This article was originally published on Preston Hollow People. You can access the original article here.
by Maria Lawson
Rabbi Nancy Kasten, chief relationship officer at Faith Commons, works to develop relationships for the interfaith nonprofit and build on ones she’s established during her 35 years in Dallas.
She coordinates conversations among different faiths regarding issues such as voter protection, welcoming of refugees and asylum seekers, access to reproductive health care, and free speech protection among others.
Her advocacy earned our admiration, making her Preston Hollow People’s Person of the Year.
“I love meeting people … and also connecting people to each other to work on issues, people who may not know each other already (or) may not know what each other is doing to address the same issues, ” Kasten said.
She’s recently been involved in a Faith Commons initiative to address food insecurity in South Dallas through sustainable solutions. The nonprofit has convened people from organizations and agencies addressing food insecurity to bring fresh produce, healthy food, and nutrition education through local gardens, corner stores, and bodegas.
Her involvement with Faith Commons came shortly after it was founded by Dr. George Mason in 2018.
“It was just a way to do everything that I was already doing but with an incredible platform and resources,” she said. “And of course, George has his own wonderful reputation in the community and his own relationships that could be built upon.”
Interfaith work is especially important now for Americans to work together in the interest of the country’s founding principles—freedom of religion and the welcoming of people from different faith traditions—Kasten says.
Continue reading this article here (page 12).