Over three hours, her vision for the annual event unfolded in front of 170 guests, sponsors&donors, 10 artists & families, Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston’s volunteers and refugees, two gifted moderators, present and past Board members, an audio and video crew, all members of Compassionate Houston’s Compassion Through the Arts committee, Rothko Chapel event volunteers, a Reverend, four Charter readers, members of our partner and co-founding partner organizations, The Briar Club staff, and the Rev. Betty Adam in spirit.

We sincerely appreciate your time to attend, your financial and in-kind support, your presence, and your engagement. Your Giving is a wonderful act, and our hearts are filled with gratitude that you see us and support our mission.

If you attended our luncheon, please enjoy a luncheon reflection and selection of photos and posters. If you are new to Compassionate Houston, we invite you to get to know us and consider supporting our mission and the many programs our all-volunteer board offers to the community.

Invocation and Reading of the Charter for Compassion

After Pam’s opening speech, the Rev. Kathy Rock Pfister, Canon Vicar of Christ Church Cathedral, our co-founder Rev Betty Adam’s spiritual home, presented the invocation. followed by our tradition to begin the annual luncheon with the reading of the Charter for Compassion, the foundational principles of Compassionate Houston.

Moderator and tenor, Kenneth Gayle described how the power of artistic expression builds understanding and empathy, followed by his introduction of Compassionate Houston’s initiative to identify local artists whose artistic creations forthrightly serve that mission.

Moderator and CEO of Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, Martin Cominsky then described how the power of storytelling about refugee lives touched by great compassion can begin a chain reaction of understanding and hope.

Board Chair Pam Lewis in her opening speech:

Our Charter readers, each a leader of Compassionate Houston’s partner organizations took the stage to share its principles of treating others with respect; encouraging appreciation of cultural and religious diversity; and cultivating an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings.

Thank you, Rev. Pfister and Partner Charter Readers for your time and commitment within your organizations to thrive for a compassionate community.

Our Aims, Partners, and Programs

Following the invocation and Charter reading, our treasurer, Ted Isensee took the stage to share with the audience Compassionate Houston’s main objectives (see link here) and programs.

Past and Primary Programs to Meet Our Aims

Ted Isensee’s 5-slides presentation (updated to reflect post-luncheon content). Click on each photo below the main one to view all slides.

Our Network of Organizational Partners

A shout-out to our all-important network of currently 30 organizational partners, with many of their leaders in attendance, including co-founders along with Betty Adam, such as Rothko Chapel, Dawn Mountain, Christ Church Cathedral, Interfaith Ministries and Rice University’s Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance. Others have joined in more recent years.

All share a commitment to the Charter for Compassion’s inclusive principles, our mission, and a willingness to participate in network projects, as able.

Over five months, the committee refined a vision and goal of expanding the ripple effects of compassion in this community and beyond by highlighting and promoting the work of Houston artists who intentionally help us identify with people and situations different from our own.

This task culminated in the nomination of ten artists and the - “very difficult” - selection of one artist from each discipline to receive Compassionate Houston’s first Artist of the Year award.

Ken’s passionate speech introduced the nominees as a remarkable group of artists who exemplify the diversity of Houston. On behalf of the committee and Compassionate Houston, Ken expressed an appreciation and gratitude for the artist’s gifts to the Greater Houston community. Each nominee received an honorarium of $300 and each category winner was awarded $1000.

The Artist’s Poster Exhibit

Opening the luncheon an hour earlier than in past years allowed guests to network with like-and heart-minded people and mingle with all artists in front of their customized posters on display easels around the ballroom.

The posters share information about each nominee, including their own words about the importance of compassion, and were designed by Compassionate Houston’s virtual assistant Alison Pruitt. Her support is crucial to continue the quality and extent of communications and marketing efforts and was made possible by donations as part of 2021 Giving Tuesday and the 2021 Year-End Campaign.

As Pam Lewis mentioned in her opening remarks, in addition to financial and in-kind support, we count on the collaboration of our network of organizational partners, our all-volunteer working Board, and, increasingly, volunteers, to meet our aims.

Board member Anita Long and her team with Long Film Studio recorded interviews in collaboration with IM and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints prior to the luncheon. Luncheon guests then witnessed as the videos played on large screens how refugees made challenging transitions to Houston and refugees’ and volunteers’ lives were touched by the power of kindness and action. The audience equally enjoyed meeting and engaging with a refugee family and volunteers featured in the video in person.

For many guests, the interviews with the volunteers became the core message of this program part. A young Afghan man shared the life-changing impact of compassionate action in the most authentic way, and this young family’s gratitude could not be missed. He clearly conveyed that IM’s work on his family’s behalf had changed their lives: his wife is hoping to return to teaching after finishing her education (he is still looking for a job, but very grateful for the successes so far). The family’s relief and happiness (and hope!) were palpable.

Here are selected testimonials of audience members:

Martin has been the President and CEO of Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston (IM) since 2015. In addition to being the largest Meals on Wheels provider in Texas, IM fosters youth and community dialogue between and among religions, operates Volunteer Houston, which matches people with their passions at local non-profit organizations, and resettles hundreds of refugees from war-torn countries.

We are honored Martin accepted our invitation to moderate the 2nd part of our luncheon program. Past and current IM refugees and volunteers with IM and our partner, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Houston area shared their own journeys and experiences.

Thank you to our all-volunteer, working board of directors with board chair Pam Lewis, Ph.D. Special thanks to our luncheon chair Lynn Loughney and to our communications VP Barbara Homann, who could not join us.

To our two moderators, Martin Cominsky and Kenneth Gayle for adding your unique personal touch, knowledge, time, and heart to the program parts.

To Anita Long&team at Long Films Studio for the hours of dedicated time spent creating the two videos.

To Rev. Kathy Pfister and Partner Charter Readers for your time and commitment.

To our wonderful group of volunteers with the Rothko Chapel Guild, who stepped right up to help with distributing programs on tables, and setting up registration tables, to name a few tasks throughout the entire program.

To our piano player who brought a creative flavor to a creative program. And many others named in the thank-you poster below.

Among her many visionary projects were the founding of Brigid’s Place, a non-denominational center focused on the study and support for women, the authoring of The Magdalene Mystique: Living the Spirituality of Mary Today and the initiation of Spanish language services at the Christ Church Cathedral, her spiritual home for more than 20 years, retiring as the Canon Theologian.

In characterizing Betty in his funeral homily for her at Christ Church Cathedral, Dean Barkley Thompson noted: “… in the final decade of her life, she drew all…intuitions together in the creation of Compassionate Houston, which transcends even her Christian faith.”