iACT Blog

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.  God has always nudged me… Read more: Doing Good Together: Sara Hickman

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, that grief that settles into… Read more: Doing Good Together: Rabbi Marie Betcher

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 connect with children the way… Read more: Volunteer Spotlight: Maria Jose Loaiza Zapata

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 to make Austin a welcoming… Read more: iACT for Refugees: World Refugee Day

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 Housing is so grateful to… Read more: Hands on Housing: Antonio & Maria Carbajal

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. How long have you served… Read more: Board Spotlight: Paul Hudson

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 at iACT? The challenging part… Read more: Staff Spotlight: Farida Naqshbandi

To Those Who Lead Interfaith Action of Central Texas (iACT) is an organization rooted in the belief that peace is possible when we choose respect, understanding, and compassion for one another. Through interfaith dialogue, service, and celebration, we work every day to cultivate communities where people of all backgrounds and beliefs feel seen, valued, and… Read more: Doing Good Together: iACT Board of Directors

Oneness Is Not an Ideal—It Is Our Responsibility  We Baha’is believe that the most important task before us is bringing about the oneness of humankind. And perhaps there has never been a time in our history when this principle —this idea — is more critical.  I’ll tell you honestly, I got to a point where I felt depressed. I stopped watching the news. Because every… Read more: Doing Good Together: Ajit Giani

Growing Up Technically and legally, you are considered an adult at age 18 in the US. But we all know that a button is not pushed on our 18th birthdays to make us instant adults.  I’ve been a legal adult for over 50 years now and I am a different adult today than I was right after I turned… Read more: Doing Good Together: Lubna Zeidan

My name is Sadaf Mudares, and I am deeply honored to stand before you today. My journey to this moment has been filled with challenges and triumphs. Four years ago, my family and I moved to the United States from Afghanistan, a country where women are often deprived of their basic rights and education. Despite the… Read more: iACT for Refugees: Sadaf Mudares

Mrs. Delores Nash is one of our incredible homeowners in the Hands on Housing program! She has the voice of an angel and sings with her church choir every Sunday. She has recently had to move from using a walker to using a motorized wheelchair full-time. Hands on Housing is blessed to work with her… Read more: Hands on Housing: Delores Nash

How long have you been in Austin?I’ve been in Austin since I was nine months old. How long have you volunteered with iACT?I have volunteered with iACT since I was in 8th grade in 2023. What made you want to volunteer with iACT?Our school does a service project every winter for all the 8th graders, where we… Read more: Volunteer Spotlight: Roshan Vije

Michael Whellan brings decades of legal expertise and community leadership to iACT’s Board of Directors. A partner at Armbrust & Brown, Michael specializes in real estate, land use, and litigation, helping clients navigate complex legal and governmental processes throughout Central Texas.   Beyond his professional accomplishments, Michael has a long history of service with organizations… Read more: Board Spotlight: Michael Whellan

Where are you from? I am from San Antonio, Texas. How long have you been in Austin? I’ve been living in Austin since 2017, so almost 10 years! What do you do at iACT? I am the Communications Coordinator at iACT. What’s the most challenging thing about the work you do at iACT? The most… Read more: Staff Spotlight: Andres Garcia