Reflections on Day of Dignity 2010

The impetus behind "Day of Dignity" can be drawn from our mission here at Islamic Relief USA, which includes "… to alleviate suffering …. and to provide aid in a compassionate and dignified manner." Over the course of the 2010 Days of Dignity, I’ve often been asked, “Why Day of Dignity?” My response is that events associated with the Day of Dignity provide an opportunity for people of all persuasions to be of service to people in need, at least one time, one day, one month of the year.

The last Day of Dignity event in Capitol Heights, Md., on Dec. 18th completed nearly a year of efforts and events that began last spring with training sessions for coordinators who, over the next eight months, would manage thousands of volunteers and serve many more thousands of beneficiaries.

Since the first Day of Dignity event at Fort Thompson in South Dakota last June, volunteers have worked selflessly to ensure that the event(s) in their respective cities went well. So engaged were they that, on occasion, volunteers ventured from one event to the next, from one city to another, to participate. To witness this was a blessing from Allah (swt).

Invariably, volunteers would gather early for work, long before the day was to officially start. And likewise, beneficiaries would begin to line up in anticipation of what was to come. Once the day’s events would get under way, I would witness the smiles on the faces of both those who gave and those who received.

To watch people queue up for a meal, health screening or a haircut and a few personal supplies reminded me of the adage, "But by the grace of God, there go I." I remember thinking that in a country so blessed with natural resources and human capacity, it was almost unthinkable that people would be homeless, that children would go to bed hungry and that too often some of our senior citizens would find themselves faced with the decision of whether to eat, pay their utilities or buy much-needed medication.

While Day of Dignity wouldn’t make any of those realities disappear, I encourage people to look upon it as a model.

It’s a model that packages concern and compassion and partners it with unbridled volunteerism, which then creates the synergy that has the capacity to help us find solutions to everyday problems facing our society. Ideally, people would look at Day of Dignity and see it as a concept that provokes action and begets positive results. If they find any pleasure in that activity, then I would encourage them to work to see that it is replicated, in some form, in other areas of the country.

As the last 2010 Day of Dignity event wound down last weekend, I went through the mental exercise of recalling favorite moments or a favorite moment from the different cities where the events were held. A volunteer in Washington, D.C., a young Christian college student, summed it up best when she said, "I just wanted to come and give. [I want to] acknowledge, if possible, some of the blessings I have received in life and try to provide some relief to those facing difficulty today. I have what I need, and so, I and others in similar circumstances should be willing to share with those less fortunate."

And I was then reminded of that tried-and-true saying: "To those that are given much, much is expected."

-- Saleem Khalid, Islamic Relief USA

At Last Day of Dignity, A Community Comes Together

As I walked up to the Oak Crest Community Center in Capitol Heights, Md., the cold wind hit me in the face. But the chill was soon replaced by a warm chant—“Day of Dignity, Today is Your Day”—sung by the volunteers as they welcomed beneficiaries at Day of Dignity event in mid-December.

It was the last event of Islamic Relief USA's 2010 Day of Dignity season, the final city out of 22 we visited this year. And the time spent at Oak Crest was as meaningful and special as the first 2010 Day of Dignity event in South Dakota last June.

Recipients were lined up throughout the community center, waiting patiently to receive their passport, which signified their entry into the Day of Dignity event. The beneficiaries’ first stop was the gym, where they were treated to a large cadre of services and gifts, ranging from International House of Pancakes coupons to community college registration forms.

After they left the gym, they went into the next room where they were welcomed with warm meals, cotton candy, and children’s activities, including entertainment from local school bands.

The next room housed a medical clinic. Dentists and doctors provided checkups while volunteer nurses administered flu shots. The journey ended in the clothing lounge, where recipients choose whatever they wanted from racks of clothing, including shirts, coats, and socks. The beneficiaries who came out to this last Day of Dignity event left with smiles on their faces and bags of goods.

One gentleman stopped me and said, “Thanks I really appreciated this,” and then walked away with his groceries. But the funny thing is, I appreciated him giving me the opportunity to give to others. It is a beautiful way to live.

This was truly a community affair—a symbiotic relationship between the volunteers and the beneficiaries, and I felt truly blessed to be a part of Day of Dignity 2010.

-- Karim Amin, Domestic Programs Coordinator at Islamic Relief USA

Gallery: A Look Back at Day of Dignity in 2010

2010's Day of Dignity season was full of memorable moments, lives touched, and dignity given and received. For those who volunteered to the beneficiaries who came for health screenings, school supplies, clothing, and hot meals, the Day of Dignity events was an important model of how important it is to give dignity to those who need help. Thanks to all who turned out.

