The CompassionNET

Compassionate cities are filled with compassionate people. They are also home to compassionate schools, businesses, compassionate health care providers, compassionate faith communities, compassionate neighborhoods and compassionate not-for-profits. Is San Antonio a compassionate city? We think we are, but we also dream that we can work together to become a model compassionate city, recognized throughout the world as the heart of Texas.

The CompassionNET is not a new organization: it is a network of individuals and organizations who believe in compassion and believe in San Antonio. Join us!

Abode Contemplative Care for the Dying is an Interfaith organization created to provide a home for people in need at the end of life. Abode serves the community as an educational resource in the art of contemplative living and dying.

Formed in 2011 and based in San Antonio, Texas, Awaaz  (meaning “voice” in  Hindi and Urdu), is a 501c3 non-profit organization that advocates peace, promotes healthy relationships and assists families to break the cycle of violence. Awaaz focuses its efforts on supplementing and complementing existing services and acting as a bridge between these services and the people who may need them.  Awaaz has developed close working relationships with local mainstream agencies, as well as organizations working with South Asians across the country.

The Council on American Islamic Ralations‘ (CAIR) mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Since opening their house in 1985, the Catholic Worker House has sought to provide care, comfort, and support to individuals who are homeless, poor, marginalized and in need of food and other basic services. They do their work following the philosophy of the Catholic Worker Movement which emphasizes faith-centered action, personalism, community building, nonviolence, simple living, and a respect for the environment.

The Community Alliance for a United San Antonio — CAUSA — was formed in 2011 as a non-partisan coalition of groups and individuals whose aim is to promote LGBT non-discrimination laws and policies within the City of San Antonio and Bexar County. It does so by engaging in strategic advocacy, community organizing, and relationship building.

Celebration Circle is an inclusive, multi-faith community with a creative approach to spirituality. They honor and nurture the Sacred in ourselves, each other and all Creation.

The Center for Formative Action and Reflection — CFAR — is a holistic center that connects, supports, nourishes and trains individuals who serve in front line community organizations.

The Chow Train is a non-profit food truck that feeds quality and healthy meals to the homeless, hungry, and beyond.

Jointly sponsored by the Congregation of Divine Providence and Our Lady of the Lake University, the Center for Women in Church and Society is rooted in the belief that where women thrive, all of God’s creation thrives. They  provide an environment–physical, spiritual, and virtual–in which campus and community women support each other in living lives of physical, mental, and spiritual abundance, and in which they join with men of their campus and community to advocate for systems and policies that enable lives of abundance for women around the world.

Through the shared ethics and knowledge of parents and educators, the Circle School cultivates a thriving and compassionate community while individualizing education, fostering a lifelong love of learning, and providing the confidence and leadership skills needed to become impactful citizens of the world.

The San Antonio Coalition Against Genocide (SACAG) is committed to educating people in San Antonio to advocate for and offer humanitarian aid to victims of genocide and mass atrocities.  SACAG organizes a community Walk Against Genocide each April.

Common Space is an interfaith community committed to sharing values across the faith traditions. Our membership consists of lay & religious people from diverse nations and faiths. We aim to share space together, literally and metaphorically.

The San Antonio Community of Congregations is to facilitate the unification of the San Antonio faith community in ministry and service to the benefit of the people of our city and surrounding counties.

The Congregation of Divine Providence Sisters envision a world in which, through Christ, God’s way of justice, peace, freedom and love is manifest among all people and all creation.

Compassionate San Antonio is a grassroots movement to have San Antonio, Texas recognized as a world-class compassionate city: one where the civic government, the religious and volunteer organizations, the businesses, the community and its educational institutions come together to recognize the importance and value of compassion in the life of a city and by doing so create an ethos of compassion and a safety net for its most vulnerable citizens.

Dare to Listen in an initiative of Texas Public Radio. A courageous group of local citizens united around the collective mission of active listening. Take action. To listen is risky. To not listen is riskier.

