Nonpro t
BY JOVANNA AGUILAR
The Spring Interfaith Thanksgiving service took place at the Congregation Jewish Community North in 2024.
Spring Interfaith’s dialogue dinners are a key program the nonpro t takes part in.
PHOTOS COURTESY SPRING INTERFAITH
Spring Interfaith aims to bridge faith divisions
With a common mission to foster an understand- ing of di erent religions in the community, Spring Interfaith was informally founded by North West Assistance Ministry members during the early 2000s and evolved into a nonpro t association in March 2024. “I’ve been here ve years, and I’m just grateful to break down barriers, break down walls, and even within my own faith, look inward,” Spring Interfaith Vice Chair Diane Hunt said. “It has strengthened my faith as I’ve celebrated other faiths.” Staying local Made up of local volunteers with diverse back- grounds, religions and cultures, Spring Interfaith members join with the common goal of being a part of an organization that fosters unity and education to prevent the prejudice of others. “I can see that we’re in time now when division often makes headlines, and we want to set a vivid example of unity,” Spring Interfaith Treasurer Paulette Moore-Hall said. “I love being here, and I’m praying that we will continue because we have a story to write, and we are writing it every day.” Through the combination of religions running from Christian to Jewish and Muslim, Spring Inter- faith members also collaborate with various local organizations to further strengthen their mission. Organizations Spring Interfaith has partnered with include Red Nations Rising, Interfaith Minis- tries for Greater Houston and Together We Dine.
What else? Key programs Spring Interfaith is a part of include its annual Thanksgiving service, recurring dialogue dinners and International Peace Day. During its annual Thanksgiving service, Spring Interfaith Chair Nancy Aga tei said the community is invited to unite in expressing their gratitude. Financial donations received at the service bene t a di erent organization every year, such as Moving Waters Houston, a nonpro t that provides mobile shower services to those in need. Meanwhile during its dialogue dinners members of the organization are invited to open their homes for a dinner and open discussion on their religion. Get involved Spring Interfaith also partakes in the Inter- national Day of Peace celebrated by joining the community to pray with meditative music bringing diverse faiths to worship together, Aga tei said. In October, Spring Interfaith will partake in the Houston Festival of Faiths for the rst time. Event attendees can explore ways to cultivate communi- ties and discover di erent religions through panels and programming performances, Aga tei said. Looking ahead, Aga tei said Spring Interfaith hopes to encourage young adults who are inter- ested in learning about other faiths to join and keep the organization alive. “We don’t want this to end with us. We want to see the young people take initiative and join us,” Hunt said.
Spring Interfaith formally became a nonpro t association in March 2024.
A few Spring interfaith members include Ooma Lakshmanan, Paulette Moore-Hall and Richard Corl.
www.springinterfaith.org
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SPRING KLEIN EDITION
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