...Ruth Hoffman-Lach, a member of First Unitarian Universalist Church, criticized HISD for disclosing the bond details with “just five months” before Election Day. She said the district’s decisions should reflect the needs and aspirations of families, and the community deserves a transparent bond process where every voice is heard and every concern is addressed.
Amor Concreto: The Legacy of Pope Francis
It is with great sadness that we learned the news this Easter Monday morning about the death of Pope Francis.
Over the past three years, we, as representatives of The Metropolitan Organization (TMO) and our sister organizations of the Industrial Areas Foundation, were privileged to meet him three times in his Santa Marta residence at the Vatican, each an encounter of 90 minutes or more.
It felt extraordinary that the successor to St. Peter would carve out such time to meet with a group of community organizers and leaders in the midst of a schedule that included preparing for grueling international travel, receiving visits from foreign leaders, and hosting the global synods. Not to mention issuing numerous apostolic letters and encyclicals.
Read moreTMO Celebrates $7.5 Million Investment in Greater 3rd Ward Rail-Trail Enhancement
115 leaders from five TMO institutions in Houston's Third Ward -- St. Mary's Catholic, Pilgrim UCC, St. James Episcopal, Good Hope Baptist, and Friends of Columbia Tap -- convened in early February to celebrate the history and future of the Columbia Tap Rail-Trail, a 4-mile walking and biking trail that runs the length of the neighborhood and holds deep, historical significance.
The meeting comes after half year of relationship-building amongst the congregations and multiple trips to City Hall to follow up on past promises to invest in this important element of recreation and transportation infrastructure.
Following these efforts, the City of Houston announced it had sought out and been awarded a $7.5 million grant from the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC) and the federal government to enhance safety and accessibility along the Columbia Tap Trail. The Columbia Tap Trail sits along a former rail line that was constructed in the 1850s by enslaved Black men and was used to transport sugar and cotton from plantations in surrounding counties to the Port of Houston for shipment around the world.
Participants learned about the historical significance of the trail and witnessed TMO leaders secure commitments from key city officials on related issues including lighting, historical markers, and future meetings around public safety and transparency.
[Photo Credit (main): Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle]
TMO Urges Voters to Oppose HISD's $4.4 Billion Bond Due to Lack of Community Input
[Excerpts]
During a press conference at Trinity United Methodist Church, leaders of The Metropolitan Organization ...said they were opposing an HISD bond for the first time in the group’s 44-year history due largely to the lack of trust and “meaningful input from community members” in developing the measure...
[said] Linda Hollins, a trustee at Trinity United Methodist Church, “Our children are relying on us, and so today, we call out HISD administration and the appointed Board of Managers for placing a bond proposal on November's ballot that lacks adequate input from all stakeholders: parents, teachers, pastors (and) community members.”
“We've seen firsthand how effective community engagement can be and can lead to successful outcomes, as demonstrated by our neighbors in Spring Branch ISD,” Hoffman-Lach said. “That bond was born out of years of dialogue, collaboration and a shared vision of students' values and futures. We must demand the same level of engagement and accountability from HISD.”
Coalition of Houston Religious, Community Leaders Joins Opposition to HISD's $4.4B Bond Measure, Houston Chronicle [pdf]
Press Conference Video Footage, The Metropolitan Organization
Deepening Relationship with Pope Francis is Bearing Fruit
Recently, three Houston area TMO leaders and organizers met with Pope Francis at the Vatican for an engaging conversation. Rabbi David Lyon of Congregation Beth Israel and Lead Organizer Elizabeth Valdez (both sitting next to Pope Francis in photo above) along with Organizer Facundo Berretta Lauria represented TMO at this meeting. They were part of a delegation of 18 leaders from the West/Southwest IAF which is a regional network of broad-based organizations. TMO has been a part of this network for over 40 years.
At bottom is a link to press spanning three continents and languages. Directly below are excerpts from an article published in Jewish Herald-Voice.
[Excerpt]
As the only Jewish person in the room, Rabbi Lyon said he had a feeling he would be called on after the introductions.
“Sure enough, he did call on me, and I shared my vignette on how IAF has made me a more effective rabbi in interfaith and organizational work,” said Rabbi Lyon.
“I highlighted interfaith work in Houston with my good friend [Daniel] Cardinal DiNardo and Bishop [John D.] Ogletree and how TMO has given us ways to hear stories to make a difference and to express our gratitude with greater generosity....”
“I quoted the Mishna in saying, ‘It is not our obligation to do all the work, but neither are we free to desist from trying. The day is short, the work is long, and the L-rd is waiting....’”
“The pope’s eyes lit up and he called his aides into the room. He had written these encyclicals and other short essays, and he distributed to all of us a stack of books. Nobody expected it. I think he felt like I had offered a meaningful text, so he, too, wanted to share a meaningful text.”
Rabbi Lyon was impressed.
“I don’t read the pope’s words on a regular basis and I don’t subscribe to the Vatican news, but I couldn’t help but be moved after sitting in his presence. He showed us that a man of obvious power, authority and significance could be very humble and humorous. And like any good clergy, he was an excellent listener.”
[Photo Credit: Jewish Herald-Voice]
Houston Rabbi Travels to Rome for Meeting with Pope Francis, Jewish Herald-Voice [pdf]
Read moreTMO Remembers and Celebrates the Life of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee consistently fought for the common good, especially to assure that people on the margins were treated with dignity.
Whether it was legislating for a just and humane immigration system; shepherding federal grant funds to much needed Houston area projects; or working on the front lines to help working people recover from our all-too-frequent disasters, Sheila was always there and ready to work. She also willingly participated in TMO’s Candidate Accountability Sessions in 2022 for US Congress and 2023 for Houston Mayor.
