HOUSTON (August 25, 2020) – Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston (interfaith Ministries) has received a generous grant from The Hearst Foundations that will allow it to pilot a Refugee Youth Mentorship program. The organization, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State and Episcopal Migration Ministries, has been successfully resettling and serving refugees for over three decades.
Refugees have been granted that status by the United Nations and are fleeing their home countries due to war or persecution. They go through a comprehensive vetting process involving multiple federal agencies. Interfaith Ministries provides a variety of support services designed to empower each refugee to quickly and successfully acculturate to American life. Over 90% of the refugees served are self-sufficient within six months of arrival in the United States.
The Refugee Youth Mentorship program will pair adolescent and young adult refugees with volunteer mentors, and provide academic, social and job development support. “These youth are often traumatized by the experiences that led them to flee their countries, yet they are also very resilient,” shared Ali Al Sudani, Chief Programs Officer for Interfaith Ministries and a former refugee from Iraq who assisted American and British troops in his home country. “This grant from The Hearst Foundations will allow us to offer tailored support to this vulnerable and also very promising age group.”
ABOUT HEARST FOUNDATIONS
The Hearst Foundations are national philanthropic resources for organizations working in the fields of culture, education, health and social services. The Hearst Foundations identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives. The Hearst Foundation, Inc. was founded by William Randolph Hearst in 1946. In 1949 Hearst established the California Charities Foundations, later renamed The William Randolph Hearst Foundation. Both foundations are guided by the same charitable mission, which reflects the philanthropic interests of their founder. The Hearst Foundations are independent of Hearst corporation. Visit the Hearst Foundations at https://www.hearstfdn.org/.
ABOUT INTERFAITH MINISTRIES FOR GREATER HOUSTON
A United Way agency, Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston (Interfaith Ministries) brings people of diverse faith traditions together for dialogue, collaboration and service, as a demonstration of our shared beliefs. Interfaith Ministries provides four main services: Meals on Wheels for Greater Houston and Galveston County delivers more than two million meals each year to homebound seniors and people with disabilities across five counties; Refugee Services, in conjunction with the U.S. State Department, resettles hundreds of refugees in Houston; Interfaith Relations and Community Partnerships provides community services fostering understanding, respect and engagement among Houstonians of all faiths; and Volunteer Houston connects volunteers in transformative projects with area nonprofits. For more information, visit https://www.imgh.org/.