#Service
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Fighting Hunger and Inequalities in Food Access
Brown bag education series tackles a top priority By Konah Brownell, Intern in Communications and Public Affairs When it comes to addressing food insecurity, it’s not so much that we don’t have enough to go around. Rather, it has more to do with structural inequalities or inequities. That was the message from Dr. Laté Lawson-Lartego, an interim co-vice president of Global Programs at Oxfam, who was the featured guest in a virtual Islamic Relief USA “Brown Bag” webinar on Wednesday, July 7. “Poverty and food insecurity exist not because of the lack of resources or opportunity but because of inequality,” he said. During the one-hour session, Lawson-Lartego spoke about the…
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World Refugee Day 2021
Addressing the challenge to support refugees By Christina Tobias-Nahi According to the UN High Commission for Refugees 2022 Global Resettlement Needs Report released this month in recognition of World Refugee Day, for the sixth year in a row, Syrian refugees are among those with the highest resettlement needs, followed by refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Eritrea. As a result too of the pandemic, “many of those displaced are now faced with increased poverty, destitution and widespread protection risks, from exploitation, trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence, child labor, early marriage, to arrest, detention, deportation, and refoulement.” Islamic Relief USA has long worked tirelessly to…
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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…
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U.N. Women’s Conference features IR Reps
Bringing perspective to sustainable development By Christina Tobias-Nahi, May Hashem, Minhaj Hassan Making a Difference Women making extraordinary differences is a common outcome in many programs that Islamic Relief administers around the world and likes to showcase. The Islamic Relief journey with Gender Equality was institutionalized through the Gender Justice policy developed back in 2014, and was presented at a series of global stakeholder roundtables across many continents. A larger campaign roll out was planned for 2020 but events were postponed due to COVID-19. Meanwhile Islamic Relief has conducted a gender review, mapping their gender empowerment and gender protection (including gender based violence, early marriage etc.) related programs over the…
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Banking on Food Security
Islamic Relief USA, Food Bank of Delaware Remain Committed to Reducing Food Insecurity During Pandemic By: Syed Hassan Powerful Partnerships Our friends at the Food Bank of Delaware have been very busy lately. Unfortunately, that’s largely due to the suffering so many people are experiencing, as the coronavirus pandemic (which this month marks one year) has caused food insecurity to rise dramatically. In normal times, it was a struggle enough to get food for many poor and working-class residents. Some of them reside in food deserts, lacking full-fledged grocery stores. Whatever stores that do exist are likely convenience marts with processed or ready-to-eat foods that are hardly nutritious. The solution…
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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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For You, Palestine!
Hearts combine to support the people of Palestine Islamic Relief USA’s National Event team hosted a live online event on the 13th December 2020 to raise awareness and funds for IRUSA’s projects in Palestine. IRUSA’s Sanat Karkat & Said Durrah presented the event titled: For You, Palestine! World-renowned religious leaders, athletes, and talent gathered to support the people of Palestine. The hosts Karkat and Durrah kicked off the show with somber reflections from the past year. As the COVID-19 pandemic engulfed the world in 2020, attention diverted from Palestine to other urgent causes. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the impact of Palestine’s funding crisis and left already struggling Palestinian refugees vulnerable…
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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…
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Your Vote, Your Voice
IRUSA gears up for a game-changing get out the vote campaign. Let nobody tell you otherwise; your voice matters, particularly on Election Day. With several elections scheduled Nov. 3, including one for the presidency, it is essential we practice our right to vote. It is a right we can’t take for granted. As several recent elections have shown, every vote is precious and plays an integral role in determining policy. Elections have consequences as they signal our priorities, our values, and our convictions. To help generate interest and, more importantly, action, Islamic Relief USA, a nonprofit 501(c)3 humanitarian and advocacy organization, has launched a Get Out the Vote campaign on…
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More Ways to Sacrifice this Season
Easy methods to serve for the blessed second Eid COVID-19 has slowed down a significant portion of our normal lives. Many say this will be our new way of living. That reality can be daunting. With Eid Al-Adha around corner, an added level of stress can fall on all of us when try to think about what we can do with our time. For a large amount of people, both Eids are busy times, with days that can seem endless. If you were looking for ways to still gain some barakah in your time and at a distance look no further. 1) Get Your Qurbani In If you give your…
