June Newsletter: Join us for "Hunger Stories: What is Hunger?" 7/27!

a. Vox goes to Houston Food Bank's Disaster Drill!
b. 7/27 Hunger Stories: What is Hunger?
c. Team Update: Message from the Founder
d. Welcome Communications Coordinator, Mariano Di Vincenzo!
  

July is just around the corner and our final event for the Nutritional Poverty Trimester is near! Details to Hunger Stories: What is Hunger? can be found here! Mark your calendars for this special event, happening on Saturday 7/27! Also see what we have been up to recently and which further changes are taking place within Team Vox.

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a. VOX GOES TO HOUSTON FOOD BANK'S DISASTER DRILL!

 

On Saturday, June 15, Vox took part in the Houston Food Bank's Disaster Drill! The Vox team was responsible for running the sector in charge of sorting and inspecting donated retail product.

In all, the team sorted about 26,000 pounds of goods (equivalent to about 60 palates or nearly an entire isle) over a period of 4 hours! The goods/products will go on to benefit people within the Houston community!

With hurricane season around the corner, HFB planned the disaster drill to simulate how the facility would run with volunteer stations at full capacity in the event of a real-life disaster. Altogether, over 1,000 people from all over Houston took part in this drill!

b. 7/27 HUNGER STORIES: WHAT IS HUNGER?

 

Vox Culture is proud to present its latest event, Hunger Stories: What is Hunger? Vox will be breaking new ground with this event, by providing a space for additional and deeper discussion on hunger; an issue, as we know, is not only a international but a local problem as well.

 

It is our immense pleasure to host the leaders/representatives of four outstanding organizations - Houston Food Bank, Urban Harvest,  SEARCH Homeless Services and Malawians in Texas Organization - who have graciously donated their time to speak about and share their perspectives on the issue of hunger. Speakers participating in Hunger Stories: What is Hunger? include:

• Brian Greene, President/CEO - Houston Food Bank
• Scott Howard, President of the Board - Urban Harvest
• Charity Dominguez, Community Outreach Team Lead - SEARCH Homeless Services
• Maurina McClean, Chairwoman - Malawians in Texas Organization

The discussion will range from hunger on the international scene, to the local scene, how individuals are affected by the issue, and how certain solutions such as urban gardening can play a role in fighting hunger.

 The event will also include a Poetry Slam performed by local poets. These poets will share the power of their words and expressions while addressing hunger in the city and around the world.

Hunger Stories: What is Hunger? will take place on Saturday, July 27 from 6:00PM to 8:00PM at the Vox Culture Warehouse (8570 Katy Freeway, Suite 116, Houston, TX 77024) [detailed map and directions - we recommend using the entrance behind Starbucks on I-10W for the most direct access]. Tickets are $15 per person and includes dinner! Children 12 & Under enter free (Please email Viktor Kopic to request for special entrance tickets for kids)! You can also purchase your tickets here!

 

 Join us for this evening, in our fight against hunger!

 

 If you have any questions, please contact Viktor Kopic at viktor.kopic@voxculture.org.

 

c. TEAM UPDATE: MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER

Hi Vox Culture Friends!

I wanted to let you all know of some changes that are continuing in the Vox Team. A big thank you goes to our Creative Marketing Coordinator, Irena Liang! What an incredible gift you’ve been to Vox Culture!

Irena joined the Vox Team with a passion for art, a background in science, and a great heart to serve and make a difference. She came at a time in our organization when we really needed help to build something new. Together with Alissa and Viktor, the three of them have helped to make Vox what it is today. It’s also been through Irena’s connections that we’ve grown as an organization with other like-minded volunteers. It’s been through her art that we’ve been able to promote many of our events and causes. We wouldn’t be at the unique spot we are today, without your talents, time, and effort, Irena!

Irena will be off to medical school, but she’ll still be connected with Vox Culture. She’ll be leading, creating, and organizing things for Vox this Fall.  Look for more information later this year.  In the meantime, we wish Irena the best as she starts a new chapter in medicine.

 

- Ted Law

 

  

d. WELCOME COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, MARIANO DI VINCENZO!

We would like to officially welcome Mariano Di Vincenzo onto the team, as Vox Culture's Communications Coordinator! As we seek to continue to connect with our audience, Mariano brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the team, in terms of creative ways in communicating with people. Be sure to check out upcoming developments at Vox and see how Mariano is helping to extend our voice in the community! To learn more about Mariano, you can see his spotlight here!

 

We look forward to seeing you in July!

The Link Between Immigration and Hunger

As Vox Culture’s trimester on “Immigration Stories” gives way to its next trimester on “Hunger Stories” it is important to understand how social issues such as these can be interconnected and influence each other.  Our primary goal is to continue to help our audience grasp a better understanding of the connections that exist between social issues, such as those pertaining to Migration and Nutritional Poverty.

