The Celebration

IM Houston, formerly Interfaith Ministries for greater Houston, welcomed guests to its annual Tapestry Gala at the Hilton Americas on Saturday, November 1, 2025. This year’s theme, A Brand New Day, referencing its reimagined brand and its new president and CEO, Sheroo Mukhtiar, invited attendees to celebrate a new chapter of unity, renewal, and purpose, as well as to look ahead to a vibrant and inclusive future for the community. For 60 years, IM Houston has brought people of diverse backgrounds together for dialogue, collaboration, and service, as a demonstration of its shared beliefs and to serve Greater Houston. Miya Shay and Gene Wu and Nihala and Shaukat Zakaria cochaired the event, and Ernie Manouse, host of Hello Houston on Houston PBS, emceed. This year’s Tapestry Honoree was Charlene Chuang and the Spirit of Respect Honoree was Bishop C. Andrew Doyle.

The Story

The over 500 guests in attendance were greeted by mellow music courtesy of Divisi Strings and a diverse gallery of artwork from IM Houston’s Refugee Youth Art Program. They were also given a close-up look at one of IM Houston's Meals on Wheels delivery trucks, just one example of the organization’s many essential services to the community. Entering the ballroom, attendees found it transformed by A Perfect Touch with florals that mimicked the colors of the sunrise, plum linens, and glittering candles—all  suggesting the promise of a new day. After Manouse greeted everyone, Christina Wells, an America’s Got Talent finalist from Houston, entertained guests with a stirring rendition of Hallelujah, and later performed A Million Dreams and This Is Me. Her renditions of I Will Survive and We Are Family, at the end of the evening, inspired impromptu dancing among the guests, with her encouragement. The elegant dinner featured pepper-crusted beef tenderloin, chocolate opera cake, and peppermint chocolate panna cotta.

The Moments

Sonia Vial of Shell USA, Inc., the evening’s Presenting Sponsor, spoke warmly about IM Houston’s mission and its message of hope. Blessings were then offered by children from the Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Bahá’í, and Buddhist traditions. Their message, “May this brand-new day open our hearts . . . together, we welcome this brand-new day!” inspired everyone. Their hopeful words were followed by a tribute to U.S. Representative and former Houston mayor, the late Sylvester Turner. Board Chair of IM Houston, Henry Florsheim, thanked all those responsible for bringing the evening to life. Mukhtiar spoke about her vision for IM Houston’s future, stating it would be grounded in sustainability, compassion, and interfaith collaboration. As the evening progressed, inspiring updates from program representatives were shared underscoring IM Houston’s importance in the community. The 2025 Spirit of Respect Award was presented to Doyle for his decades of faith-driven leadership and service. The 2025 Tapestry Award was presented to Chuang for her vast legacy of service, including leadership roles in IM Houston, the Chinese Community Center, and the Asian Pacific American Heritage Association.

The evening raised $650,000 for IM Houston’s mission to bring people of different faiths together.

Sponsors: Presenting Sponsor: Shell USA, Inc.; Titanium Weaver Sponsors: Karyn and Charles Crisp/EOG Resources and Sysco. Platinum Weaver Sponsors: Susan and Dan Boggio, the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation, Charlene Chuang, Doe and Henry Florsheim, and the Hildebrand Fund. Gold Weaver Sponsors: Agilant Solutions Inc./Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Houston Style Magazine, and MAREK. Silver Weaver Sponsors: Comcast, Susanne and Randall Evans, Frost Bank, GD Energy Products, H-E-B, Roberta and Erik Konicki, Paula Sutton and Bill Gross/Joyce and Ambassador Arthur Schechter, TRIO Community Meals, and Nihala and Shaukat Zakaria.

Guests: Honorary Consul of Austria Gerald Seidl, Counsel General of Croatia Phillip Berkowitz, Counsel General of Ukraine Vitalii Tarasiuk, Retired Honorary Consul of Sweden Astrid Marklund, Commissioner Catarina Gonzalez, Susan Boggio, Nadia Tajalli and Dr. Shahin Tavackoli, Karen Labat, David Leebron and Sun Y. Ping, Gracie and Bob Cavnar, Gordan Quan, Lily and Charles Foster, Sandra Smith-Cooper, Brigitte Kalai, Farida Abjani, Doe and Henry Florsheim, Lisa Helfman and Lee Haverman, Susanne and Randall Evans, Kristyn and Francis Page Jr., Philamena Baird, Paula Sutton and Bill Gross, Ann and Ron Kaesermann, Mandy Kao, Christina Zhou, Terri Wang, Alice Mao, and Robert Sakowitz.

About IM Houston 

A United Way partner, IM Houston brings people of diverse faith traditions together for dialogue, collaboration and service, as a demonstration of their shared beliefs. IM Houston provides the following services: Meals on Wheels and Animeals delivers meals and more to 3,500 homebound seniors and their pets; Refugee Services works with documented refugees as they resettle and become self-sufficient in the community; Interfaith Relations hosts dialogue and service opportunities that foster understanding, respect, and engagement; and Volunteer Houston connects volunteers with nonprofit needs across the region.

For more information, please visit imhouston.org.