Dialogue Institute Southwest (formerly known as the Institute of Interfaith Dialog) grew out of the need to address the question, “How can citizens of the world live in peace and harmony?” The Institute was established in 2002 as a 501-c-3 non-profit educational organization by Turkish-Americans and their friends. Its mission is to promote mutual understanding, respect and cooperation among people of diverse faiths and cultures by creating opportunities for direct communication and meaningful shared experiences.

Dignity/San Antonio works for respect and justice for people of all sexual orientations, genders, and gender identities—especially gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons—in the Catholic Church and the world through education, advocacy, and support.

DreamWeek is a 12 day celebration of events in January that fosters the exchange of ideas on universal issues in order to promote tolerance, equality, and diversity.

The Ecumenical Center for Religion and Health provides faith-based counseling and education to help people find healing, growth and wellness. Since 1967 they have served as a community catalyst, bringing together community leaders in the research, education, medical and health professions.

The people of Esperanza dream of a world where everyone has civil rights and economic justice, where the environment is cared for, where cultures are honored and communities are safe. The Esperanza advocates for those wounded by domination and inequality — women, people of color, the lesbian, gay, trans and queer community, the working class and poor. They believe in creating bridges between people by exchanging ideas and educating and empowering each other.

Living out the reconciling and radical Love of Christ, members of Episcopal Church of Reconciliation are catalysts and connectors unleashing God’s abundance to bless and transform their selves, their neighborhood, and our world.

The Ettling Center for Civic Leadership develops leaders who promote social justice in partnership with diverse local and global communities.

The Final Acts Project is a community-based health education initiative that serves as a catalyst to stimulate end-of-life discussions, planning, and legacy-building through the theater, creative arts and the humanities.

The First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio is a community of radical love and acceptance with theological exploration, lifelong learning, and social justice at the core.

Haven for Hope Spiritual Services actively engages the 1,350 San Antonio congregations of all faiths to offer support to those most in need.

The Hare Krishna Temple of San Antonio provides meditation, catering, yoga, cooking classes, workshop, and Bhakti yoga.

Founded by psychologists, the Institute for the Advancement of Mindful Living (IAML) brings the authentic dialogue about our shared human struggles out of our private offices into the public arena.They disseminate information about effective and positive alternatives for healthy living to practitioners and the public alike.

InterfaithINC, through the University of the Incarnate Word, creates a compassionate environment for people of all faiths, where value systems, culture and faith life are publicly shared for the promotion of understanding, acceptance and valuing of diversity towards a more peaceful, loving community.

The Interfaith Welcome Coalition (IWC) is a broad network of community organizations, faith networks and concerned individuals that came together in the summer of 2014 in response to the large number of refugees arriving in Texas. Their work especially focuses on women and children seeking asylum in the United States. In addition to direct support, IWC advocates in local, state, and federal governments to push for the end of family imprisonment.

Since 1996 the Interreligious Council of San Antonio has fostered awareness of religious diversity and promoted interreligious understanding in San Antonio.

Jewish Voice for Peace is a diverse and democratic community of activists inspired by Jewish tradition to work together for peace, social justice, and human rights. They support the aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians for security and self-determination.

Masjid Bilal Ibn Ra’bah of San Antonio is a fully functioning Islamic religious institution, a model community, that serves the needs of its members in the fullest sense, not leaving anything of value out. It has a commitment to interfaith relations.

The Mexican American Catholic College (MACC) empowers and educates leaders for service in a culturally diverse church and society by offering a bi-literate, multicultural formation program that can lead to a BA and an MA in Pastoral Ministry. It is a living reality that is expressed in relationships of mutual respect, daily prayer, a commitment to social justice and global solidarity, and an ongoing dialogue between faith and reason.

The Mind Science Foundation explores the vast potential of the human mind in a scientific manner, for the betterment of humankind. Current areas of focus include supporting the search for an answer to one of the major questions of modern science – the puzzle of human consciousness. They do this by funding leading-edge research and educational programs focused on the mind, brain and human consciousness, all with the goal of improving the human condition.

