Dear Friends,

We hope this message finds you safe and well. In the wake of Hurricane Beryl, the Institute for Spirituality and Health, along with partnering organizations in the Greater Houston Healing Collaborative (GHHC), are answering the call to action. We are in a position to once again respond to the psychosocial needs of our impacted neighbors by supporting the felt need for mental health support across our area.

This focused effort will help to foster a sense of peace and resilience during these trying times by teaching evidence based mind-body skills. With you, our network of compassionate hearts, we are preparing to once again launch a series of virtual and in-person support groups and workshops. With experience from past disaster responses, we know that together we can make a positive and necessary impact addressing so many Houstonians.

The anchor program for our Center for Body, Spirit, and Mind, the GHHC emerged following Hurricane Harvey. A collaborative of organizations, partnering with the Center for Mind Body Medicine, trained over 120 facilitators who have, to date, touched the lives of more than 30,000 individuals across Houston. Since then, our Collaborative has been a beacon of hope and healing during the Covid-19 pandemic, providing support groups for medical professionals and other essential workers and first responders. We have faced challenges together before, and we have risen to meet them, transforming lives through dedicated effort.

Our collective strength, compassion, and resources are more vital than ever in addressing both immediate and long-term mental health responses to this disastrous storm. Facilitators are standing by and we will stand up as many groups and workshops as possible, both in person and virtually, with an emphasis on the region’s most impacted communities. Individuals can learn more and register at www.houstonhealing.org.

The mission of The Institute for Spirituality and Health is to enhance well-being by exploring the relationship between spirituality and health. The Institute advances this mission by engaging in education, research, and direct service programs, guided by its four centers of excellence: the Rabbi Samuel E. Karff Center for Healthcare Professionals, the Center for Body, Spirit, and Mind, the Center for End of Life and Aging, and the Center for Faith and Public Health. For more information about The Institute, visit https://www.spiritualityandhealth.org.

With hope and gratitude,

Aproteem Choudhury

Director, Greater Houston Healing Collaborative

Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center