows. • 80% live at approximately 30% (and below) of Median Family Income. For our homeowners, this usually translates to $8,000 -$12,000 per year. The Red Bench: Conversations That Matter: The Red Bench is a dialogue program that encourages people with different world-views to engage in respectful and civil discourse and meaningful conversations to discover shared common values. It is centered on moderated small group discussions that are genuinely respectful and safe. No one has to be an expert on the topic of the month – individual participants are invited to share from their personal experiences and listen with their hearts. The Passport Program: iACT’s newly launched Passport Program aims to get people of different faiths to actually attend a religious service from a faith tradition other than their own. The goal of this program, much like The Red Bench, is to have our participants come to see the full humanity of their neighbors from all religious traditions, thereby instilling peace and respect throughout the Central Texas community.