How The Alliance Helps Underserved Houstonians
HOUSTON: Amani Kwizera came to the United States as a young refugee after he and his family were forced to flee their home in Congo-Brazzaville. Once in Houston, he struggled to adjust to his new school and culture in the United States.
Dressing up for The Alliance’s Afghan refugee event.
During his sophomore year of high school, Kwizera joined a program that changed his life. Kwizera enrolled in The Alliance’s Kijana Youth Program, an after-school enrichment program that supports children from immigrant and refugee communities. With support from his Kijana youth counselor, Kwizera was able to receive tutoring assistance, develop his confidence, and gain the professional skills to successfully secure his very first summer job. He was proud to work with India House Houston where he helped organize children and cultural activities.
“That first summer job marked the beginning of my professional network. Making connections with people in the office and maintaining those relationships gave me the opportunity to learn about the business, countries, and culture from people all over the world,” said Kwizera.
The Alliance staff and volunteers with the Cardonation program.
Now excelling in both his career and academic life, Kwizera has already received a scholarship to attend college. He hopes to one day go to medical school and become a general surgeon.
Each year, The Alliance serves thousands of residents just like Kwizera get connected to resources and support they need to meet their goals. The Alliance’s mission is to create opportunities for refugees, immigrants, and underserved residents to attain self-sufficiency and improve their quality of life. The organization has offices throughout the Greater Houston area and is proud to have a multicultural staff that speaks over 30 different languages, helping meet the unique cultural and linguistic needs of our diverse community members.
Founded in 1985, The Alliance provides broad range of comprehensive social services, including disaster recovery, refugee services, financial counseling, small business assistance, driver’s education, vocational training, mental health services, and more. Throughout the year, The Alliance also hosts special community events, such as its annual Back to School Drive that provides school supplies and essential resources to 3,000 students and their families with support from corporate donors and community volunteers. The Alliance also hosts an annual Refugee Mental Health & Wellness Conference that brings together professionals, policy experts, and leaders from across the world.
Families receive school supplies as part of the Back to School Drive.
In 2021, The Alliance served 8,000 community members through its direct service programs and over 16,000 residents through special donation drives and recovery efforts.
Most recently, The Alliance resettled over 1,200 Afghan refugees to help them rebuild their lives in Houston. The organization also administered the Eviction Intervention Program in partnership with the City of Houston and Harris County to provide more than $10 million in rental assistance to community members impacted by COVID-19.
The Alliance will hosts its annual gala United We Dine on September 15. The event celebrates Houston’s diversity with cultural performances and foods from around the world. To learn more about The Alliance and ways to support the organization, visit www.TheAllianceTX.org or follow the organization on social media @thealliancetx.