"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}

Field Trip to The Last Organic Outpost

To continue our "Green at Home" trimester, Vox Culture took a field trip to The Last Organic Outpost on Sat, Aug 25th. This continuously expanding urban farm started as a simple backyard garden of refrigerator maintenance, Joe Nelson Icet, aka “Farmer Joe”. Looking for direction and a sense of community, Farmer Joe studied permaculture and with the help of his son, Keldren, created what officially became known as The Last Organic Outpost in 2003. His vast vision is to infiltrate urban farming into the communities all around Houston, so that there will be “food everywhere” and for everyone.

The farm itself is quaint, yet stunning in its own personality. Juxtaposed by the giant onion painted on the chimney, colorful window frames dancing throughout the garden beds and even a gazebo made of old car license plates, the area was bursting with lush greenery. It is hard to believe that only a few years ago, this life producing arena was a car lot sitting on top of a slab of concrete.

We were in for quite an adventurous and interactive day.  Farmer Joe and his team taught us how to weed, till, plant, and water. All together, the team planted three plots in three hours, which we deemed as “Vox Boxes”! We planted leafy parsley, pickled cucumbers, dragon kale, swiss chard, arugula, straight squash, and crooked squash. At the Outpost, “we pay in greens”, Farmer Joe beams. You reap what you sow, and get paid ten-fold.

Farmer Joe’s charisma and passion can be seen both in the way he teaches as well as in the creative design and use of items found at this urban farm in the 5^th Ward. For example, he uses the pickup bed of an old abandoned truck as a location for vermiculture, or using worms to turn compost into refined soil. Instead of purchasing wooden posts to mark the garden beds, he takes broken window blinds which does the job just as well.

The volunteers enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and friendly environment at the farm. Many of us had no idea of how to properly till, plant, or water, and did not want to make a mistake, but Farmer Joe encouraged us with a few meaningful phrases: “Nature is very forgiving”. This is a place where “you can never make a mistake.” Now who doesn’t love the sound of that?

Imagine what we would strive for in life if “we can never make a mistake”.

While the trip to the Last Organic Outpost left a deep impression on all of us, in my personal opinion among the greatest highlights was getting to know Farmer Joe. While there are many good people in the world, it is not every day that you meet someone who has as much passion and love for what he does and the people he aims to serve.

If there is one thing that this trip has left us with, it is a sense of ownership and empowerment.  Together, people can make great change. It simply starts with a bag of seeds, hands to plant and hearts to sow.

1. See more pictures on Vox Culture's Facebook page.
2. To read more feedback about Vox Culture's visit to the Last Organic Outpost, also visit unSimply Celia’s Blog.

The team will be heading back to the farm to check out the fruits of our labor on Sun, Sept 30 @ 2PM. Live concert by Carrie Ann and the Apocalyptics!

August Newsletter: "Common Threads" with The Community Cloth!

a. Common Threads: Celebrating the Contributions of Our Refugee Community
b. Welcome Irena Liang, Creative Marketing Coordinator
c. Welcome Linda Fox, Volunteer Coordinator
d. Vox Network: Professionals by Day, Creatives by Night
e. Core Team Field Trip 8/25 - The Last Organic Outpost
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Vox Culture looks forward to partnering with our friends at Community Cloth for our "Refugees at Home" trimester extending from September thru November!

About: The Community Cloth is a refugee-led, refugee-owned microenterprise empowering refugee women in Houston, who have fled their homes due to war, political violence, exclusion, and the competition for scarce resources in troubled states. Houston is one of the busiest resettlement cities in the US, and the thousands of refugees welcomed to our city each year face a number of barriers. Many arrive with little to no English proficiency and minimal education. Some lived upwards of 18-20 years in refugee camps, with no legal right to employment, and often faced dismal health and housing options. The Community Cloth's mission is to empower grassroots leaders around the world to improve their communities by providing knowledge, resources and support.

a. "COMMON THREADS" EVENTS: Save the Dates!

The theme for our upcoming trimester is "Common Threads: Celebrating the Contributions of Our Refugee Community" and our Core Team is diligently planning fun and engaging 3-event series to showcase the Refugee artisans at Community Cloth. Vox strives to give our audience the opportunity to learn about and support one cause through varying experiences: Vox Imprint: Arts & Crafts | Vox Conspiracy: Discussion | Vox Culture: Service / Social.  Save the dates below!

1. Style Scope - Artisan Boutique Field Trip @ Francesca's on Woodway | Sat 9/15 @ 8-10AM
2. Design Workshop - Jewelry Making Event @ Vox Warehouse | Sat 10/20 @ 2-4PM
3. Interwoven Mixer - Bazaar Social @ TBD | Sat 11/3 @ 2-5PM

For questions about the events, email Linda.Fox@voxculture.org

b. WELCOME IRENA LIANG, Creative Marketing Coordinator

Scientist by day, Painter by night...Vox is thrilled to on-board Irena Liang as our Creative Marketing Coordinator! Irena started with us earlier this month and will be spearheading initiatives to help spread the Vox brand. Learn more about this food spilling, nail painting, onion avoiding intern, here.

c. WELCOME LINDA FOX, Volunteer Coordinator

Engineer by day, UH Cougars Fan by night...this ball of energy, Linda Fox, is our newest Volunteer Coordinator! She was the mobilizer for the Beach Clean-Up & BBQ and now will be helping to ignite the excitement and care for our volunteers. Learn more about this Skittle eating, swan diving, UH football cheering Vox Core member, here.

d. VOX NETWORK: Professionals by Day, Creatives by Night

We are so fortunate to have a dynamic and energetic group of volunteers that fuels our organization. Our audience can best be described as “Professionals by Day and Creatives by Night”. Examples of the interesting and talented people our organization houses include: 1) Financial Analyst by day, Photographer by night, 2) Politician by day, Music Junkie by night 3) Bank Teller by day, Salsa Instructor by night. Vox exists to provide a platform for people to discover their passions and exercise creative expressions to benefit the community. Contact Linda.Fox@voxculture.org on how you can leverage your skills today!

e. CORE TEAM FIELD TRIP 8/25 - The Last Organic Outpost

Interested in getting a taste of what the Core Team is about? Join us for a field trip to The Last Organic Outpost for a fun tour, hands-on experience, and picnic on Sat 8/25 from 10-1:30PM! RSVP to Alissa.Kit@voxculture.org

About: A continuously expanding urban farm, The Last Organic Outpost started as a simple backyard garden of Joe Nelson Icet. Looking for direction and a sense of community, Joe studied permaculture and with the help of his son, Keldren, he began to create a backyard garden that officially became called The Last Organic Outpost in 2003. As its community of friends and volunteers continued to grow over the years, in 2008, artist Dan Phillips would donate a gazebo he had made of recycled materials, and the traveling art group Transit Antenna climbed atop the old rice warehouse and painted a giant onion mural and the words 'Farm Art'. While this design would later become the group’s logo, what was vital about this moment was that it had led to a new chapter for The Last Organic Outpost; a place that allowed for the fusion of farm and art. Their fun culture is described in the following statement, "We like to gather on weekends to play in the dirt, plant and share meals at the picnic tables by the ponds. We eat live food from the garden and use mustard leaves as dinner plates, so bring your own fork!"
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Lastly, SPECIAL THANKS to the Rice MBA Team: Ryan Allen, Clif Giles, Matt Marquart and Dane Roberts for their time and efforts in designing an Integrated Marketing Communications strategy plan for Vox. We are grateful for their suggestions and look forward to rolling out with the new ad campaigns. Stay tuned :)

Be sure to "LIKE" us on Facebook to stay updated on our adventures!

Vox Conspiracy Goes to the Movies: "Ai Wei Wei: Never Sorry"

On the evening of Friday, August 3rd, Vox Culture invited some volunteers and friends to the advanced screening of "Ai Wei Wei: Never Sorry" at the Sundance Cinema in downtown Houston. Directed by Alison Klayman, the documentary gives that audience a closer look at, and greater understanding, of China's most celebrated contemporary artist and its most outspoken domestic critic.

Following the screening, Vox Culture hosted an informal Conspiracy discussion, at The Blue Fish Restaurant, with the participants that led to a lively exchange of thoughts and opinions (for nearly two hours!) as to the message and powerful images that were attained from watching the screening. While all agreed that Ai Wei Wei's story was very moving, the participants (some of who were born and raised in China) were left with varying points of view and feelings towards it.

If there is one thing that the Conspiracy discussion highlighted, it is that, one's culture and life experiences will shape the way they think about and view Ai Wei Wei's message: to be a voice for what you believe in.

Welcome Irena Liang - Vox Creative Marketing Coordinator!

Please welcome Irena Liang, our newest Creative Marketing Coordinator! She will be designing visuals / marketing collateral for the organization as well as propelling our partnerships with artists in the city. We look forward to having her on the team!

ABOUT IRENA:

"I just graduated from Texas A&M University (WHOOP!) with a Bachelors of Science in Biology. In addition to a scientist, I am also an artist—which gives me the opportunity to leave my own fingerprints on the world I live in. I believe that Art is anything one experiences which elicits a response. An artist has a built-in audience: one that thirsts to react to inspiration and expression. This is why I feel the responsibility to use my art to speak out for something greater than myself. I hope that being a part of Vox Culture will teach me ways that I can use my skills and apply my passion in the community around me. What I want to develop is a global mindset and the courage to fight for healing, change, and justice. I am described as someone who lives in the world of possibilities, easily being very passionate and excited about things I believe in. My enthusiasm gives me the ability to inspire and motivate others. I think that life is a special gift and I strive to make the most of it."  

1. Favorite type of food? Korean. I love soups. I love variety. I love spicy.

2. What do you do to relax? I paint my nails. I have a ton of nail polish. It’s like a ritual for me. I can spend a really long time on my nails.

3. If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you? The Bible, a note from someone I care about, something to draw with.

4. What makes you laugh? This is probably really odd and specific, but I always laugh when somebody accidentally drops food on the floor. That “splat” or “thump” really gets me going.

5. Three things you can’t stand? Unfriendly cats, onions (onion rings are okay), bug bites.