IM Houston's Refugee Women's Empowerment Group Partners with Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

HOUSTON - Sept. 24, 2025 - PRLog -- The IM Houston Refugee Women's Empowerment Group recently collaborated with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) for a special visit in August, welcoming women and children from the Arabic, Afghan Dari, and Afghan Pashtu groups. Participants experienced From India to the World: Textiles from the Parpia Collection, one of the most important private collections of Indian textiles in the United States. This exhibition features 67 superb domestic and trade textiles, each telling a story of culture, craft, and global connection.

Sheroo Mukhtiar, President & CEO of IM Houston, stated: "At IM Houston, we believe that building a sense of belonging starts with creating opportunities for connection. Experiences like this visit to the MFAH allow refugees to not only see themselves reflected in the art, but also to begin weaving their own stories into Houston's cultural fabric. We are grateful to MFAH for opening its doors and helping us extend this welcome to the communities we serve."

"The women who attended my tour have been uprooted from familiar surroundings and yet showed so much resilience and an eagerness to learn about everything in their new home across the ocean. They asked detailed questions about fabric weaves, trade and culture. It was heartening to see how keen they were to find personal connections with the exhibits, with me and with each other. While I explained how the fabrics were made and used in India, they shared how they were used in their home towns and how they were special. One of the women told me that this was her very first outing to a museum and how she hopes to visit again," said Deepa Kale, Docent at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

This collaboration is one example of how IM Houston's Refugee Services program helps newcomers not only resettle but thrive. Each year, IM Houston supports thousands of refugees across Greater Houston by providing housing assistance, cultural orientation, employment support, and specialized programs for women and youth. The IM Houston Refugee Women's Empowerment Group, which organized the MFAH visit, offers safe spaces for refugee women to build community, strengthen their well-being, and set goals for the future. By combining essential services with opportunities like cultural outings, IM Houston helps ensure that refugee families can connect, heal, and flourish while embracing Houston's vibrant cultural life.

ABOUT IM HOUSTON (formerly known as Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston)

A United Way partner, IM Houston, brings people of diverse faith traditions together for dialogue, collaboration, and service, as a demonstration of our shared beliefs. IM Houston's work includes Meals on Wheels and Animeals which deliver meals and more to homebound seniors and their pets; Refugee Services which works with documented refugees to achieve self-sufficiency, Volunteer Houston that matches volunteers with nonprofits throughout the region, along with community engagement and interfaith relations programs, fostering understanding, respect and engagement among people of all faiths; For more information, visit https://imhouston.org/ (https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https...).