#Community
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A Water Crisis
Water Remains a precious resource that millions struggle to have Volunteer Voice of Hiba C. My mornings Everyday we wake up and drink a cup of water with the people I live with, in a home where no water drips through the roof. We also have water to use for brushing our teeth. We use water for cooking and cleaning. We use water for showering. Water has many uses, and no one should ever have to go without it if they don’t want to. According to the United Nations 2 out of 5 people worldwide do not have a basic hand-washing facility with soap and water at home. Living in…
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Behind the Blueshirts
A candid conversation with one of IRUSA’s prized volunteers, Wafa Omran-Elhindi 1. At a young age, or while growing up, did you have someone in your life who inspired you to volunteer or to be generous? My parents were exceptionally generous people. Not only with their money, but more with their affection, kindness, and time. They had this extraordinary ability to make every single person they know feel loved. At the root of this effusive affection was my parents’ inability to be selfish. My dad in particular, grew up dirt-poor in a tent in a refugee camp. His mother had to sell her only possessions, to pay for his education.…
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MLK Day of Service Brings Hope to Hearts
2021 is off to the races to bring relief to neighbors The great civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said the problem of hunger hardly stems from not having the tools to address it. “There is no deficit in human resources. The deficit is in human will.” Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) refuses to let complacency and inertia fester around the issue of hunger. It addresses the problem head-on, especially on Dr. King’s birthday every January. For several years now, IRUSA has conducted a Day of Service on Martin Luther King Day, holding food distributions in many urban centers around the country. Ready to Respond The need for…
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Racism as a Public Health Crisis
Health experts weigh-in structural racism’s brutal effects The disproportionate number of people from racial minority groups who’re suffering –and dying–from the coronavirus pandemic is hardly a surprise. In fact, accoriding to one expert, Kameelah Mu’Min Rashad of the Muslim Foundation, the health care disparities experienced by them are linked to systemic racism. “They are always intertwined,” she said. Simply put, it’s a pandemic within a pandemic. That was just one of the revelations expressed during Islamic Relief USA’s webinar “Racism as a Public Health Crisis,” on Jan. 19. Along with Rashad, the 80-minute session featured Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a Michigan-based epidemiologist who has frequently appeared on CNN. ‘Cumulative Deprioritization’ More…
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Serving in a Year of Uncertainty
A look back on humanitarian efforts in 2020 When we take account of all the twist and turns the world took this year it can paint a bleak picture in many of our minds. Billions of people were jolted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 2 million people fatally contracted the virus. It was during these uncertain times the community of supporters of Islamic Relief USA stood tall. Your contributions of time, effort, resources made light shine in the darkness of 2020. As we look back at the challenges of this year we’re reminded that it took massive hearts to pull through. Pushing through a Pandemic Medical aid has been top…
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Day of Dignity 2020 is a Success
Day of Dignity helps thousands during coronavirus pandemic As one of Islamic Relief USA’s most well-known programs, Day of Dignity took place in several locations this year, despite the present coronavirus pandemic that has altered much of daily life. It was able to hold these events by adapting to public health guidelines, which includes mask wearing, practicing social distancing of at least 6 feet, and slightly altering its set-up by implementing a drive-thru or drive-in format. Between Oct. 3 and Nov. 15, a total of 19 Day of Dignity events took place in 17 cities nationwide. Among them were Baltimore, Md., Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Minn., Rochester, N.Y., Toledo, Ohio, and…
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Bring Warmth this #GivingTuesday
First they faced COVID-19, now freezing cold Winter is Cruel to Those Most Vulnerable Every winter carries the threat of blizzards, major ice storms, extreme cold, flooding, and even tornadoes. But the harsh winter conditions are even more challenging for people already suffering from displacement, conflict, poverty, without warm clothes, food or water. The harsh winter forces vulnerable people to choose between buying food to eat or fuel to keep warm. IRUSA commitment to Winter Aid Therefore, Islamic Relief USA works all year round to build programming. To help vulnerable people living in poverty, conflict or displacement. To better prepare them for the icy winter conditions. Because of Islamic Relief…
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Day of Dignity Begins
IRUSA starts rounding the country for annual Day of Dignity events Autumn means a drastic change of scenery and weather for many communities in America. It also means that we have the opportunity to support families who are hardest hit during this season. A simple drop in temperature can drastically impact the housing situation for millions, and with the rising rates of COVID-19 it can spell disaster. This years Day of Dignity events hold the same feeling of communal support be mean so much given the situation. For decades now we partnered with communities organizations to bring resources, supplies, meals, and non-perishables to the places that need them the most.…
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See you at the polls
Here are 3 steps to make your voting day smoother With more than 40 million people having already cast their votes, this year’s presidential election promises to be exciting. Or stressful, depending on how you approach it. Recent news stories have described the long, multi-hour lines voters are enduring to practice their constitutional right. Turnout for early voting has already shattered records of past election cycles. But millions more are expected to vote, through mail-in ballots or in person on Election Day, which falls on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Here are some steps to make sure your experience goes as smoothly as possible: Know where your voting location is? Given the…
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Our #WorldFoodDay Together
Why #WorldFoodDay Matters #WorldFoodDay is celebrated in October each year by the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. This year marks not only the 75th anniversary of the event but a turning point in food security worldwide in light of the COVID -19 pandemic. In recognition of World Food Day, as we are forced to consider our food choices and improve food security for all, Islamic Relief USA joins other humanitarian organizations concerned about food security worldwide. Complicated by COVID-19 As the COVID-19 crisis pushed already food insecure communities to the brink. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned: in countries already suffering from a humanitarian crisis, up to 100% of essential…
