#Community
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Aiding Kentucky after Tornado Outbreak
Disaster Management teams rally to assess and aid survivors The evening of December 11, 2021 held an eerie stillness to it across Kentucky. For nearly 2 days consecutively, an outbreak of tornadoes cleared blocks, crashed against homes, and put communities under arrest. A total of over 65 tornadoes touched down. With over $18 billion dollars in damages, residents have to now face the stark reality that rebuilding will be a cumbersome process. They also have to deal with the emotional toll of losing loved ones and neighbors. The punishing tornadoes claimed the lives of over 90 people. IRUSA is among several humanitarian agencies to deploy to the ground level…
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Turkeys for All
Some 82,000 people will be served this season via IRUSA’s turkey distributions One of Islamic Relief USA’s most popular seasonal programs took place just days before Thanksgiving. The 2021 U.S. Turkey Distribution strives to provide turkeys to families and households experiencing food insecurity or other difficulties. During a time of rising food costs, these turkeys can make all the difference between a festive meal or just getting by. The estimated price for a turkey this year across the country is a whopping $28! Partners across America worked with IRUSA to place turkeys in the hands of as many people we serve as possible. As is IRUSA’s custom, all of the 16,000-plus turkeys are halal,…
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We’re #GivingTuesday to Refugees.
This #GivingTuesday we want refugees to have a safe winter Many of us saw the tears roll down the faces of Ethiopian mothers, sisters, aunts, and daughters while they exited their homes to escape certain persecution. The droves of people that left on foot with whatever they could grab deserve a fighting chance to survive and rebuild. Over 1.5 million Ethiopians We also saw in Afghanistan, a regime change so concerning to thousands of communities that men were willing to stand in front of planes that were evacuating refugees. For those who are still displaced within Afghanistan, they now face a winter notorious for its brutality. We think of these…
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Oct. 23 Proclaimed ‘Islamic Relief USA Day’ by Harris County Commissioner
Proclamation made during the Grand Opening ceremony of IRUSA’s Houston facility and Day of Dignity event. The City of Houston has a lot going for it. A vibrant downtown, great diversity (Muslims will feel very welcome with its numerous halal restaurants and mosques), and relatively low gas prices (just $2.89 per gallon of regular unleaded at one Mobil station not too far from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport). Now, the city has something else to celebrate; a new Islamic Relief USA building. The nonprofit humanitarian and advocacy organization held a grand opening ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 23, for its new volunteer dormitory on Lee Road in North Houston. The facility…
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Volunteers Help Fight Hunger in Haiti
Hear firsthand how one of largest food packs went down By Volunteer Zeba Haseeb How many of us begin dreaming at a young age of all the things we want to achieve when we’re older? Some of us dream about careers and others about traveling all around the world and immense in different cultures. But how many of us can visualize a future for ourselves when the next meal we are having is uncertain. IRUSA has made it their top priority to not only help communities in need of meals, but also help the youth achieve their goals for a prosperous future. The school feeding programs specifically encourage children to…
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Distribution of Qurbani takes Main Stage
2021 IRUSA Qurbani food program sky rockets Islamic Relief USA is proud to say that in the year 2021 our community of donors raised the bar even higher distributing over 150,000 Qurbanis. In one single swoop, with an array of dedicated partners, more than 30 countries saw Qurbani arrive at the doorsteps of the most vulnerable. As more distributions continue even at home here in the U.S we look forward to hearing from those we were able to serve and all of you who gave with an open heart. Recovery for COVID-19 is an effort of mind, body, and soul. We have to continue to think of those who had…
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Building Barakah… Out of Legos
12-Year-Old Aims to Raise $100K for Orphans by Building Lego Ka’ba By Rubina Ali Big dreams with big goals Zakaria, or Zak for short, is only 12 years old but he’s found a way to use his passion for building Legos as a way to give back. The young humanitarian from Tampa, Florida, is building the world’s biggest Lego model of the Kaaba, the holy site for Muslims, and using his platform to fundraise for orphans worldwide through Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA). Launched Wednesday, June 23, 2021, Zak’s goal is to raise $100,000 to help 1,000 orphans, and he will release videos regularly on his YouTube channel showing progress as…
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Women Entrepreneurs Graduate in VA
Dar al-Hijra graduates another class By Kara Brunson High achievers Islamic Relief USA sponsors the sewing academy, a program launched by Dar al-Hijrah Social Services, to support socio-economic development goals for the local community. Students become certified seamstresses upon completion of 100 hours of hands-on training in the 4-month program. Stacey Picard, Associate Director of Dar al-Hijrah Social Services and Tahhani Gibaran, Director of Dar al-Hijrah Social Services co-led Tuesday’s event, which was notable for a series of firsts. This spring cohort, the organization’s fifteenth since the academy launched eight years ago, was the first to attend the sewing academy in person since social-distancing restrictions were put in place last…
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IRUSA and FEMA Partner to Fight COVID
Houston becomes site for vaccination support by IRUSA Islamic Relief USA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are on a mission to get as many people vaccinated as possible. IRUSA has teamed up with FEMA again, this time in Houston. For this week, IRUSA volunteers will help out at NRG Stadium (normally home to Houston Texans football team), which is serving as a mass vaccination site. People could choose vaccines from either Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson. The organization, along with SEWA International and the American Pharmacist Association, was part of a team of 14 volunteers. They helped out in various non-clinician tasks to ensure people were inoculated. Among them were…
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Qurbani the IRUSA Way
Putting Qurbani meat in the hands of our neighbors in 2021 With Eid Ul-Fitr in our rearview now begins Hajj season. And as Hajj season enters upon us, we can now shift focus to Islamic Relief’s largest global and domestic feeding program, Qurbani/Udhiyah. Qurbani is special commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail’s willingness to sacrifice for Allah’s sake. This year is poised to be another successful facilitation of Allah’s barakah. This Qurbani season we look forward to maintaining and increasing impact.This year over 150,000 Qurbani’s will be managed in over 30 countries with the help of you. People may receive livestock meat of goats, cows, or lamb in a quantity…
