DEI Corner – Nov 1

This week kicks off Houston Methodist’s campaign to support United Way! Our campaign will run from Nov. 1 – 12, but you can donate until Dec. 31. We are so excited about the opportunity to help improve and support the community where we live and work.

Join Houston Methodist’s campaign by committing to donate at least $1 per paycheck through payroll deductions. Although it may not seem like much, a donation as small as one dollar a paycheck could have a significant impact on the lives of those who struggle to have the necessities of life. Your contribution has the power to make a real difference!

Click here to schedule a payroll deduction through MARS. You can also make a direct credit card donation. If you prefer to use your smartphone, simply text HMGIVES to 51555 to donate. You can personalize your donation by designating an agency to receive your donation.

The silent auction opens today! Click here to see the incredible items. Also, we will have three drawings throughout the campaign for those who sign up for Payroll Deduction, and lastly, the hospital that has the highest percentage of employees to donate ($5 or more) will receive an HM United Way campaign party.

Our Community; our Action; our Commitment! Diwali or Deepavali is the five-day Festival of Lights. The biggest holiday of the year is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world. Diwali stretches back more than 2,500 years. It is a festival of new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil, and light over darkness.

Traditions

• Many lights and oil lamps are lit on the streets and in houses
• People visit their relatives and have feasts
• Fireworks and festivities are an essential part of the occasion
• Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, is worshipped as the bringer of blessings for the new year

Day 1 — Dwadashi – Dhanteras
People clean their homes and shop for gold or kitchen utensils to help bring good fortune.

Day 2 — Trayodashi – Choti Diwali
The second day is when people start decorating their homes. Many families will put up string lights and start creating their rangoli, which are intricate designs placed on the floors of homes.

Day 3 — Amavasya – Diwali
On the festival’s main day, families gather together for Lakshmi puja, a prayer to Goddess Lakshmi, followed by mouth-watering feasts and firework festivities.

Day 4 — Pratipada – Padwa
The fourth day of celebrations is dedicated to the love between husband and wife.

Day 5 — Dwitiya – Bhai Dooj
The last day of celebrations is dedicated to brothers and sisters. To celebrate their bond, sisters perform a special ceremony for their brothers for their protection. Brothers give presents to their sisters.

Night of Broken Glass
Next week we remember one of many saddest days in history. On Nov. 9 – 10, 1938, during an incident known as “Kristallnacht,” violent mobs in Germany torched approximately 7,500 synagogues, vandalized Jewish homes, schools and businesses and killed close to 100 Jews. In the aftermath of Kristallnacht, also called the “Night of Broken Glass,” some 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to Nazi concentration camps.