'Day of Dignity' Serves Impoverished in New York City's Brooklyn and Manhattan

New York, New York

Karim Amin

Every time I drive past Exit 9 on the New Jersey turnpike, I feel a shot of energy. The air, traffic and scenery transforms: The autumn-colored trees and rest stops that line the highway are replaced by sprawling buildings and billboards. My mindset changes to a New York state of mind. But underneath all the bright lights of Broadway and the massive bridges that connect this metropolis are the often unheard stories of people in need.

This is the sixth year that Islamic Relief USA hosted Day of Dignity in New York. The weekend of events kicked off in Brooklyn at Masjid Al-Taqwa, the home of Imam Siraj Wahaj. Dozens of volunteers from all over the city converged on this historic mosque to serve the community. The line wrapped around the building. Recipients received basic health check-ups, clothing and food.

Each beneficiary was greeted at the end of the line with a warm meal and drink. Toward the end of the event, Imam Siraj Wahaj stopped by his mosque and provided a boost of energy to the volunteers who had worked so hard to organize this event.

The next day started with the same energy as the first. Recipients lined up outside of the Saint Francis Xavier Church in midtown Manhattan. As some of the city’s homeless and working poor entered the building, they were welcomed with goods and meals.

“This is a great example of interfaith work,” said a St. Xavier staff member. “There are Muslims organizing an event at a Catholic church, with donations (book bags and school kits) from the Mormon church with Jewish volunteers.”

That is the beauty of Day of Dignity. It marries dignity with giving and brings together diverse groups for a common cause — to simply help those who need it, no matter where they are from or where they are going.


--Karim Amin is IR USA's Day of Dignity and domestic programs coordinator

photo: Bilal Aslam

Day of Dignity in Baltimore: 'Today, You Made Me Feel Like a Somebody'

A sign on the side of the road spoke the truth of the day: “You respect me, I’ll respect you.” It was painted in white on a piece of scrap lumber, leaning up against a fence. Across the street were boarded-up row houses, a few occupied by people. Though the day was bright and a breeze was blowing, the mood in that battered part of Baltimore was subdued.

But as I neared Masjid ul-Haqq, where Islamic Relief USA’s Day of Dignity event was held on Saturday over the Labor Day weekend, the atmosphere changed to one of love, respect and friendship. A long table in front of the mosque held trays of food – spaghetti, garlic bread, fried chicken, and other things. People lined up for meals dished out by Day of Dignity volunteers and then received bags full of items to help them survive the winter.

"It’s very good, very useful stuff," said Robert Wilson, one of the beneficiaries of event. “Islamic Relief, they treat me with respect.”

Nearly 400 people came out for the event, receiving food, socks, soap, underwear, clothing, notebooks, pencils, and other school supplies. Many, clutching their bags, headed over to the picnic tables nearby to eat the food they had received.

-- Dilshad D. Ali


To read more of the post, click here to go to the Day of Dignity blog.

Day of Dignity 2010: Scenes from Baltimore

Day of Dignity 2010: Dallas

Day of Dignity in Dallas: Helping People Survive Another Day

The sun was blazing. But that didn't stop the hundreds of underserved and vulnerable locals from lining up hours before the gates opened at Dallas' Masjid al-Islam. Many of them were sweating, hungry and thirsty.

You could see the desperation in their eyes. Still, they waited patiently as scores of volunteers rushed around, readying hot plates, carefully arranging distribution stations, and laying out heaps of clothing in hopes of helping the less fortunate in their neighborhood.

With Ramadan in full swing, many of the volunteers were observing the daylong Ramadan fast and the scorching heat was audibly parching their throats. Their voices cracked when they spoke and many of them had dried saliva on their lips.

"I can't think of anything better to be doing on a fasting day," Nahida Ahmed told me. Ahmed, 28, was helping pass out food trays despite being hungry herself.

It was Islamic Relief USA's Day of Dignity – an event characterized by love, compassion and sacrifice. And volunteers flooded into the mosque at 8 a.m. to be apart of the event as if they were the ones benefiting.

For people in need, the warm meals, fresh fruit, socks, shirts, caps, hygiene kits, and all the other items available for distribution at the Day of Dignity are a beacon of hope. One less worry for mind plagued with the most difficult of stress: "Will I survive another day?"

