-
Disasters Serve As Tests of Strength…In More Ways Than One
It’s always rewarding to be part of the solution, alleviating the woes of the people who were severely impacted by the major weather events. Last year, it felt as if one disaster didn’t complete unleashing its wrath before another one took place in some other part of the U.S. Fortunately, Islamic Relief USA, a humanitarian and advocacy organization that works in more than 40 countries, lent a hand in the aftermath of many of these catastrophic, and often life-changing events. Thanks to our relatively new Disaster Response Team (DRT), the organization, which will mark its 25th anniversary later this year, was able to have an on-the-ground presence and help people…
-
Disaster Response Still Needed…Islamic Relief USA Steps In
With the onslaught of natural disasters that took place throughout much of 2017, it’s easy to lose track which happened when, and where. Just in my short time here, I’ve heard and seen accounts of hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, tsunamis, all within a short time. When they happen so close together, it’s common that the latest disaster trumps (the verb, not the president) the one that took place before it. And then it doesn’t take long for the one that’s getting the attention currently to be overshadowed soon by another act of God. Hurricane Harvey, for example, happened way back in August. Since then, you had Hurricane Irma in Florida, a…
-
Volunteering in the Spirit of Martin Luther King Day Brought Out the Best in All
It doesn’t get more rewarding than volunteering on Martin Luther King Day. I should correct that and say it doesn’t get any better than volunteering and being surrounded with some genuine bleeding hearts who decided to devote some of their holiday afternoon to give back to society, rather than just chilling at home or spending it with friends. I got to see this spirit of generosity up close and personally at the Clock Tower Thrift Shop, one of many destinations where Islamic Relief USA had volunteers as part of Martin Luther King Day – Day of Service. The store is in a modest building on the corner of a residential street…
-
Survival Is Important, but so Is Livelihood
25th Anniversary Development Spotlight: Europe Islamic Relief offices around the world undertake many noble projects around the world. But one area that doesn’t get enough attention is the Balkan region. A curious fact, considering that IRUSA was founded to respond to the suffering in the Bosnian war in 1993. Ismail Saif, manager of International Programs for Islamic Relief USA, recently visited three nations in the Balkans – Albania, Bosnia and Kosovo. All of them have Islamic Relief field offices that launched various livelihood projects. Many of them have yielded positive results and in some cases, exceeded initial projections. But, the unfortunate reality is, many of them have been halted or…
-
An Eye Toward Progress in Mali and Niger
We all know that Islamic Relief USA supports a lot of projects, mainly through financial assistance and volunteers. It’s always feels good to hear about the good work that is being done. However, seeing the progress being made on the ground must no doubt be gratifying. As I was listening to my colleague, Bilal Aslam, describing his first-hand account of work being performed by Islamic Relief in the countries of Niger and Mali, you couldn’t help but a feel a sense of accomplishment for the organization and its mission. Both Niger and Mali have deep pockets of poverty, especially in their villages. Bilal explained that Niger, for one, is ranked…
