T Spring-cleaning is almost near and the Refugee Donation Drive needs your help. Springtime has come and and many residents of the Montrose Houston area will be doing some spring cleaning on their homes and attics. In line with this seasonal tradition, Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, or better known as IM, needs your kind help and support with the first ever Second Hand for a Second Chance Donation Drive to give help, aid, support and benefit to Refugee Services. There are many newly settled refugees who are in need of your help in the form of gently used furniture, kitchenware, house ware, or even clothing.

Interfaith Ministries’ Refugee Services offers relocation services to the numerous newly arrived refugees. This happens with the help of private contracts and grants. However, their funding is restricted and they are in great need of furniture, kitchenware, house ware, and clothing items. You can help them alleviate the burdens that these newcomers face as they adapt to the American community by supporting this donation drive. You may get in touch with Interfaith Ministries by visiting their event page at www.imgh.org

So if you’re willing to help, you can. These newcomers are in need and helping them will a great work of charity. They will certainly appreciate your help and they may be able to start a new life with what you can offer to them. The drop-off will be scheduled on the 29^th of April 2011 from 9 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon and on the 30^th of April 2011 at 9 in the morning until 12 noon. Second Hand for a Second Chance Donation Drive will happen at 3217 Montrose, Houston, Tx 77006. You can do something to help. Be there at the Refugee Donation Drive and give them a second chance with all your second hand items.

The Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston hosts its third annual Tapestry Gala on May 3rd 2011 at the Hilton Americas-Houston. The event will celebrate Houston’s great diversity in cultures, ethnicities and faith traditions. Guests will enjoy a fabulous dinner and program along with the evening’s musical entertainment provided by Kenneth Gayle productions. Philamena and Arthur Baird chair the event with Peggy and Bill Barnett and Jan Duncan as honorary chairs. The Honorable Arthur L. Schechter and The Honorable Fred S. Zeidman will both receive the 2011 Tapestry Award. The award recognizes a community leader who has shown remarkable dignity through tangible work for the betterment of Houston and the world. Additionally, a tribute will be given to lifetime board member Rabbi Roy Walter.

Proceeds from the gala benefit Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, a local non-profit organization that brings people of diverse faith traditions together for dialogue, collaboration and service. The organization provides four main services to the Houston area including Meals on Wheels for Greater Houston, Refugee Resettlement Services, Disaster Preparedness and Interfaith Dialogue. More information can be found at www.imgh.org.

Mark your calendars as CTC takes great pride in announcing that William Shakespeare’s King Lear will be coming to town soon. CTC will be having a collaborative effort with the Prague Shakespeare Festival to produce William Shakespeare’s epic piece. This will certainly be an amazing show that all enthusiasts of Shakespeare should never dare miss. See the show and you will absolutely be entertained. The show is adapted and directed by the Prague Shakespeare Festival’s Artistic Director Guy Roberts, and this production will star actors hailing from both the Czech Republic and Montrose Houston. The show will be running at both Monstrose Houston and then at Prague after a few weeks.

The show is tailored from Shakespeare’s work of the same name. It has been widely known as Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy. It is also declared as the world’s greatest English play ever written. Truly an epic adventure, King Lear is the ravaging tale of an aging ruler whose choice to divide his kingdom between his three daughters to help avoid a “future strife” only succeeds in starting an avalanche of greed, betrayal and ruthlessness. Join his journey and discover the truth behind the tale. Come and see Shakespeare’s most classic tragedy in motion. Don’t miss this amazing production by Guy Roberts.

The production will have several show dates from the 21^st, 22^nd, 23^rd, 24^th, 25^th of April and on the 1^st of May. See the show at the Main Street Theater – Chelsea Market (4617 Montrose Blvd., Houston, TX). Tickets will be available online and may be bought by visiting www.classicaltheatre.org. Get your tickets now and see the one of the world’s greatest English-language play ever written. Join the king on his heroic journey divide his kingdom to stop what the future strife. See it all only at King Lear.

CTC is very proud to announce a collaborative production with the Prague Shakespeare Festival (PSF), in the form of William Shakespeare’s King Lear. Adapted and directed by PSF Artistic Director Guy Roberts, this production will combine both Czech and Houston area actors. The show will run both in Houston and then subsequently in Prague a few weeks later.

Widely acknowledged as Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy and one of the greatest English-language plays ever written, King Lear is the devastating story of an aging monarch whose decision to divide his kingdom between his three daughters to prevent “future strife” only succeeds in sparking an avalanche of greed, betrayal and ruthlessness.

Show dates are: April 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, May 1 at the Main Street Theater – Chelsea Market (4617 Montrose Blvd., Houston, TX).

To buy your tickets visit: www.classicaltheatre.org.

The Montrose Houston Community Explore welcomes “The Skin Renewal Center” to our local Montrose Business Directory. Visit our Business Directory for a full list of vendors and companies in Montrose Houston.

Springtime is here, and many of use in the Montrose Houston area will be spring cleaning our homes and attics. In light of this seasonal tradition, Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston (IM) needs your help with the first Second Hand for a Second Chance Donation Drive to benefit Refugee Services. Newly settled refugee sare in need of your gently used furniture, kitchenware, housewares, and clothing.

IM’s Refugee Services provides resettlement services to newly-arrived refugees. This is possible through private contracts and grants. Unfortunately, their funding is limited and they are in dire need of furniture and other household items. There is a need to alleviate the burdens that these newcomers face as they adapt to American society.

The drop-off times will be on April 29th (9am-5pm) and April 30th (9am-12pm) at Interfaith Ministries (3217 Montrose, Houston, TX). If you would like more information please contact Alva Sanchez at 713-533-4931 or visit the Interfaith’s events page at: www.imgh.org/events

With Montrose being an area so rich in art and culture I am sure there are a bunch of artist out there who would like to participate in an art contest. The University of St. Thomas International Studies Society is encouraging you to submit your piece by April 12, 2011. The theme is: Peace. What’s it to you?

You can enter any of your drawings, paintings or photos. Please submit your material to Diana Garcia at Tiller Hall (4004 Yoakum Houston, TX) or by email to eunedav@gmail.com. For more information about the prizes or guidelines contact Earl David at 830-275-6378.

All the best with your art projects!