"Common Threads" Events

Around the globe, over fifteen million people are considered refugees, persons who are unable or unwilling to return to their home countries due to violence or well-founded fear of persecution. The United States receives the largest number of refugees yearly for resettlement, and Houston is one of the top resettlement cities. Refugees have made significant contributions to our city, yet they are a struggling community.

Vox Culture is excited to partner with The Community Cloth for a three event series themed “Common Threads” that will highlight the artisans from Houston’s refugee community. These events aim to showcase the empowerment, creativity, and independence of some of the most talented women in our city.

The first event on September 15th will be “Style Scope”, an educational field trip for the refugee artisans to Francesca's Collections. Our volunteers will be taking the women to a boutique to learn about the latest trends and styles in fashion and accessories. These ideas aim to inspire creations to help expand the refugees’ businesses.

The second event on October 20^th will be “Design Workshop”, a jewelry making collaborative between the artisans and participants, which will be interactive and beneficial in teaching the women how to create accessories that can be sold year round. This will be held in a fun and relaxing atmosphere that enables the community to learn about the artisans and build deeper relationships.

Lastly on November 3^rd, Vox will be hosting the “Interwoven Mixer” at 55 Restaurant/Bar. It will be a bazaar woven with music, dance, ethnic cuisines, colorful textiles from the refugees’ represented countries and a fashion show! We aim to provide a stage where these women can present and sell their traditional wares and have the opportunity to make a living by doing what they love and share about their culture and heritage. The potential and power that stands behind these events is that the audience may realize that each and every one of the products created has a story to be told. These moving narratives are not written with a pen or on a sheet of paper, but are woven into tapestry by lives that have seen the pain, love and opportunity this world holds.

Join us in learning about, engaging with, and celebrating the contributions of our refugee community.

{For questions or volunteer opportunities, email Linda.Fox@voxculture.org}