Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County

03/04/2026

Blessed Holi from the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County!

02/18/2026

The Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County (I4C) celebrates our vast diversity! We especially recognize and celebrate that all of February is Black History Month.

*February 15 was the Hindu Holy celebration of Maha Shivaratri.
*February 15 was also a Holy Day in Buddism, Parinirvana Day.
*February 17 marked the New Lunar Year of the Fire Horse.
*February 17 was also the first evening of Ramadan for our Muslim friends.
*And today, February 18, is Ash Wednesday - the first day of Lent for Christians.

I4C recognizes how this diverse and rich tapestry of faith and holy days culturally enriches all of our lives. May our lives continue to be blessed by our learning from each other, by our building bridges, and by our consistent seeking of knowledge and wisdom from our own faith traditions and that of other faith traditions as well.

And may peace prevail on Earth. 🌏🙏🏽🌎☮️🌍

01/30/2026

Yesterday (January 28, 2026), the Red Cross of Contra Costa County honored the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County as a valued Community Partner. Along with Executive Director, Dr. Karen Hernandez, Governing Board members, Dr. Ejaz Naqvi and Biff Barnard graciously accepted the certificate.

Dr. Hernandez offered these thoughts ...
"The Red Cross is an integral entity, offering emergency services to anyone and everyone when disaster strikes. I'm often humbled when I'm reminded that many nights, in the middle of the night, Red Cross volunteers are woken up and within minutes, are assisting someone who has experienced a fire, flood, or something where their entire life has changed and they need help. This immediate act of compassion and empathy is beautiful and encouraging. I'm so appreciative that the Red Cross has honored I4C in this way. We will continue our collaborative efforts with the Red Cross well into the future by partnering in blood drives, disaster preparedness exercises, and so much more. Thank you to the Red Cross of Contra Costa County for this recognition!"

01/08/2026

In honor of World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW), the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County (I4C) is pleased to invite you to our event ~

Narratives Matter: The Importance of Understanding How Our Stories Can Create Peaceful Tomorrows

Register to join our speakers - I4C Governing Board Chair, Dr. Ejaz Naqvi, Jewish Peace Activist, Dr. David Matz, as well as Moderator and Executive Director of I4C, Dr. Karen Hernandez - for this intimate conversation about how existing narratives shape our understanding of not only the violence in the Middle East, but, how here in the United States, we can better understand those narratives to empower interfaith relationships that will enable us to build more bridges in our own backyard.

Date: Sunday, February 1, 2026
Time: 7:30-9:00PM
Location:
Darul-Islam Mosque
2449 Buena Vista Ave.
Walnut Creek

Space is limited and you must register to attend
Please RSVP here -
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409084EA5AB28ABFF2-61539800-world #/

Questions? Email - [email protected]

12/30/2025

Did you know that the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County is the only interfaith council in the Bay Area (and in much of California), that actively and consistently engages the county's faith communities and faith leaders in grassroots level interfaith peacebuilding efforts?!

It's true! We are also proud to say that our bridge-building not only includes a multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-lingual Staff and Governing Board - but those we serve throughout the county are diverse as well! Muslims, Indigenous, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Jewish, Baha'i, Agnostic, and so many others make up this incredible community that we embrace and support!

As we near the end of 2025, we are grateful for your continued support. We couldn't have made this very successful year happen ... without your gifts and your participation.

Engaging over 600 peacebuilders across the county (including children/youth/young adults), our outstanding programming in 2025 included -

* We served meals
* We gathered over 250 coats for those in need
* We partnered with organizations such as Food for Thought to ensure families have enough food to make it through winter break
* We also partnered with Reimagine Richmond for three Know Your Rights trainings - made possible by a grant from the San Francisco Foundation
* We listened to and celebrated our LGBTQIA+ brothers and sisters during Pride Month
* We enjoyed Iftars and talks during Ramadan
* We learned from speakers that offered perspective(s) on the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Israel
* We continued to re-build relationships with our Muslim and Jewish leaders
* We recognized peacebuilders in the county
* We learned more about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's lasting message from our African American leaders
* We established an important, ongoing partnership with the Multi-Faith ACTION Coalition
* We manifested peace - with music, prayers and a candlelight vigil during World Interfaith Harmony Week

