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IRUSA Serves and Celebrates MLK Day 2020
The legacy and humanitarian spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King shines through in another day of service On a blustery, sunny Sunday, the day before the annual holiday celebrating the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, some 400 people packed the fieldhouse at the Episcopal High School in Alexandria. It was not for an indoor soccer match or field hockey. Rather, it was to volunteer for a supersized meal-pack event organized by Islamic Relief USA’s Volunteer Services Department. The next day, on MLK Day, dozens of volunteers gathered at mosques in Steelton, Pennsylvania and Long Island, N.Y. to pack 25,000 meals at each location. And, IRUSA employees spent…
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Puerto Rico, Disaster Strikes Again
IRUSA arrives in Puerto Rico a second time after a devastating earthquake leaves thousands of families without access to essentials such as, electricity, water, and food. Only two years after some of the strongest hurricanes hit Puerto Rico, disaster strikes again on the island, this time in the form of an earthquake. For weeks during the end of December, tremors were felt in the southern part of the Island. On January 7, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit the island causing the greatest amount of devastation among them all. Hundreds of homes were damaged and thousands were left homeless. Once again, emergency was declared on the island. And once again, Islamic…
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A New Year means New ways to Serve at IRUSA
IRUSA’s cutting edge micro-finance project puts entrepreneurs in developing regions in control of their businesses with the help of kind hearts. A new perspective We say it repeatedly anytime there is space to have a sober conversation about global inequality, nearly 1 billion people live in poverty today. IRUSA has committed itself to solving this issue alongside partners who also believe poverty can be significantly reduced. As we close another 365 days out and move into the new year, IRUSA is excited about the potential impacts our newest innovations can produce. Poverty to Profit is IRUSA’s newest and incredibly dynamic pathway to entrepreneurs seeking funding in developing countries. For women…
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4 Life Lessons from IRUSA’s Peru Challenge
We reflect on a life-changing expedition for a life-changing cause 1 “The goal is not simply for you to cross the finish line, but to see how many people you can inspire to run with you.” ― Simon Sinek If we told you we could bring strangers half-way around the world to climb endlessly and walk on the edge of cliffs all while depending on each other just so we could support life-saving water projects, would you believe us? In the beginning there were doubts about what, when, and how it would even happen but the Peru challenge did what all IRUSA challenges have been successful at doing, it brought people together…
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Pakistan Celebrity Tour brings Orphans Programs to the forefront
IRUSA’s Pakistan Celebrity Tour reaches out to hearts and minds while bringing stars to the forefront When Wasim Akram walks into a room full of fans of his legendary career in cricket there’s a charged silence that ripples across the crowd. Whispers saying “That’s him, that’s him” drizzle from front to back and finally he bestows everyone with his grand smile allowing everyone to remind themselves that he’s human. This year Wasim was an honorable guest at IRUSA’s Pakistan Celebrity Dinner tour, and his presence brought what it usually brings, donors who believe in uplifting Pakistan and people who love reminiscing about the incredible plays he made as a phenom…
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Yemen in our Hearts: IRUSA President Anwar Khan’s 12-Day Diary
Too many times it can be easy to forget that during the current era in which we live, Yemen is suffering the worst humanitarian crisis the world has seen in decades. Continuous war has pushed adults and children in the country out of their homes and into the grips of famine and disease. I traveled to Yemen recently to see firsthand what families are going through. I also witnessed what Islamic Relief USA’s humanitarian aid contributes, through the help of ordinary people who are compassionate enough to donate toward this unthinkable situation. Below, I share with you my reflections from the 12 days I spent in Yemen in the summer…
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IRUSA Team Challenges Gear Up to Support Water Crises
Out of many challenges, comes one goal: WATER. IRUSA is moving into its second year of team challenges and our host teams are excited to take part in what participants from last year called “exciting” and “fulfilling.” In March 2019, the Islamic Relief USA team trekked across the Sahara in Morocco. In the coming months our teams will travel to Bosnia, Turkey, and Peru. But the why is the most important ingredient of all. Team challenges present a fun an innovative way to support crucial projects that IRUSA is partnering to provide. Here’s a look at what those are: Drought Takes Hold in Somalia Global warming is a crisis IRUSA…
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On World Water Day, Drought Wreaks Havoc in East Africa
A terrible sense of déjà vu hangs over the Horn of Africa, where fears are growing that a severe drought could soon become a famine. Two years of below-average rainfall have pushed the self-declared independent state of Somaliland to the brink of starvation and nomadic families, who move with the seasons in search of fertile land and fresh water, have faced the heart-wrenching choice between feeding themselves and feeding their animals. The goats were first to die, followed by the cows. Now even the bodies of drought-resistant camels lie beside shriveled cacti at the side of the road. For families who rely on these animals for meat, milk, transportation and…