"Every day is a challenge," 45-year-old Glenn Black told me as he munched on some rice and beef provided at the event. He balanced an Islamic Relief tote bag full of clothes between his knees. "I need these clothes because it's getting close to wintertime," he said. His skin was thick and calloused, probably from sleeping in the street.

Another beneficiary told me just how much events like the Day of Dignity impact his community. "It helps out the neighborhood a lot," Alfred Burney told me. “Especially the kids.”

The 54-year-old was impressed that Muslims were spearheading the cause. “I’m surprised that it’s Islamic Relief,” he said.

Dennye Mills, a 55-year-old toothless and homeless widow, was there for the fresh fruit because it was easier to eat than the food she was used to receiving at food banks. "God bless Islamic Relief," she said between bites.

"The need here is huge," said Islamic Relief USA’s Domestic Programs Coordinator, Karim Amin. Amin is a strong supporter of helping fellow Americans in need. "Islamic Relief USA organizes the Day of Dignity because you must help your neighbors first before you help people afar," he added.

After the event was over and the bustle died down, I made my way across the street and noticed that one of the beneficiaries had picked an abandoned building's front step to lay his head. With his arms sprawled beside him and his newly acquired shoes cordoning off his territory, I realized what was going on.

He probably couldn't sleep all night from hunger. Now with a nutritious meal in his stomach, the man could finally rest. It broke my heart to see his condition, but I was happy we could serve people like him. Without a Day of Dignity, he might have starved another day.

To learn more or to donate to Day of Dignity, click here.

-- Zeyad Maasarani

ABC News Report from Day of Dignity, Flint

Day of Dignity 2010: Philadelphia Slideshow

Home-Cooked Meals and More for Atlanta's Homeless and Needy at 'Day of Dignity'

A bright sun with blue skies and soft clouds was the backdrop throughout last Sunday as we visited sites in Atlanta, Georgia where Day of Dignity events took place. People gathered from all over Metro Atlanta looking to be of service on this day, dubbed the 'Day of Dignity' by Islamic Relief USA. Islamic Relief USA and Share Atlanta, supported by four local organizations, and a host of volunteers offered assistance to all who attended. This Day of Dignity would be unique in that events would take place at three different sites in Atlanta and one additional site in Clarkston.

The first location that we visited was teeming with activity by the time we arrived. People had already lined up and were receiving medical screenings and hot meals. Screenings were being done by a group of young medical professionals who chatted amicably with individuals who waited patiently for their turn at medical attention.

Volunteers directed peoples’ attention to another line where hot home-cooked meals were being dispensed. Many people took their food and, moving just out of the way of foot-traffic, sat on the sidewalk and took their time eating what they had received.

As all of this took place, haircuts were being given to those who wanted to spruce up their appearance. People kept coming to the area where the event was being staged, on Broad Street, just minutes away from the Georgia Dome. This was a rare opportunity for people to receive meals, free haircuts, personal items and medical attention, at no cost to them, all in the same place.

Not far away, a site had been established where a completely different population of people was receiving similar care and treatment. Recipients showed their appreciation with a nod of the head, a smile, and a thank you or just by the way they savored the meals which they had received. The third site had completed their work by the time we arrived, but many people who had benefited from the distribution still lingered. They were consuming their food, looking through the items they had received, all the while attempting to find shade from a sun whose heat was growing in intensity.

We arrived at the last location, Clarkston, before the event was scheduled to start. From an initial gathering of 4, at least 75 volunteers, quickly assembled and equally as fast, transformed a small area of a large apartment complex into the staging area for what was to be the day’s last Day of Dignity event. In apt anticipation of what was to take place, children, parents and those without children, but obviously in need, formed a cheerful, talkative, yet orderly line ready to receive whatever was being provided. Bags were filled with school supplies, hygiene kits, towels and other items which had been generously donated. Warm meals were provided and medical screenings where available to those who wanted to take advantage of their offering.
Day of Dignity activities are intended to provide struggling Americans with basic services like medical screenings, in addition to hot meals and aid parcels filled with blankets, clothing, hygiene kits, and other necessities. The program is designed to encourage service to others.

Islamic Relief USA is especially grateful to the all of the organizations who support Day of Dignity activities across the country and to the host of volunteers who constitute the workforce who carry out the actual activities from city to city. We know that for many, this event is a part of greater service that those volunteers do throughout the year. Please consider replicating this event in your locality.

