Your Hustle Is Not Your Grind Somewhere between our first cup of coffee and our last unanswered email, a lot of us in Austin have quietly stopped living and started performing. We call it the grind. We wear it like a badge. But I want to gently suggest, from the […]
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iACT for Refugees: Refugee Youth Mentorship
Driving the mentees home after our most recent youth mentorship iBelong gathering, I asked how they thought it had gone. One of them quickly said, “That was the best one yet!” “What made it so good?” I asked. She answered, “There were just so many people there who wanted to […]
Read MoreHands on Housing: The Pena Family
Pictured here is the beautiful Pena family! Dr. Rosa Pena, Soila Salinas, Tomasa Pena, and Dr. Pena’s daughter have worked for many years to make Tomasa’s home safe for her and her sister. Dr. Pena’s family have always lived near Mrs. Pena in order to provide support. Now, her home […]
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Negin Achakzai
How long have you been in Austin?I’ve been in Austin for almost two years. How long have you volunteered with iACT?I’ve been volunteering with iACT for about one month. What made you want to volunteer with iACT?I wanted to help others and give back to my community. What do you […]
Read MoreDonor Spotlight: Lizz & Duff Stewart
How long have you called Austin (or Central Texas) home, and what’s kept you here?We both moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas. The inclusive spirit, family, and friends have kept us in Austin (plus our oldest son has a band, Me nd Adam, based in Austin!). What […]
Read MoreIntern Spotlight: Victoria Flores
Where are you from? I am from the Rio Grande Valley here in Texas. How long have you been in Austin? I have lived in Austin for the past five years. What do you do at iACT? I am a student intern here at iACT and getting my masters in […]
Read MoreDonor Spotlight: Rev. Karl & Mrs. Sharon Gronberg
How long have you called Austin (or Central Texas) home, and what’s kept you here?We have called Austin home for 54 years. We were met by a community of faith expressing love and welcome to our family. The birth of children, their education in AISD, and the community spirit of […]
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Wendy S.
How long have you been in Austin?I have lived in Austin for 25 years. How long have you volunteered with iACT?I just started volunteering with iACT this summer. Previously, I volunteered with RST (Refugee Services of Texas). What made you want to volunteer with iACT?I am a teacher of teenagers, […]
Read MoreDoing Good Together: Shakeel Rashed
Sharia – The Freedom to Follow Your Own Path I have a friend who believes that walking barefoot is beneficial for health, a practice rooted in ancient Hindu wisdom. While he often shares the benefits of this practice during our hikes together, he doesn’t force anyone to remove their shoes. […]
Read MoreDoing Good Together: Simone Talma Flowers
Embracing Getting Older There is a wisdom that comes with age. We gain knowledge and experience, but more importantly, we gain perspective, the ability to hold many viewpoints, draw from lived experience, think beyond the present, and respond with greater compassion and understanding. There is also a quiet brilliance that […]
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