The mission of the Muslim Children Education & Civic Center/MCECC is to organize and reinvigorate the Muslim Community of San Antonio by imparting a strong Islamic education to all, with a particular emphasis on the youth. They strive to bring civic awareness, the desire for service, and leadership to our San Antonio community so that their youth may service as proud Muslim Americans leaders. MCECC continuously networks and engages with non-Muslim community for the purpose of forging a better understanding of each other beliefs and faith so that we may all serve humanity.

Established in 1993 as a non-profit 501(C)(3) organization, the Muslim American Society of San Antonio (MAS) is a dynamic charitable, religious, social, cultural, and educational, organization. Over the past two decades, MAS has expanded to more than 50 chapters across the United States. MAS offers unique programs and services that seek to better the individual and in turn, the greater society by imparting Islamic knowledge, promoting community service, engaging in political activism, and much more.

NOWCastSA promotes and facilitates an inclusive civic conversation by empowering neighbors to identify common issues and share information through education, training, community news, events and multimedia.

Oblate School of Theology, founded and sponsored by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, is a Catholic graduate and professional school which provides education for the church’s mission and ministry in the world. The institution prepares persons for pastoral ministry through academic study and supervised practice.

Inspired by Catholic values and the heritage of the founding Congregation of Divine Providence, Our Lady of the Lake University is a community called to transform individuals as they discover their purpose in life. We aspire to be nationally recognized for our distinctive programs, our expertise in Mexican American culture, and our diverse graduates who lead and serve with faith and wisdom to improve the world.

ONE Mindful Maven connects with educators, students, and families to create a space that is conducive to spreading the vision of expanding mindfulness practices in daily lives, the educational sector, business practices, and the community at large.

Grounded in the Gospel and Catholic social teaching, Pax Christi San Antonio is a branch of an international membership organization that rejects war, preparation for war, every form of violence and domination, and personal and systemic racism.

Since 1995, the all-volunteer and interfaith peaceCENTER continues to be a significant community catalyst for peace in San Antonio, Texas. Compassion and Justice are our strong guiding lights. Contemplative Practices, Experiential Education, and Nonviolent Actions are our working expressions throughout the community at large.

The mission of the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative (Putting An End to Abuse through Community Efforts) is to educate the community about the extent, and often-deadly consequences of domestic violence and to respond effectively through collaborative efforts.

Parents, Families , Friends and Allies United with the LGBTQ community — PFLAG —promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons, their families, and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and secure equal civil rights.

The mission of The Center – Pride Center San Antonio is to serve the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV communities by connecting them and their families to community resources and organizations related to health, wellness, support, education, activities, and advocacy.

San Antonio Mennonite Church is an open, family-friendly, singles-friendly church. Their worship focuses on God’s presence with us. Their preaching is centered on Christ and the Bible. They are committed to serve those in need, to speak out against injustice, and to work for reconciliation between all people.

The San Antonio chapter of Texas Interfaith Power & Light is a network for members of all faiths in the greater San Antonio area to be stewards of the earth by responding to global warming through the promotion of energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy through education, service and advocacy. We connect the wisdom of our diverse faith traditions to environmental care and justice.

Via education, the Sankofa Institute for African American Pastoral Leadership fosters within Church leaders an understanding and appreciation of African Americans’ contributions to the entirety of faith, life, and witness. It is based at Oblate School of Theology.

The Texas Drought Project is a non-profit organization founded to educate Texans on the connections between drought and climate change. They bring the latest research on these issues to the discussion, from peer-reviewed and well-respected sources.

The mission of the Tibetan Center for World Peace San Antonio is to bring peace to the world by providing authentic Buddhist teachings to all individuals who are seeking to increase their wisdom and compassion for the ​benefit of all beings.

A ministry of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, Women’s Global Connection promotes the learning and leadership capacity of women locally and globally, to strengthen families and communities and work for transformative change, by fostering innovative partnerships that support catalytic projects linking women and girls to education, technology, and business opportunities.