The issue of immigration shares an important link with the issue of hunger. Currently in the United States, about 35 percent of children born to immigrant mothers experience hunger, in comparison to just under 15 percent for the children of native-born mothers. By the standards of rich democracies, this statistic clearly shows that the U.S. has a high incidence of food insecurity, with a large part of it driven by the fact that more than 1 in 4 children born to immigrant parents go hungry. This is not to exclude the bigger domestic issue however, given that the rate of children of native-born mothers going hungry is also significantly high for a first world nation.

While there are programs in existence to help address the issue of hunger or food insecurity in immigrant households, such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, eligibility is limited to only those classified as recent immigrants. More importantly, these benefits are only given to those residing legally within the United States. Therefore, in theory, the food security situation for immigrants residing in the United States illegally is on average direr than compared to a legal immigrant or a native-born individual. This picture becomes more clear when you take into account that altogether, there are approximately 38 million immigrants living in the United States, making up 12.5 percent of the U.S. population. Of those 38 million, about one-third (11 to 12 million) is residing illegally.

Without delving too deeply in the politics behind both the issue of immigration as well as who is entitled to what, the question we should be asking ourselves is, how can we change this food insecurity issue facing many immigrants in the United States?

The answer possibly (and partially) lies in immigration reform. By potentially creating a path to obtaining citizenship for less-skilled illegal immigrants this could, with time, help begin to resolve the issues of hunger that may exist and create food security in the process. By creating a channel to obtain legal citizenship with possibly less bureaucracy, this could in turn increase the number of SNAP-eligible households. Furthermore, by creating immigration reform policies such as the DREAM Act and more, there could be a positive long-term effect on the immigrant community in the U.S. that goes beyond solving the issues of hunger plenty of them face today.

April Newsletter: Immigration Trimester Recap

a. Immigration Trimester Recap
b. Crawfish Boil 3.0
c. Thank You, Rice MBA Capstone 
d. Vox goes to the iFest!

e. 5/4 13th Annual Houston Dragon Boat Festival

f. 5/18 Houston Food Bank’s 9th Annual Empty Bowls Houston

g. 5/14 Core Team Meeting

  

As the Immigration Trimester wraps up and gives way to Nutritional Poverty Trimester, we take a look back at the various successes Vox has had in embracing Houston’s cultural and ethnic diversity. 
 
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a. IMMIGRATION TRIMESTER RECAP

The trimester started out with a month-long educational series of blogs, titled  Winding Road: My Immigration Story, highlighting the immigration story and experience of Vox’s Research & Development Coordinator, Viktor Kopic. His story gained the attention of many of you and presented a side of the U.S. immigration process that is rarely talked about. Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of Winding Road: My Immigration Story, have also been published on Lucky Magazine and can also be found on the blog of Celia Ybarra, Vox's Social Media Voice, at unSimply Celia...

Vox Culture also took on the role of Cultural and Community Collaborator for the Houston Arts Alliance, for the Remembered, Regained: Immigrant Arts of Houston series. The goal of the series was to celebrate the rich artistic and cultural traditions that reside in Houston’s immigrant communities. Vox took part in helping HAA with several of these events including: Telling the Immigrant Story, The Language of Lullabies, and Houston's Immigrant Advantage. Be sure to visit our blogs to check out our reviews for some of these recent events!

Click here to obtain more information from the HAA on the Remembered, Regained: Immigrant Arts of Houston series, and to also see details on the two remaining events, ¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tres! (5/18) and Anointed and Adorned (5/23-7/12).

To close out the Immigration Trimester, Vox went to the Houston International Festival and will have a booth in support of the 13th Annual Houston Dragon Boat Festival. Details on both these events can be found below.

b. CRAWFISH BOIL 3.0

Vox Culture partnered with Access Cooking Group on Saturday, April 13, to host our 3rd Annual Crawfish Boil. Over 100 guests were in attendance and over 315lbs of crawfish were consumed!

It's a great way to remember our roots of being founded at the same time by Ted Law. Happy 5-year anniversary to both Vox Culture as well as Access!

Special thanks to head chef, Kee Wong, for leading this event and concocting such a delicious recipe! A big thanks goes out to all the volunteers as well for helping to keep the event flowing smoothly :). SUCCESS! 

c. THANK YOU, RICE MBA CAPSTONE

After a long and dedicated 5 months of analysis and consulting, the final Rice MBA Capstone presentations on Vox Culture took place on Friday, April 26 at Rice University! 

Both teams gave excellent presentations on strategic recommendations for the organization and we are extremely grateful for their help. Their work will surely be reflected upon the continuing developments at Vox over the coming months!

