In San Antonio, COPS/ Metro Alliance succeeded in getting their city council to adopt a resolution opposing Arizona's immigration law and communicating to Texas state legislators that such a law would not be tolerated in San Antonio.

Over 500 participating delegates pledged institutional dues this year with an additional funds leveraged from local businesses. This was the last assembly as a sponsoring committee, which started as an African American Baptist group and transformed itself into a diverse collective of a wide array of institutions.

Even as Louisiana was still recovering from Katrina, Hurricanes Rita and Ike battered the Texas Gulf Coast, leading TMO to establish Gulf Coast Interfaith as an institution to tackle post-hurricane issues.

Not only did the effort result in the replacement of hundreds of roofs of the lowest-income families, leaders also ensured that recovery funds went to the counties that needed them the most --  thus increasing recovery funds for low-income and elderly families devastated by the storms.

Click here for 2009 Texas Houser Award.