--Saleem Khalid, Islamic Relief USA Domestic Programs Manager

Day of Dignity in Philadelphia: A Time for Unity

The young veiled woman handed a Day of Dignity flyer to the homeless man standing in front of her. He looked down at the flyer and noticed the event location. “I used to live right by there,” he said. “I lived on the church steps at 21st and Chestnut.” Monika Nagpal was devastated to hear this, “because he referred to his home as a set of steps,” she said. Nagpal tirelessly served as coordinator of Islamic Relief USA’s Day of Dignity in Philadelphia this past Sunday.

Outside the gated doors of First Unitarian Church, in the heart of the city, hundreds of homeless and impoverished people filed into the church pews and stood in a line running outside and around the block to receive bags, ponchos, hygiene items, blankets, clothing, toiletries, medical, dental and vision screenings and food, all served by over 100 volunteers with warm smiles and kind greetings. Many volunteers were devout Muslims who were also fasting amid the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Philadelphia’s Day of Dignity was a joint collaboration between Islamic Relief USA, the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Fixing Philly, United Muslim Foundation, Philadelphia Jews for a Just Peace, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and First Unitarian Church.

Shirleen, an elderly aid beneficiary, was seated in one of the church’s pews just before aid distribution began. She talked about people of different faiths coming together to help out the needy in their community: “It’s a good thing,” said Shirleen. “We’re all united as one.”

Read the rest of this blog post here.

-- Muneeza Tahir

Ramadan 2010: Why Giving is a Gift

Many Muslims look upon the holy month of Ramadan as a time of spiritual growth, oneness with Allah (SWT), and a time to give up bad habits and take on new good habits. It’s a time when whatever good deed we perform, each prayer we do, each time we give back, and each time we remember Allah, we will insh’Allah gain 70 times the amount of reward for it.

We are encouraged to give in Ramadan. Give zakah and give wherever we can. Volunteer, donate to a good cause, help someone -- because giving is a gift. Being able to give back to those in need is a gift for us, for through our giving we can insha’Allah obtain spiritual reward.

Upon reflecting on these principles of Ramadan, we at Islamic Relief USA felt that the theme of “Giving is a Gift” was fitting for this year. We’ve seen great suffering and need in disasters like the Haiti earthquake, the continuing Gaza crisis, and the Pakistan floods, and we’ve seen the great need for help here in the United States through our Day of Dignity events. We realize that it is a blessing for us and our donors to be able to raise money, reach out, create programs, and provide help where it is needed most.

The Holy Qur’an says, "Those who give to charity night and day, secretly and publicly, receive their recompense from their Lord; they will have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. (2:274)"

The Holy Qur’an, also says, "They ask you (O Muhammad) what they should spend in charity. Say: 'Whatever you spend with a good heart, give it to parents, relatives, orphans, the helpless, and travellers in need. Whatever good you do, God is aware of it.' (2:215 )"

The emphasis on charity and giving in Islam is seen throughout the Qur’an and in hadith. For that matter, charity and helping those in need goes beyond Islam: It is a moral principle shared by many faiths. If you are in the position to give, then please give back. It is a gift to be able to give.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "If I had (a mountain of) gold, I would love that, before three days had passed, not a single (coin) thereof remained with me if I found somebody to accept it (as charity), excluding some amount that I would keep for the payment of my debts." - Sahih Al-Bukhari.

We would like to wish you a blessed Ramadan. Please check out our blog during Ramadan to hear more giving stories from people like you. We here at Islamic Relief USA appreciate all you do, and we appreciate your support of our efforts to give back to those in need. Indeed, giving is a gift, and we hope you choose to give and receive that gift.

Ramadan Mubarak!

Slideshow: Day of Dignity 2010 in South Dakota at the Crow Creek Reservation

Day of Dignity in South Dakota: Scenes from Crow Creek Reservation

The kick-off of this year's Day of Dignity campaign was at the Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota last week, and it was a sobering, yet satisfying day that we spent there. There is beauty in the land and people of the reservation, but not in the conditions they are living in.

Driving through South Dakota is like driving through time--a time when America was a much simpler place. As I rode through this scenic state, I passed countless farms with grazing cattle and general stores. You could ride for hours and not see a stop sign. For a city guy like myself, this was very different from what I am used too.

Then suddenly the scene changes. The picturesque farms are replaced with trailer homes and temporary housing. Joblessness and poverty plague Crow Creek and many other reservations. Reservations were intended to give the Native Americans their own sovereign land. But instead they have become outposts where the original people of the Americas have been sent to and generally ignored.