Special thanks for their hard work go out to the "One Vox" team (Jarrod Cyprow, Joe Chuan, Wendy Fong, Francesca Dawdy and Richard Copsey) and the "Social Media" team (Saud Al-Dhafeeri, Ravi Gangadharan, Alex Flores, Amir Taiyabi and Ming Xie)! 

d. VOX GOES TO iFEST

On Sunday, April 28^th, Vox spent the day at the Houston International Festival, checking out the different cultures and nations that are represented in Houston. It was an eye-opening and fun event where many got to try a variety of food from different regions of the world, while also being exposed to art, music, dance and merchandise of all the cultures present.

Brazil was the featured country this year, so we figured we’d get warmed up a little earlier for the Carnival of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro next year! 

e. 5/4 13^th ANNUAL HOUSTON DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL 

To close out the Immigration Trimester with a bang, on Saturday, May 4^th, Vox Culture will be at the 13th Annual Houston Dragon Boat Festival to support the cultural aspect of the festival! The event is taking place from 8:30AM-4:00PM at Allen's Landing in Downtown Houston (1001 Commerce Street).

This will be an all day FREE event, with the opportunity to not only see over 30 teams participate in the races (and see two of our Core Team members compete: Andrew Fox and Linda Fox) but to check out other organizations, businesses, as well as enjoy cultural performances and treats from international food trucks.

We are also seeking three volunteers to help us out the day of. If you'd like to lend a hand, please respond to viktor.kopic@voxculture.org by Friday (5/3) at 1:00PM. Otherwise, hope to see you all there! Be sure to drop by the Vox booth! :) 

f. 5/18 HOUSTON FOOD BANK's 9TH ANNUAL EMPTY BOWLS HOUSTON 

As an introduction to the Nutritional Poverty Trimester, join us in supporting the Houston Food Bank’s 9^th Annual Empty Bowls Houston! The event will be taking place on Saturday, May 18^th from 11:00AM-3:00PM at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (4848 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002).

Empty Bowls is a grassroots effort by artists and craftspeople in cities and towns across the country to feed the hungry in their communities. Empty Bowls Houston is presented by Whole Food Market and implemented locally by Houston-area ceramists and artists working in various media, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and Houston Food Bank.

Please send a message to viktor.kopic@voxculture.org to indicate your interest in attending this event.

g. 5/14 CORE TEAM MEETING 

Come and take part in the Vox Culture’s next Core Team Meeting! We will have a quick re-cap on Immigration Stories before we begin discussing what’s in store for Hunger Stories and brainstorming additional ideas.

Meeting will take place at the Vox Culture Warehouse (8570 Katy Fwy. Suite 116, Houston, TX 77024) on Tuesday, May 14^th beginning at 7:00PM! Dinner will be served! RSVP at viktor.kopic@voxculture.org to attend. 

KIPP Sharpstown Read-a-Thon

Back in January, the Vox team came across a wonderful opportunity to serve the Houston community through a partnership with KIPP Sharpstown College Prep through Dane Roberts, a teacher at KIPP. Our role in the Read-a-Thon was to capture the faces and stories of the students there, in hopes of creating buzz and gaining support for an adventure never to be forgotten.

   

“The hard-working 6th graders of KIPP Sharpstown College Prep in Southwest Houston go to school from 7:30 to 5:00 every day, go to a mandatory summer school, and do homework every night so that they can achieve their college and life dreams. To practice the persistence and teamwork required to succeed in life, they also want to climb the tallest mountain in Texas: Guadalupe Peak! “ (From the KIPP Read-a-Thon blog)

  

As soon as we got a look at the students in their classrooms, we knew this wasn’t just any other school. More than 87 percent of the young men and women who attend the school are from low-income families, but students here defy the statistics of their demographic on a daily basis. KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public charter schools with a track record of preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and in life. KIPP builds a partnership among parents, students, and teachers that puts learning first. By providing outstanding educators, more time in school learning, and a strong culture of achievement, KIPP is helping all students climb the mountain to and through college.

Here’s a look at the bookmark we created for each and every one of the students in order to help fund the trip:

   

And the promo video featuring student responses to our interview questions: 

Vox gives a special thanks to Dane Roberts for inviting us to be a part of such a successful project. It was a privilege to be able to capture the smiles, song, and thoughts of these amazing students!

Access Live Cooking Group/Vox Culture Crawfish Boil 3.0

It's that time of year again... the Access Live Cooking Group/Vox Culture Crawfish Boil 3.0!!!

Come join us for a great and delicious time on April 13, 2013 from 11:00AM to 2:30PM at the Vox Warehouse (8570 Katy Fwy, Suite 116).
 
Adults: $15 | Kids: $5 - ALL YOU CAN EAT!!! BYOD (Bring Your Own Drinks)

RSVP TODAY at http://new.evite.com/l/6GLPE4F73D.
 
If you'd like to volunteer, please sign up at http://bit.ly/XDUfrH. We appreciate you!!

Look forward to seeing you on Sat 4/13!!!