Building Community Conversations in a Volatile Time Four years ago, my husband and I moved to Smithville, Texas, nestled off Highway 71 between Bastrop and LaGrange. With extensive tree canopies, vintage shops, historic homes and a close community of artists, the minute we landed here, we became part of an active, caring community. […]
Read MoreArchive for July, 2026
Doing Good Together: Rabbi Marie Betcher
What’s Love Got To Do With It Most — if not all — of us in this room have lost someone we loved so dearly. The ache remains as fresh as the day they left us. A little bit of us died with them. We feel that vacuum, that emptiness, […]
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Maria Jose Loaiza Zapata
How long have you been in Austin? 2 years How long have you volunteered with iACT? A week What made you want to volunteer with iACT? I’m a Psychology student, and I wanted to explore whether I want to work with kids. So it feels like it would be perfect to see if I […]
Read MoreiACT for Refugees: World Refugee Day
World Refugee Day is a day of celebration designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe. The international day is always June 20, and Austin’s celebration falls on a Saturday in June and is organized by the Austin Refugee Roundtable, a group of organizations and individuals working […]
Read MoreHands on Housing: Antonio & Maria Carbajal
Antonio and Maria Carbajal are pictured in their backyard. Antonio built their chicken coop which holds their three chickens. The couple lives at home with their two adult children who both have special needs. The Carbajal family needed some home repair and new accessibility improvements in their home. Hands on […]
Read MoreBoard Spotlight: Paul Hudson
Where are you from? How long have you lived in Austin?I was born at St. David’s Hospital here in Austin and have lived here my whole life, other than one year in Brasilia, Brazil when I was 11 years old, and 4 years in College Station, attending Texas A&M University. […]
Read MoreStaff Spotlight: Farida Naqshbandi
Q: Where are you from? I’m originally from Kabul, Afghanistan. Q: How long have you been in Austin? I Came to Austin in November 2021. Q: What do you do at iACT? I’m the Refugee Program ELI Coordinator. Q: What is the most challenging thing about the work you do […]
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