A Thought to Ponder from the President & CEO

This past Sunday was Father's Day and I spent some time reflecting on what it means to be a father. I am the proud Dad to two great kids and a grandfather (called Zeyde in Yiddish) to five. I hope I have been a good Dad and Zeyde, and I guess time will tell. Parenting has changed a lot since I was a kid, which I think is a good thing. Parenting is much more of a shared experience for most these days, and my sense is that as hard as everyone now works, it reflects a better value system when both parents share the raising of their kids more or less equally.
Being a good parent is mostly about being a good role model. Showing kindness and respect for your family and neighbors teaches our kids to be caring and considerate human beings. A parent's chief role is to instill values that will mold a child's sense of self. Too many of our kids feel entitled and don't know how to deal with failure or disappointments. Life can be sweet, but no life is without its sorrows. Teaching a child to be resilient is a good thing to do.

Finding balance in parenting is not easy. And it's not all that easy to know when we've hit the sweet spot. I've learned that it is never too late to be a good parent - no matter how old our kids might be. And, I hope to see the results by watching the reflections of their lives trickle in and out of my own.
I hope your Father's Day was a good one.


WE'VE MOVED!!

It's been two whole weeks since we moved into our new wonderful space at 3303 Main Street and we are now settling in. We have a lot to do over the next eight to ten months as we build our new conference center and construct our new Meals on Wheels Distribution Center across the street.

Things are coming together nicely. Our fundraising is moving forward and we are on track towards our goal of $12.5 million. There are still a number of naming opportunities and I'd love to visit with you about them. I am so thankful to those who have already stepped forward. If you'd like to visit, please call me at 713-533-4901 and I will give you a personal tour! Everyone who has visited our new space has told me how proud they are that IM will finally be able to fulfill its mission to be a safe gathering place for the community.

Nothing pleases me more than assuring that we feed Houston's home-bound seniors; we resettle hundreds of refugees each year; we coordinate the work of Houston's faith community in times of disaster; and we shepherd Houston's faith community through dialogue and service so that we utilize our talents around the shared beliefs that makes us who we are. Houston is a stronger community when we all feel part of the fabric of our city and region. IM will keep doing its part!

Talk to you next month.


Elliot Gershenson
President & CEO
Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston