Homey Event: Interfaith Ministries Hosts Virtual Gala

Dressed in comfortable leggings and a t-shirt, hair pulled into a messy ponytail, sans shoes or makeup, I was ready to attend Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston’s Tapestry Gala. While the typical gala attire would normally have included a nice dress, high heels and effort spent on hair and makeup, I had dressed per the requested attire – PJs or loungewear. 

Interfaith Ministries’ annual gala was scheduled for Weds., April 22, and when the coronavirus pandemic hit, it became clear the scheduled in-person event couldn’t happen as planned. Rather than cancelling the much-anticipated gala, IM president and CEO Martin B. Cominsky made the decision to proceed with the gala – virtually. 

Interfaith Ministries delivered a dining experience for guests to enjoy at home, including a salad, bread, entree, dessert and wine. Dinner was delivered in a refrigerated bag, complete with Purell, and a special inclusion - the April issue of The Buzz.  

The online experience was complemented by the addition of a delicious, gala-style dinner (a meal that I didn’t have to cook!), which included a salad, bread and butter, a main dish, dessert and wine. Yes, Interfaith Ministries’ team of Meals on Wheels drivers delivered a dining experience for guests to enjoy at home while participating in the virtual gala. In addition, throughout the event, there was an interactive chat option, which allowed guests to engage with each other through text. 

Four hundred supporters participated in the virtual gala, raising more than $525,000 for IM’s services, which includes Meals on Wheels/Animeals, Refugee Services, Interfaith Relations and Community Partnerships and Volunteer Houston. The Meals on Wheels program, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, has increased its frequency, delivering weekly to 4,300 homebound seniors. 

While participants cozily wined and dined from home while hearing about IM’s work, particularly during the coronavirus crisis, the theme of being safe at home permeated through the program. Kenneth Gayle beautifully performed Home from the movie The Wiz. SheVon Jacobs performed A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman, which includes lyrics such as “I close my eyes and I can see / A world that's waiting up for me / That I call my own / Through the dark, through the door / Through where no one's been before / But it feels like home . . . .” Gayle and Jacobs along with the Rev. Michael Gott and the UNITY BAND from Unity of Houston performed a beautiful rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Water, which also felt timely. 

The presentation concluded with closing remarks by Cominsky, credits and video outtakes along with funny video bloopers, such as IM board chair Franklin J. Harberg, Jr., waving goodbye in his bathrobe and encouraging us to all stay home.

Check out Interfaith Ministries and its services here.  

Editor’s note: The Buzz Magazines was proud to be a media sponsor of the Tapestry Gala.