By Malak Kassem

Mar/Apr 25

According to a 2022 report by the New York City Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, about 1.2 million out of 8.4 million New York residents are food insecure in America’s largest city. The New York City Council confirms that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides assistance to more than 1 million New York City households every year. While SNAP supports many food insecure households, nonprofit organizations are likewise essential in providing support to vulnerable communities across the city. They are safe havens for people to seek resources, advice and direction. According to NGO Base, a source for information about NGOs throughout the world, there are 245 registered Islamic nonprofits in the State of New York. However, many registered on this site are mosques, a fact which fails to account for nonprofits that are established by the Muslim community but are not necessarily Islamic institutions.  

According to a study by the Arab-American Family Support Center (AAFSC) , only 38% of surveyed food pantries in New York City offered halal options. According to a PBS report, more than 185,000 asylum seekers have entered the country since 2022, with many arriving from African Muslim-majority nations such as Senegal and Mauritania. As halal food remains inaccessible in most food pantries, traditional community support systems, such as mosques, are utilized year-round, but become especially exhausted during Ramadan when Muslims need regular access to halal food in order to break their fast and sustain their nutrients every day throughout the holy month. 

“The prices in New York City have skyrocketed so much that it’s very hard to afford the bare minimum,” said Zahra Omairat, the communications coordinator at Brooklyn’s Asiyah Women’s Center, an organization that supports Muslim women and children who have survived domestic violence. “But we try our best to alleviate some of that off their shoulders. New York City’s shelter system is not very accommodating for Muslim women, especially when it comes to halal food.” Asiyah helps alleviate food insecurity by helping clients navigate food and cash assistance programs such as SNAP and Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. 

Omairat explained that oftentimes, government assistance isn’t enough. “Some women get $100 a month, which is a low amount of money for someone with multiple kids, or even just for herself,” she said. 

Asiyah also collaborates with local grocery stores to donate items such as chicken, produce, bread and rice for distribution. Her team reached hundreds of clients last Ramadan. They also plan to host weekly iftars for Ramadans in the future. 

Shahana Hanif, representative of Brooklyn’s District 39 and the first Muslim and Bangladeshi woman elected to the New York City Council, campaigned during the Covid-19 lockdown when her neighborhood of Kenington was hit especially hard. “Every supermarket shut down. It was very overwhelming,” Hanif said. “Immediately, my sister and I put together a fund relief for undocumented Muslims in particular because a lot of the food pantries were not giving additional funding to people who literally didn’t have anything.”

Many community members in Hanif’s district struggle to pay rent, land a decent-paying job, or afford basic amenities like childcare and even food. “It is imperative for me as an elected leader to ensure that the needs of our communities are met. And the needs of our communities are not unique,” she said.

In partnership with local organizations such as the Arab-American Support Center and Muslims Giving Back, Hanif and her sister created a food survival fund so that families won’t have to worry about putting food on the table and can instead allocate their money to other necessities such as rent. 

“This is our community,” Hanif said. “There is no shame asking for food or being on a line for food. We will work together to make sure that everyone is fed.” 

During Ramadan, Hanif’s office expands food distribution, surveying local residents about what they need for holiday preparations. They also hold an annual iftar dinner at Avenue C Plaza in partnership with the group Arts & Democracy. This is Hanif’s favorite Ramadan event. Her office purchases food from local halal restaurants and holds performances by local artists before taraweeh prayer.  

Amal Rady, the community manager at Malikah in Astoria’s Little Egypt, runs a halal food fridge at a local mosque year round alongside Wellness on Wheels. Malikah is dedicated to advocating against gender and hate-based violence through self-defense training, healing justice workshops, economic empowerment programs and community organizing. Like Asiyah and Councilmember Hanif, Malikah is involved in combating food insecurity. “We are rooted in the belief that everyone deserves to live with dignity and safety and have access to the resources they need to thrive,” Rady said. 

Most of Malikah’s clients are Arabs, Muslims, asylum seekers, and/or refugees. “There are a lot of things that are swept under the rug,” Rady said. “[Arabs and Muslims] don’t have access to resources or benefits that other communities may be able to access.” These benefits include government assistance. 

This Ramadan, Malikah is partnering with Islamic Relief USA to host a food truck outside their office twice a week to provide hot meals for iftar. The organization will also hold an iftar dinner at the Museum of Moving Image (MoMI) where the team expects to break their fast with about 200 asylum seekers. 

Malak Kassem, a journalism student at St. John’s University, has interned with Press Pass NYC and United Planet. She has written for The Torch, Prism Reports, and Gargoyle Magazine.

The post New York Community Leaders Help Muslims Combat Food Insecurity appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Mommina Tarar

Mar/Apr 25

In Islam, social justice is not a political ideology, but a way of life that is infused throughout the community. As God says, “O you who believe, be upright for God, and be bearers of witness with justice!” (Quran, 5:8).

Rooted in the traditions of knowledge and learning, Muslim organizations in the United States have developed educational initiatives that promote social justice while also tackling these issues within an Islamic context. Many mosques and Islamic centers have followed suit and begun to modify their educational courses and services to promote civic engagement and to support Muslims in the local community. These initiatives are set up to tackle issues such as financial stability, racism, affordable housing, and more. These programs unite Muslims of all backgrounds by fostering a sense of spiritual resilience while also educating younger generations about the essential nature of social justice within the Islamic tradition.

Originating during the time of Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), the theological concept of ummah is a collective of people who live together according to their shared Islamic faith. The value of the ummah is in its power to influence how one thinks and acts in accordance with their faith, a process that transcends the artificial boundaries of culture, race, and class. For example, the genocide of the Palestinian people impacts all Muslims across the globe. None of us are free until all of us are free. In harnessing the power of our ummah, we take a meaningful step toward justice and liberation for Palestine and for all Muslims around the world.

The Al-Kisa Foundation and the Ṣirāṭ Project

The San Jose, Calif.-based Al-Kisa Foundation is one of many organizations that offers a variety of educational initiatives to promote spiritual, intellectual, and personal growth for individuals of all backgrounds. One of these initiatives is the Ṣirāṭ Project which began in partnership with the 1990s SABA prison program. The project, officially launched in 2024, connects incarcerated Muslims with local Muslims around the country. It includes sending inmates the quarterly Ṣirāṭ Link magazine and providing books, calendars, postcards, and prayer items to Muslim inmates. The organization provides incarcerated Muslims with access to tools for rehabilitation, resources for education, and emotional and spiritual support during their incarceration. 

“Initiatives like the Ṣirāṭ Project empower the ummah by addressing critical gaps in access to Islamic education, spiritual support, and community inclusion,” said Fatima Al Sharifi, operations director for the Ṣirāṭ Project. “We provide incarcerated individuals with the resources needed to reconnect with their faith. These efforts not only support the individual but also contribute to the collective strength of the ummah by uplifting members who might otherwise be marginalized.”

From donating books to libraries across the world to sending Islamic materials to incarcerated Muslims through the Ṣirāṭ Project, the Al-Kisa Foundation provides a basis for holistic education. The foundation aims to uplift and support people from all walks of life, not just Muslims, who are seeking rehabilitation and community by providing essential educational resources.

“Though human beings are born with an innate knowledge of the Creator, their full potential cannot be reached without deep insight and an understanding of the magnificence and exalted status of Allah,” said Naadira Muhibullah, mission coordinator for the Ṣirāṭ Project. “A person must also know what brings about the pleasure of Allah and our responsibilities toward Him. This can only be achieved through education, therefore gaining knowledge is an active aspect of faith.”

Social Justice in Practice

Social justice is a key tenet of our faith. Fair distribution of wealth, the provision of basic necessities for the poor, and care for the elderly and orphans are just a few of the ways social justice is manifested in Islam. No matter how diligently we practice our faith, we have not truly exalted ourselves in our highest form unless we fulfill our obligation to society and to the ummah. Even the pleasures of this life should serve as a poignant reminder that we have work to do, as there are others among us in need of strength and support.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations in Texas (CAIR-TX) is helping Muslim Americans feel both recognized and safe. Recently, members of the organization assisted a Muslim speech pathologist who was fired for supporting BDS, the national movement aimed at ending the Israeli occupation of Palestine through boycott, divestment, and sanction of Israel. “The State of Texas made it mandatory for anyone working in a state agency to sign that they would not boycott, divest, or sanction the State of Israel,” said Mustafaa Carroll, Executive Director of CAIR-TX. “CAIR came to her aid and sued the state as the statute was unconstitutional. The sister was reinstated and received back pay.”

In addition to their work with civil rights, CAIR-TX hosts the Muslim Youth Leadership program to provide young Muslims with skills such as public speaking, debate, and civic engagement. They also share knowledge about Islamic history and Muslim identity. Graduates of the youth leadership program are then eligible to join the Young Muslims Leadership Council where they apply their skills to tackle social injustice. 

“It is not only important but absolutely necessary to teach young Muslims the importance of values such as justice and community because their survival physically, socially, economically, mentally, and spiritually depend upon it,” said Carroll. “Our Islamic values are underpinned by the concept of justice. Many of the array of issues that permeate our society today are due to injustices in the world.”

The Role of Mosques

Mosques are a safe haven for Muslims around the world. As sanctuaries for the oppressed, mosques provide a space for Muslims to distance themselves from their worldly hardships and take time to be one with God. Mosques also offer opportunities to give back. 

Some mosques address a wide range of issues, such as fulfilling the religious obligation of Zakat by assisting local Muslim families, providing food to the needy, and more. The Muslim Children Education and Civic Center (MCECC) and the Al Madinah Masjid in San Antonio host the El Bari community health center, a service that provides patients with medical consultations and preventive screen recommendations. It is open five days a week.

“Social justice is so deeply embedded in the teachings of Islam,” said Shaffa Chaudhry, a San Antonio resident. “Financial inequality, racism, women’s rights all align with Islamic principles. The lack of these core principles in a Muslim society does not imply that Islam itself lacks them. Instead, it emphasizes a disconnect in effectively teaching these values to the community and encouraging a genuine commitment to learning and self-improvement.” 

Shaffa, who attends Masjid Al-Ikhlas, emphasizes the importance of instilling social justice values in the mosques’ educational curricula. “I would love to see more open discussions on racial injustices, women’s rights in Islam, et cetera. Providing services like financial literacy programs, tenants’ rights workshops, or career development to empower community members would be amazing. And those headed by women for women, even better!”

In addressing social justice and instilling values of community and justice within the ummah, Muslims are nurturing the fervor of spiritual resilience. It is through this sense of community that we can persevere and face challenges with patience. Spiritual resilience is at the forefront of our core beliefs when dealing with stress, hardship, or tragedy. By implementing social justice in our school curricula, we are using education to draw closer to our faith. As we grow closer, our eyes are opened to the many injustices our community faces daily. 

It is our responsibility to provide fellow Muslims with the resources and services that can unequivocally change their lives, and to cultivate the capability to dream of a different future for the ummah.

Mommina Tarar is a freelance reporter who covers culture, faith, travel, and intersectional social/racial justice.

The post Muslim Organizations Make an Impact Through Community-Driven Education appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Tayyaba Syed

Sept/Oct 2023

The first time Amina Shams of Potomac, Md. stepped through the doors of Le Nid, an orphanage that resides on the top floor of a hospital in Meknes, Morocco, she could not help but notice how quiet it was. There were rows and rows of children laying in their cribs but most of them were not making a sound. She soon realized that these innocent babies lived with a harsh reality: why cry if no one is going to come?

Over the next few weeks, she got to spend time with her adopted son, providing as much love and sensory stimulation as she could and watched him bloom. “My heart ached for the children that I’d be leaving behind, and I knew I had to do more,” Shams said.

In 2017, with a group of other adoptive mothers, she founded BLOOM (Better Lives of Orphans Overcoming Misfortune) — the nation’s first 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing mental health, development and educational support to children residing in Moroccan orphanages.

“We wanted to give back to the children we left behind as well as maintain a connection to our children’s birth country,” said Shams. “It happened organically as we talked to other families, and we were able to do things very quickly like put wheels on the cribs, add colors and sensory play items, and get local volunteers to interact with the kids for proper development. The purpose of the main caregivers on staff was to keep the orphans alive but not help them thrive. All these kids needed nurturing, so we decided to formalize our effort, fundraise and do things with structure. Our pilot project was to build an outdoor play garden upstairs for Le Nid. The photographer who was documenting the children’s first exposure to the play garden described their reaction like ‘birds being released from their cage.’ He then became our program volunteer. It’s these small impacts that keep us going.”

Even though BLOOM is a young volunteer-run nonprofit, the organization has been awarded the seal of transparency five years in a row, maintaining its grass-root community-based feel. Visit www.bloomcharity.org to learn more. 

From Intention to Fruition

In 2018, Dr. Fariha Rub moved to Chicago and searched to find a community for herself. That same year, she lost a baby in utero (named Jannah) and performed Hajj. Upon returning, she founded a small halaqa group for Muslim women called Jannah Circle in Naperville, Ill. 

“A lot of women relocate after marriage and don’t [easily] find community,” shares Rub, who is originally from St. Louis, Mo. “My initial intent was to get women together to talk about God once a month. We would meet at home to learn from a local female scholar/teacher and enjoy a meal together. We had social and spiritual time in one gathering.” Once the pandemic hit, Jannah Circle transitioned to virtual programs, collaborating with different speakers and organizations. They quickly grew to a community of 800+ women. Rub then recruited volunteers to help her bring in-person programming back on a larger scale post-Covid. 

“We needed to borrow community spaces, banquet halls, and mosques to serve at a bigger capacity,” Rub recalls. “I wanted everyone to get a piece of the pie in a nonjudgmental setting and leave feeling closer to God.” 

In December 2022, Jannah Circle transitioned into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with an official team of board members and an executive leadership committee of volunteers, who are actively planning and executing its many programs and events. It offers a Sunday school for kids ages 4-11, a community outreach program, supports an orphanage in India as well as local refugee families and single women’s needs, spiritual and social events for women, children and families, and virtual classes. 

To gain nonprofit status, it only took Jannah Circle a short amount of time due to it having a revenue of less than $50,000 a year. There was no paperwork or lawyer needed. Instead, they were able to apply online through a swift process. 

“We hope to expand into a space that offers a sense of belonging for every member of the community from the cradle to the grave,” says Rub, who is a mother of three and a full time hospitalist by profession. “There needs to be a culture of acceptance and growth, and we want Jannah Circle to be able to provide that for people.” 

For those looking to evolve into a nonprofit organization, Rub advises some things to consider like the amount of personal time, commitment and money that is needed to get started. However, she also advises that we should keep a check on our intentions at all times. If your intention remains pure, you can see great barakah (blessings), spiritual advancement, and a sense of community. It’s a beautiful feeling of leaving a legacy behind that comes with this work. 

“Knowing that you are part of an effort towards increasing in sadaqa jariya (ongoing charity) even after you are gone makes it all worth it,” Rub said. 

Check out www.jannahcircle.com to learn more.

Fruits of Labor

The process for Jannah Circle to eventually become a nonprofit from a small group was more gradual than it was for Carriers of Light (COL), a Quran-centered elementary school based in Wheaton, Ill. What originally began as a small part time memorization program for home-schooled girls in 2010, quickly became an established organization in a matter of months.

“We had one teacher and 12 students in my basement three times a week,” remembers Mehreen Bawla, who founded the school with fellow mom and friend Dr. Rand Diab. “In order to pay our teacher, we had to collect funds and needed nonprofit status from the start. We established a board right away and were incorporated by the end of the first year.”

According to Diab, the process to gain nonprofit status was difficult and required a lot of paperwork. ‘Thankfully,’ they had a nonprofit attorney who offered pro bono help. There are also multiple requirements such as having a board and by-laws. However, they did not need to have money in the bank to get started nor are federal audits required to maintain a 501(c)(3) status.

Since neither Bawla, a pharmacist, nor Diab, an ophthalmologist, were educators, they also had to figure out how to run a school efficiently and professionally. They put their trust in God and stayed determined to provide a sound environment for their girls to be able to memorize the Quran.

“We have just been the vehicles, but God is the One that has been guiding us and continuously opening doors for us,” Diab says. “Anytime we wanted to give up or hit a wall, He would show us a way. COL has so strongly been focused on Quranic education, and there’s lots of barakah (blessings) in that. Our mission has been to provide a positive atmosphere for kids to experience the Quran through love and joy and to connect with God in a beautiful way.”

This was lacking in the few programs Diab and Bawla had originally visited before opening COL. They found these places to be ‘cold’ and ‘uninviting’ and wanted to provide a better environment for their girls. The demand quickly grew, and COL added more days, more students, more grades and more subjects. The school relocated to an office space and then eventually moved into its own building in 2017. Since its inception, it has graduated 24 memorizers of the Quran. Now with 125 students, they have already outgrown their current space and are looking to expand yet again. 

“As much as we would love to accommodate more students and families, we want to maintain COL’s elements of being Quran-centered, keeping a small student-teacher ratio and not diluting what makes us special and unique,” notes Diab. 

Bawla adds that COL has always grown in a ‘careful’ way and is certain it will continue to do so with God’s help. To support, visit www.carriersoflight.com.

Tayyaba Syed is a multiple award-winning author, journalist, and Islamic studies teacher. She conducts literary and faith-based presentations for all ages and is an elected member of her local school district’s board of education in Illinois, where she lives with her husband and three children. Learn more at www.tayyabasyed.com.

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July/August 2023

According to the 2021 Muslim American Giving Study by the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, it has become an American Muslim tradition to give more during Ramadan. This is when acts of goodness like charity are emphasized, and compassion toward people in need shines as the strongest motivation. 

Muslims believe they get rewarded manifold for their donations in Ramadan. Many Muslims also pay their annual zakat during Ramadan. 

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: Allah’s Messenger, (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) was the most generous of all the people, and he used to reach the peak in generosity in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel met him. Gabriel used to meet him every night of Ramadan to teach him the Qur’an. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was the most generous person, even more generous than the strong uncontrollable wind (in readiness and haste to do charitable deeds). (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 6)

So how does that affect the sustainability of Muslim nonprofits outside of Islam’s holiest month?

A Transactional to Interactional Approach

Houston resident Afshan Malik is the Director of Development for Rabata (www.rabata.org), a global non-profit organization dedicated to Muslim women and children’s education, spirituality, and community. She holds a Masters in Nonprofit Management and is a certified fundraising manager through the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Although she leads a successful Ramadan campaign for Rabata that has been exceeding its goal for the last five years, Malik shares the importance of having a diverse stream of revenue throughout the year.

“As an organization, we use best practice methods, always paying attention to what’s happening in the fundraising world for nonprofits,” Malik said. “Fundraising as a practice in a Muslim environment is spiritually connected, and as nonprofit professionals, we must really respect individuals’ contributions, whether it’s a dollar or a thousand dollars.”

Rabata has many arms such as its academic institute, publishing press, virtual mosque, and a bookstore and cultural center at its headquarters in Arden Hills, Minn. Throughout the year, they receive donations through many avenues like monthly donors, project-focused fundraising campaigns, educational workshops, and grants. 

“It’s risky to be dependent on just one source of revenue, and we don’t have a culture yet of just limiting our fundraising to annual galas or events,” Malik says. “We have reached over 9,000 students in over 60 countries since our inception in 2012, and we focus on teaching community building and being a resource for positive cultural change through faith.”

Dr. Shariq Siddiqui from Plainfield, Indiana, is an Assistant Professor of Philanthropic Studies and Director of the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. He states that those organizations that create year-round fundraising practice need a strategy of stewardship, cultivation, engagement, and solicitation.

“This is what we teach in our fundraising school,” notes Dr. Siddiqui, who teaches and trains in the science of fundraising and how to do it professionally and systematically. “Muslim nonprofits largely raise funds in Ramadan, Dhul-Hijjah, and at the end of year. If you think about the data, Muslim donors give roughly 54% to Muslim-led nonprofits. The question is then where is the remaining 46% going? When we talk to donors, we learn that it comes down to a different approach to fundraising. It needs to move from event-based, digital-based and transactional to interactional – building relationships and shared values and making people part of your [cause’s] journey and growth. This requires multiple conversations, multiple engagements. and developing connections versus just ‘selling.’ Rabata is relatively underknown but is setting a great example of putting this into action and curating it to its community members.”

For insight on fundraising strategies, go to www.zfinstitute.com. MPI has now partnered with Zakat Foundation to offer subsidized rates for all those interested in this IU professional training course.

Investing in the Future

In 2011, Sommieh Stephanie Flower was visiting her husband in Chatha Bakhtawar, a suburb of Islamabad, Pakistan, when she began volunteering to teach English at local schools. On her walks there, she would notice that many children were not in school. Instead, they were doing some type of work like picking up trash, cutting hay for animals or carrying big bundles of sticks on their heads. 

“They were dusty, dirty, and poorly-dressed – but very friendly,” recalls Flower. “Since there were very few foreigners in town, they started following me around. I would buy them chips and candy and give them whatever small change I had in my pockets.” One day, these kids followed Flower home and discovered a pile of empty water bottles laying around. They immediately began filling their empty rice sacks with the bottles, hoping to make a day’s earning for recyclables. They were from migrant and refugee families, and each individual family member was expected to earn his/her own daily bread – even the little children. Soon word spread, and more children started coming to Flower’s home everyday in hopes of earning and playing.

“There were about 20 to 25 kids coming over each day,” shares Flower, who holds a Masters in Curriculum and Administration and has over 30 years of experience as a teacher and administrator in the U.S. “They would play in my courtyard, and I would give them coloring books, jump ropes, balls, and join them for imaginary tea parties with their self-made clay tea sets from the soil. When I was about to return to the U.S, I had a dream that there were more than 100 kids playing in the courtyard reading books. I woke up and told my husband that I should start a school for these kids, and he made du’a right there and then.”

When Flower returned to Michigan that Thanksgiving, she told friends about her intention and began fundraising to make her dream come true. As a beloved former educator in her community, she was a trusted figure and quickly raised $20,000 seed money to launch her vision. Meanwhile, back in Pakistan, Flower’s husband bought a white board and desks and set up a classroom in their home for Sitara School (www.sitaratrust.com). They hired a teacher and even offered an informal daycare for younger baby siblings of girls who could only attend if they brought them with them. 

“We quickly went from our single classroom in our home to renting a facility. However, every year costs increase” Flower said. “Now it costs us about $70,000 to run our school on a campus with utilities, operational costs, and salary for a staff of 25. We have a student body of 400+ boys and girls from preschool to grade 10. We also have our mother-child center and teachers’ institute as well. We initially began raising funds through annual fundraising dinners in Michigan during Ramadan, but we have to get creative and reach more people as costs keep going up drastically.”

Supporting children’s education brings hope for the future, and for Muslims, we believe it is an investment for our akhirah (afterlife) as well. To reach more potential donors, Sitara School has transitioned to crowdfunding and hopes to raise money to own its own school one day. 

“I think it’s very important for any nonprofit to have two types of funds: one for daily expenses and operations, and another for investments for long-term planning,” said Flower. 

Making it an Experience

Dr. Tarek Shahbandar of Burr Ridge, Ill., began as a volunteer for a relief organization for the victims of the Syrian civil war. It was a life-changing experience for him, and he now serves as the board president for the U.S. branch of the International Aid Charity (www.iacharity.org), which provides emergency and ongoing aid relief, education, orphan sponsorship, and social support services to marginalized peoples throughout the world. 

“What gets you truly involved is doing the work on the ground and changing your heart through service,” said Dr. Shahbandar. “As a new organization, it was tough the first year. We started with our food drive and school for refugees in Turkiye and Jordan and just continued that work for the next year. During the pandemic, our ground teams were still able to provide food relief and schooling. That’s because our volunteers become our biggest advocates. When you witness people’s hardships, it’s heart-breaking but therapeutic too. One has to see it to believe it and be moved. It’s not tourism but real work that’s truly rewarding.”

IAC’s Chief Operating Officer Abby Mohammed has traveled to Turkiye from her hometown of Addison, Ill., to serve Syrian refugees. After her first trip, she was ‘hooked’ to continue doing this work. 

“You become an ambassador for these helpless individuals,” said Mohammed. “We have 10,000 families in our database that need aid. This Ramadan, we had a tent set up in one of our camps for fresh suhoor and iftar for earthquake victims. It’s still continuing to provide fresh, hot meals today. Although most of our funds are raised in Ramadan, we have to find more ways to support these needs.”

Volunteer in-person (VIP) trips are once every quarter, and each volunteer is expected to fundraise a minimum of $5,000 for IAC before going as well as cover his/her own airfare. Once there, VIP’s help distribute food boxes in Turkiye and Syria of nonperishable items such as pasta, oil, rice, flour, candy for the kids etc. People follow their journeys and get inspired by their real-life experience, bringing in more support. 

In addition to recruiting hands-on volunteers, IAC has had to find creative ways to raise funds like upping their marketing game. They are making personal connections and reaching out to local mosques and individual communities across the U.S.. They are also collaborating with social media influencers to bring awareness of their work to broader audiences.

“We’re trying to change our strategy and approach to fundraising and get IAC on the map. We want to be transparent, to grow and be known,” Mohammad says. “It’s a new age, and there’s lots of new ways to raise money for a good cause. We’re past just email marketing. There’s so much more potential to bring a fresh angle, and we want to especially get more youth involved as active volunteers; they are the ones who must carry this work forward.”

Tayyaba Syed is a multiple award-winning author, journalist, and Islamic studies teacher. She conducts literary and faith-based presentations for all ages and is an elected member of her local school district’s board of education in Illinois, where she lives with her husband and three children. Learn more at www.tayyabasyed.com.

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