19 Nov The Alliance hosts 3rd Annual United We Dine
The Alliance hosts 3rd Annual United We Dine Fundraiser
Event highlighted Houston’s cultural diversity and raised funds to support the organization’s work in the community
The Alliance hosted its third annual United We Dine fundraising event on Thursday, November 14th at Kim Son Bellaire Ballroom to celebrate Houston’s rich diversity and raise funds to support its work empowering refugees, immigrants, and other underserved communities in the Greater Houston area.
The unique event welcomed 375 guests who enjoyed samplings of international cuisine from 15 local food and beverage vendors as well as diverse musical and dance acts.
Caterpillar was recognized as the 2019 Corporate Ambassador. Caterpillar staff members serve as regular volunteers for The Alliance’s community events and the Caterpillar Foundation is providing funding for The Alliance’s Commercial Driver’s License training program. The Alliance also honored Cynthia Cisneros and Houston City Council Member Mike Laster as the 2019 Community Ambassadors for their tenured service to the community. The La Family, owner of Kim Son Restaurants, was also recognized.
Cynthia Cisneros, who recently retired after a 30-year career at ABC13 KTRK, served as the Mistress of Ceremonies. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner provided brief remarks to recognize The Alliance’s work in the community and to highlight that the city’s strength comes from its diversity.
Participating food vendors included Kim Son, Churrascos, Plant It Forward Farms, Ginga Cottage, Land and Sea Sushi, Aling’s Chinese Bistro, Mezban, Layal, Fadi’s, Chefs in the City, Afghan Village Restaurant, Sweets by Belen, and Suzie’s Pastry Shoppe. Afghan Village was the crowd favorite and took home the People’s Choice Award.
The food vendors represented businesses owned by Houstonians of refugee and immigrant backgrounds such as: Belen Bailey, owner of Sweets By Belen, an immigrant from Peru who created Sweets by Belen in honor of her mother and grandmother. Her desserts are made from scratch using tropical fruits inspired by the traditions of Peru and South America. Fadi Dimassi, chef, manager, and founder of the Fadi’s Mediterranean Grill restaurants, was born and raised in Lebanon. He began training at his family’s restaurants when he was just 19 and he has expanded the family business to serve Mediterranean cuisine here in the United States in both the Houston and Dallas areas.
Entertainers included oud player Zubair Al Awadi, Cookie Joe’s Dancin’ School, Mexican Folkloric Dancer Stephanie Hernandez, Dhadak Dance Class, and Jaz Creationz.
The event was sponsored by The Select Center for Economic Opportunity, Rupani Foundation, Wong Fleming, Ally-IT, The Patel Group, Baylor College of Medicine, CORE Realty, Hillcroft Physicians, Stewart Title, APAHA, Caterpillar, Spectrum Uniforms, Cue, and Patel PC Attorneys at Law.
The Host Committee included Neel Patel, Munir Ibrahim, Laquitta DeMerchant, Ken DeMerchant, Dr. Hamid Razavi, Rupani Foundation, and Shaukat Zakaria.
Proceeds from the night support The Alliance programs that provide services to refugees, immigrants, and underserved communities in Houston. For more than 34 years, The Alliance has helped thousands of Houstonians gain access to the resources they need to achieve self-sufficiency and improve their quality of life. In 2018, the organization served over 10,000 residents through 17 unique programs helping community members go from surviving to thriving.
See more photos here.