Thank you Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee!!!
TMO wants to express our sincere condolences and our appreciation to her family for her life well lived for the common good. Please take some time next to remember and reflect on her contributions and attend any of these celebrations of her life next week.
Monday: Jackson Lee will lie in state from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Houston City Hall, making the late congresswoman the second person to receive this honor. The first was Dr. Michael DeBakey, a heart surgeon, who died in 2008. Jackson Lee’s family will be at City Hall for a brief ceremony with Mayor John Whitmire and City Council members.
Tuesday: A viewing and remembrance event at God’s Grace Community Church, 9944 W. Montgomery Rd., Houston, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday: A viewing event at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, 3826 Wheeler Ave., Houston, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and a community farewell and appreciation service, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday: A celebration of life service at Fallbrook Church, 12512 Walters Rd, Houston, at 11 a.m.
All events will be live-streamed, according to her Congressional Office announcement:
Updated Beryl Resources
[Click on image or links below to access updated resources list]
Priority Zip Codes for Beryl Recovery Fund
PREVIOUS RESOURCES
Press Conference Coverage:
In Wake of Beryl Outage, TMO Demands Action for Most Vulnerable
TMO clergy and local leaders were joined by Patricia Darnauer, executive vice president and administrator of LBJ Hospital, at a press conference held at St. Francis de Assisi Catholic Church.
[Photo Credit: Aswad Walker, Houston Defender]
TMO Leaders Demand Action, Accountability on Slow Hurricane Beryl Response, Houston Defender [pdf]
Religious Leaders Demand Action for Remaining Powerless Homes, Houston Chronicle [pdf]
Survey Shows More Than Half of Families Still Struggling After Beryl, CW39 Houston [pdf]
6:31am Newscast, July 16th , Houston Public Media
Post Beryl Hurricane Resources
See latest press:
In Wake of Beryl Outage, TMO Demands Action for Most Vulnerable
TMO clergy and local leaders were joined by Patricia Darnauer, executive vice president and administrator of LBJ Hospital, at a press conference held at St. Francis de Assisi Catholic Church.
[Photo Credit: Aswad Walker, Houston Defender]
TMO Leaders Demand Action, Accountability on Slow Hurricane Beryl Response, Houston Defender [pdf]
Religious Leaders Demand Action for Remaining Powerless Homes, Houston Chronicle [pdf]
Survey Shows More Than Half of Families Still Struggling After Beryl, CW39 Houston [pdf]
6:31am Newscast, July 16th , Houston Public Media
Recursos Para Su Esfuerzo de Recuperación Después de Beryl
Ver última prensa:
TMO Exige Medidas Para Los Más Vulnerables
Patricia Darnauer, vicepresidenta ejecutiva y administradora del Hospital LBJ, se unió al clero de TMO y a los líderes locales en una conferencia de prensa celebrada en la Iglesia Católica San Francisco de Asís.
[Aswad Walker del Houston Defender tomó la foto de arriba.]
TMO Leaders Demand Action, Accountability on Slow Hurricane Beryl Response, Houston Defender [pdf]
Religious Leaders Demand Action for Remaining Powerless Homes, Houston Chronicle [pdf]
Survey Shows More Than Half of Families Still Struggling After Beryl, CW39 Houston [pdf]
6:31am Newscast, July 16th , Houston Public Media
In Wake of Beryl Outage, TMO Demands Action for Most Vulnerable
TMO clergy and local leaders were joined by Patricia Darnauer, executive vice president and administrator of LBJ Hospital, at a press conference held at St. Francis de Assisi Catholic Church.
[Excerpts]
TMO seeks accountability, more aggressive outreach, and transparency so the general public knows what’s going on and collaboration so Harris County residents aren’t running around like chickens with their heads cut off” seeking much-needed resources like food, water, and medicine....
Community and faith leaders joined North Houston residents under the banner of The Metropolitan Organization (TMO) announcing they are in the process of scheduling a meeting with Houston’s Mayor John Whitmire “to discuss the [power] outage, the response to the outage and to look at future activities that need to happen to be proactive so that we can prevent this [in the future].”
“Because we know this is just the first hurricane, early in the season, and we’ve got a long way to go,” said Linda Hollins a TMO leader and member of Trinity United Methodist Church.
But TMO members didn’t wait for the yet solidified meeting date with Whitmire to voice their frustrations over the slow, and in many cases still non-existent, restoration of power to the 180,000 citizens across Houston and Harris County still in the dark, and more specifically residents of the Kashmere Gardens/Fifth Ward community where their press conference convened at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.
[Photo Credit: Aswad Walker, Houston Defender]
TMO Leaders Demand Action, Accountability on Slow Hurricane Beryl Response, Houston Defender [pdf]
Religious Leaders Demand Action for Remaining Powerless Homes, Houston Chronicle [pdf]
Survey Shows More Than Half of Families Still Struggling After Beryl, CW39 Houston [pdf]
6:31am Newscast, July 16th , Houston Public Media
President of Harris Health Recognizes TMO's Strong Support for LBJ Hospital
During a May 9 groundbreaking, Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, President and CEO of Harris Health, cited the great need for the new facilities to be built in Northeast Houston. Harris Health will build a Level One Trauma Center, a new hospital with double the capacity, and offer much needed in-patient and out-patient mental health services at the site. He said these facilities are greatly needed by “the underserved, the poor, the uninsured, the underinsured that LBJ hospital serves.”
Read more