As we drove through the reservations, we saw the homes that had been built for the mostly Sioux population. Some of the people live in dilapidated structures. Jobs are scarce and also the opportunities for many Sioux people are limited on the reservation. Despite the difficulties on the reservation the people of Crow Creek are very welcoming.

We wound our way through the reservation up to the parking lot of the community center. From there our Islamic Relief USA volunteers, who had taken the two and a half hour ride from Sioux Falls to Fort Thompson (where the Crow Creek reservation is), hopped out of the bus eager to assist. They quickly unloaded the van and began to stuff the Islamic Relief bags with goods, including food, hygiene kits, blankets, and other basic living supplies. Next to the supply van the volunteers set up a small kid’s carnival equipped with a variety of children’s games and prizes. More than 800 recipients stopped by; enjoying the games and the goods that Islamic Relief and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints had donated to this cause.

Members of the community and the tribal council thanked IR USA and its volunteers for their efforts. We left the day hoping that we made a small a difference, if just for one day. Inshallah, I pray that we can do more to assist these people, whose ancestors lay the foundation for this land that we now know as America. Click here to learn more about the Day of Dignity campaign, when it is coming to a city near you, and how you can help out.

--Karim Amin, Islamic Relief USA Domestic Programs Coordinator

Day of Dignity 2010 Coming to South Dakota

Day of Dignity 2010 is set to begin with this Saturday’s kick-off effort at a community center at the Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota in conjunction with the children’s Pow Wow. Domestic Programs Coordinator Karim Amin will be on hand to facilitate activities there. It’s the eighth year that Islamic Relief USA’s Day of Dignity campaign is taking place as a grassroots effort bringing volunteers together around the country to distribute food, clothing, blankets, medical care first aid, and other social services to those in need.

Crow Creek is the first of 22 cities where a "Day of Dignity" will occur, and the entire campaign is estimated to draw more than 2,000 volunteers who in turn will serve nearly 20,000 homeless and people in need throughout the country.

"Every year more and more local communities and volunteers join this national movement to assist their neighbors in need," said Amin. 'The Day of Dignity event sites are very diverse and stretch from the busy streets of Brooklyn, New York to the wide plains of the Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota."

Please visit the Day of Dignity website for more information on how to help at Crow Creek or at other cities across the nation. For the Crow Creek location, please contact local event coordinator Victor David at broimannsfsd@yahoo.com for more information. To learn more about Islamic Relief USA, click here.

IR USA's Abed Ayoub Meets with Mayor from Arizona

Islamic Relief USA CEO Abed Ayoub met this week with Mayor Scott Smith of Mesa, Arizona. The meeting comes as part of Islamic Relief USA’s ongoing strategy of developing ties with local governments around the United States.

The two leaders discussed developing a Day of Dignity event in Mesa. Day of Dignity is IR USA’s nationwide effort that provides much-needed aid and services to thousands of underprivileged and homeless people every year in cities around the United States. Every year hundreds of Islamic Relief USA volunteers turn out in support. Last year IR USA had a Day of Dignity in 19 cities nationwide and helped nearly 20,000 homeless and underpriveleged individuals.

Ayoub also met with local community leadership and discussed developing ties between IR USA and Mesa’s government in order to better serve the local community and for IR USA to possibly host events in that city. Also discussed was the important role faith-based charities play in serving those in need.

Islamic Relief USA's Day of Dignity Trainings Begin

It’s that time of year again.

Islamic Relief USA staff members are training city coordinators around the nation to prepare for Day of Dignity, a nationwide effort that helps provide much-needed aid and services to thousands of underprivileged and homeless people every year in cities around the United States. Every year hundreds of Islamic Relief USA volunteers turn out in support.

Last weekend, coordinators from across the West Coast met at Islamic Relief USA’s Southern California office for a training session. Although most of the city coordinators have multiple years of experience leading the Day of Dignity in their area, their hopes to help more people this year fueled the spirit of the training session.

Saleem Khalid, Islamic Relief USA’s domestic programs manager, said he was impressed with the motivation and hard work from coordinators and volunteers. “We’re expanding to 21 locations and are hoping to be far more organized and efficient, so we really need their help” he said. “We’re also hoping to help a lot more people.”

Last year, a Day of Dignity was organized in 19 cities nationwide, serving about 20,000 people.

Learn more about Islamic Relief USA’s Day of Dignity and how you can get involved in a city near you. To donate to Islamic Relief USA, click here.