Muslim charity hosts #OneNationOneCause Back2School Drive
(Left) Grateful smiles! (Photos: Nassar Madyun)
On August 4, 2018, the national nonprofit, ICNA Relief (Islamic Circle of North America Relief) distributed backpacks and supplies to children in need, as part of their #OneNationOneCause Back2School Drive.
“Do you remember the joy of having brand new school supplies? School supplies shouldn’t be luxuries, but for 1 in 5 children in America, they are,” said Hamid Qureshi, Regional Director, ICNA Relief Atlanta. “We want every child to have a chance at a great school year….The sight of hundreds of parents and children, lining up hours before the distribution, is heartbreaking and humbling.”
(Right) Long lines!
“This drive, #OneNationOneCause, is an expression of solidarity. We stand together and are committed to being there for our neighbors, especially the most vulnerable. These are Islamic principles and universal human values in action. We are grateful to all our partners for coming together as one,” said Mr. Maqsood Ahmed, ICNA Relief CEO.
Partners in Atlanta included local faith groups, nonprofits, libraries, and village halls. Some of the sponsors/partners were Ambu-Link Ambulance Service, Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Atlanta, Atlanta Community Food Bank, The Baig Firm, Catholic Charities Atlanta, CDF: A Collective Action Initiative, Center of Pan Asian Community Services (CPACS),The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Georgia, Georgia Tamil Muslim Association, Helping the Community, Interfaith Children's movement (ICM), International Rescue Committee Atlanta (IRC), Madina Restaurant, New American Pathways, Project Hope Atlanta, Refuge Coffee Co., Refugee Women's Network, Inc., SCN Atlanta/Georgians for Syrian Refugees, Taubah Academy, U & M Family Eyecare, WellCare Health Plans, Gwinnett Islamic Center, Masjid Al-Hedaya, Masjid Maryam, Masjid Omar Bin Abdul Aziz, Masjid Uthman, and The Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam. Guests of honor were Congressman Hank Johnson, Vice Mayor of Clarkston Awet Eyasu, DeKalb County Fire Rescue Team, City of Clarkston Police Department, local councilmen, and education board members. The distribution event took place at The Clarkston Community Center, Clarkston, GA.
The three collection points were a food pantry in Stone Mountain, and two mosques in Marietta and Suwanee. Financial contributions could also be made online at icnarelief.org/back2school, and ICNA Relief USA Programs could also be supported via AmazonSmile. At least 1,200 of each item was requested; about 1,700 were distributed.
The national Back2School Drive covered 70 + cities in 35 states and Puerto Rico, over 30 days. In 2017 alone, ICNA Relief distributed 27,075 backpacks with supplies, in 187 locations in 26 states. Since 2009, ICNA Relief has distributed 150,000 backpacks filled with supplies, nationwide to needy children. Its services include 15 transitional shelters for women and children, 7 free clinics, disaster response, car donations, refugee assimilation programs, professional counseling, and 33 food pantries.
High five!
"Children can go to school with confidence because they have much needed supplies. This helps with the learning process. The ICNA Relief Back2School Event wasn't the first and it won't be the last, but what's most important is the impact. I'm certain that at least one child that received a bookbag Saturday was probably nervous just days before wondering where their supplies were going to come from because maybe their parents couldn't afford it. What ICNA Relief did was BIG and I pray that we can continue to serve those in need." –Sister Nita, volunteer for Mega Back2School Event
The volunteers.
Website Bonus Feature
"The Back2School Giveaway event was a great success. It was a collaborative effort between ICNA, New American Pathways, and many other organizations. We were able to provide 1,700 plus bookbags & school supplies to most needed families and students. Every individual who received that service was happy and grateful."
-Sister Safia, Resettlement and Resource Navigation Manager at New American Pathways
"The members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, especially the Twin Oaks congregation appreciate the invite from ICNA to serve shoulder to shoulder with our Muslim brothers and sisters in this worthwhile back to school project."
-Brother Tom, Atlanta Area Public Affairs at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
"The International Rescue Committee Atlanta would like to thank ICNA Relief for hosting such a wonderful event for refugee youth in the Clarkston community. We are so thankful that our clients were able to receive much needed backpacks and school supplies, just in time for the new school year!"
-Sister Amal, Social Adjustment Casework Supervisor at the International Rescue Committee in Atlanta
Photo Gallery:
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1RFQwt_oDq0m5sHrgyjkB4pRNfsaGNe0q
or https://www.facebook.com/icnaga
Link:
https://www.facebook.com/icnaga/
Video:
"Imam Omar Suleiman on the Back-2-School Project"
By ICNA Relief
Published on Jul 5, 2018
https://youtu.be/Nzego8rU_lw
About ICNA Relief USA
ICNA Relief USA is a BBB accredited 501c3 charity with 4/4 star Rating by Charity Navigator, Member CFC and Board Member of NOVAD. