WASHINGTON — In its fifth year, the annual Muslim
Humanitarian Day has expanded to serve around 20,000 homeless
individuals and families in fourteen cities nationwide, regardless of
any and all religious and ethnic backgrounds.
"We usually provide them with a warm meal like
a burger donated by a restaurant," Mostafa Mahboob, media and
public relations representative of Islamic Relief, one of the lead
coordinators of the event, told IslamOnline.net on Tuesday, October
17.
"Like in previous years, beneficiaries
received a gift package including hygiene and emergency kits, bath
towels, clothing, blankets, ponchos and toys for children."
In addition, this year’s event has included free
critical medical services, such as health screening, HIV/AIDS
screenings, flu vaccinations, educational materials and referral
information.
"There were also various booths staffed by
community organizations that offered social and health services,"
said Mahboob.
"The lead national coordinators are Islamic
Relief and the Intellect, Love, and Mercy (ILM) Foundation," he
added.
Participating organizations also include the Muslim
American Society (MAS), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR),
the Coalition to Preserve Human Dignity (CPHD) and the Rahima
Foundation.
Started in Los Angeles three years ago,
Humanitarian Day has become an annual event in the holy fasting month
of Ramadan.
It was organized this year in fourteen cities: Los
Angeles, CA, Las Vegas, NV, Detroit, MI, Newark, NJ, Baltimore, MD,
Baton Rouge, LA, Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, Dallas, TX, Houston, TX, New
Orleans, LA, New York, NY, Portland, OR and Washington, D.C.
"Each individual city has its own local
sponsors, including mosques, MAS and CAIR chapters and others,"
said Mahboob.
"In cities like Houston, the mayor and Sheila
Jackson Lee, the Congresswoman, have attended the Humanitarian Day to
support the event."
This year's event has come a long way since its
inception in Downtown Los Angeles' "skid row" in 2002.
Serve With Dignity
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For organizers, the goal of this event is to serve with dignity people who otherwise do not receive much attention and care in society.
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For organizers, the goal of this charitable event
is to serve with dignity people who otherwise do not receive much
attention and care in society.
"Humanitarian Day is a day when we provide
service to our fellow homeless in the form of dignity and
respect," said Umar A. Hakeem of the Coalition to Preserve Human
Dignity (CPHD).
Some Islamic charitable organizations believe it is
part of its responsibilities to help the homeless and needy people.
"Even the clothing we provide, we make sure it
is new," said Mahboob.
"The homeless population in this country is
increasing each year, and it is our responsibility to pay attention to
the needs of our fellow citizens and help them any way we can.
"We also need to become concerned with the
crisis of homelessness and work long and hard towards fixing this
problem."
Other organizers think such events give them an
opportunity to teach Muslim youths that giving back to the community
is part of their future.
"This year MAS Youth helped to buy toys and
food for the needy in streets of Los Angeles as the cold winter
approaches," said Khan of MAS Valley Chapter.
"We served over 1,500 people this year to
add and we hope to increase that number by 25 percent next year,"
he added.
"Also, we want to do something on monthly
basis, but off course in much smaller scale. We want to make giving
back to the community part of our youth's future with the help of
Allah."
"Ramadan is a time of increased compassion and
caring for others," agreed Habibe Husain, founder of the Rahima
Foundation, the event's primary organizer at the Greater San Francisco
Bay Area.
"Our goal is to give the homeless community
hope and relief to ease their struggle."
For the Rahima Foundation, the San Francisco
chapter of CAIR (CAIR-SFBA) and other Muslim organizations from around
the Greater San Francisco Bay Area this year’s event was their third
annual Humanitarian Day.
Making A Difference
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Thousands of Muslims volunteer to make a difference and help others.
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This charitable event is the largest national
humanitarian effort during Ramadan, when Muslims are encouraged as
part of their faith to donate to the poor and the needy.
Thousands of American Muslims across the nation
volunteered to assist the Humanitarian Day activities in their local
neighborhoods.
For the volunteers, Humanitarian Day allows them to
see the harsh life others are living in their own backyards and
provides them an opportunity, even if it’s for just one day, to make
a difference and help others.
"It is the first time for me to directly deal
with homeless people," said Ahmad Radi, a Muslim youth and one of
thousands other volunteers across the states.
"I always see homeless, but I’ve never been
in direct contact with them. It’s so sad to think that in America,
this powerful and rich country, there are people living without hopes.
They have nothing. All what they dream of is having a ceiling or a
roof to protect them," Radi told IOL.
The same sentiments were echoed by 14-year-old
Moniar Mansoory, one of MAS Valley Youth volunteers.
"We want to help them to have something thing
nice at least one day in a year," he said.
This year MAS Valley Youth took over 60 volunteers
to help with the event.
"This was my second year coming here with MAS
Youth," said 20-year-old Zahra Billoo, a student at California
State University of Northridge.
"It is a great opportunity to give back to our
community and help those in much need help."
For Omar Abdullah, the event was an opportunity for
him and all young Muslim volunteers to watch and feel others’
hardships to be thankful to Allah.
"After this event, we (young Muslim
volunteers) should appreciate the blessings that Allah granted us
with," he said.
"We have everything, but sometimes we don’t
appreciate what we have."
Uplifting
Such charitable events are usually very appreciated
by homeless and needy people who feel thankful that some people around
are thinking and caring about them.
"I really like it because they made me feel
really good. They upped my spirits," said a middle-aged, female
beneficiary.
Another felt that this event was a gift sent from
God.
"This is new to me. I have never been in this
situation before. I just lost everything and I'm now trying to pick
myself back up," said the beneficiary.
"And all this is Godsend. And I appreciate
it."
Mahboob, of Islamic Relief, said the homeless are
usually full of smiles when they see some people have taken a few
hours out of their life to serve them.
"Unfortunately, the homeless population
includes families with young children. The kids’ faces are full of
happiness when they receive their toys and their mothers feel happy
for them too."
Humanitarian Day event is usually held close to
homeless population gatherings.
Most of the people hosted and served in this event
are from homeless people and poor families living on the streets.
"It depends on the demographics population of
the homeless," Umar told IOL.
"CPHD focuses on Downtown LA's homeless
population as they are the most impoverished and vulnerable group
Southern California.
Mahboob said they try to locate the events close to
where the homeless population is based.
"In Los Angeles, it has been taking place on
‘skid row’ in downtown, where many homeless live on the street in
the shadow of skyscrapers. In a few other cities, it takes place in
shelters or mosques."
Mahboob said over 1,600 people were served in Los
Angeles.
"This day also allows Muslims to show that
they are concerned citizens who contribute to society by helping those
in need."
