An Interfaith Coalition, Formed Shortly After the September 11th Attacks, Celebrate their 10th year Anniversary of Working Together
Together We Build, a group of Christian, Jews and Muslims work together to build homes for low-income families on the Eastside.
Habitat for Humanity of East King County will host the 10th Annual Together We Build (TWB) project on September 8-10 and September 15-17, 2011 at their Issaquah Highlands development. This is Thursday through Saturday in the two consecutive weeks surrounding the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which were the initial motivations behind forming TWB.
TWB is an Interfaith Coalition of Christians, Jews, and Muslims seeking to find common ground and learn from one another as they work together to build houses for low-income families in East King County. They have held an annual event each year in pursuit of their mission to show the world that together, we can build a stronger community.
The group has raised $20,000 to $50,000 each year. A portion of the money is used to cover the costs of food preparation during the build and to pay for their web hosting service. The remainder is sent to Habitat for Humanity to fund their homebuilding projects. Over the last ten years, TWB has contributed a total of $438, 531 to Habitat for Humanity’s affordable home building program, providing the funding equivalent of four houses!
Habitat for Humanity of East King County’s Executive Director, Tom Granger is impressed with TWB’s impact on the community. “This group was formed to help create an understanding between people of different faiths,” he said. “The fact that it has not only survived, but thrived for ten years now is amazing. The leadership with Together We Build should really be commended,” he added.
“The Interfaith Service is especially meaningful,” said Dave Sanford, a longtime TWB participant and parishioner at Aldersgate United Methodist church in Bellevue. He said it is planned by the various clergy and includes participation from each of the major faith traditions and by the youth in those traditions. “It is quite an experience to see a Muslim Imam offering prayers in Arabic from the pulpit of a Jewish synagogue to a congregation of all faiths,” said Sanford.“It is our belief that the example of people of many faiths working together sends a lesson for the community. That message honors the victims of 9/11, showing that they were harmed not in the name of religion, but in the perversion of religion.”
This year, the Interfaith Service will be hosted at the IMAN Center located at 515 State Street South in Kirkland on Saturday, September 10, 2011. The program will begin at 5:30 pm, with dinner at 6:30 pm, followed by a Muslim evening prayer at 7:47 pm.
To learn more about Together We Build, visit www.togetherwebuild.org
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