We need your support to continue our work into 2026 and beyond! Please donate here: https://www.interfaithccc.org/donate

Thank you and may peace prevail in our hearts, minds, community, nation, and world.
🙏🏽🌎🌏🌍☮️

12/07/2025

With a countywide youth led effort - today, the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County (I4C), the , as well as - dropped off 245 new and gently used coats of all sizes and for all genders, at . This couldn't have come at a better time as we're already experiencing cold weather in the Bay Area. Next week, Love a Child Missions will hold a holiday event where all the donated coats will be distributed to anyone who needs one. I4C's Executive Director, Dr. Karen Leslie Hernandez commented, "This was a great collaborative effort led by myself, as well as our amazing young adult Governing Board member, Dr. Keemia Shariati. We started collecting at our annual event in October and I was hoping to get more youth involved in Interfaith service projects. We are so grateful to both the San Ramon Valley Islamic Center (SRVIC) and the San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church youth groups who helped collect so many coats, with SRVIC leading the way with 135 coats!! It's never too early to stress the importance of giving back, especially clothing items that keep our neighbors warm and safe. Thank you to all who helped make this possible and to all those who donated coats!"
🙏🏽✨️☮️

11/18/2025

The Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County is hiring an Office Manager!

Office Location: Hillcrest Congregational Church | 404 Gregory Lane | Pleasant Hill, CA.

*This is an in-person position - with the option to work remotely every so often*

Basic Position Information:
• Organize and run the office
• Assist Executive Director, Governing Board, as well as the Elected Council members
• Attend and assist with events and meetings, both in person and on Zoom - many times in the evening, sometimes on weekends
• Average weekly hours - 10-12 hours
* Pay $22 - $25 – Depending on experience

Desired Experience:
1. Experience in using Donor Perfect, SignUp Genius, Canva, MS Office, Google workspace, and Constant Contact
2. Should be well conversant with Mail Merge functionality
3. Should be computer savvy and know how to use Social Media – make posts on behalf of I4C, respond to comments and messages on Social media
4. Experience in website management a plus
4. Must be well experienced in using office equipment such as computer, printer-scanner, copier, phones, shredder, etc.
5. Capable of being in the office at least twice a week, with the option to work remotely when possible.

*Qualified candidates will be considered on a rolling basis and we hope to have this position filled by mid-December for an end of year, beginning of January, start date!*

For the full job description and how to apply, please click the link below.

11/12/2025

Food insecurity is very high at the moment and a full Thanksgiving Dinner is very expensive. Please spread the word that all Locanda Restaurants are graciously offering a complimentary Thanksgiving Dinner for anyone who needs it. Thanksgiving Day, November 27, from 11:00AM-3:00PM.

Locations in Contra Costa County include restaurants in Lafayette, Danville and Brentwood. In Alameda County, there's one in Pleasanton and one in Livermore.🙏🏽❤️🦃😍👏🏽

11/05/2025

If you have a porta crib that you can donate, please reach out to the CCIC!

Anyone have a Porta Crib to donate? We have two families in need and are all out.

10/22/2025

The Multi-faith Action Coalition and the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, in collaboration with Concord Mayor, Carlyn Obringer and Concord Vice Mayor, Laura Nakamura - invite you to attend a United Against Hate Week event, Compassionate Responses Rooted in Faith - United Against Hate. All are welcome to join us in promoting belonging and relationships.

We are all too aware of the steep rise in hate in our nation, state, and communities, and we understand the immediate need for faith and civic leaders to jointly address hatred, polarization and violence. Our program will consist of a panel discussion with leaders from several different faith traditions, as well as a 30-minute breakout session to offer the opportunity for practical discussion amongst everyone in attendance. Finally, we will all, collectively, commit to diffusing hatred by taking a pledge to Unite Against Hate.

We invite you to join us for this very important evening and event!

Day and Date: Wednesday, October 22
Time: 6:00-8:00PM
Location:

Baha'í Center in Concord
4100 Clayton Rd.
Concord, CA.

10/20/2025

It's Diwali!!! May your celebration be full of light and warmth. 🙏🏽✨️☮️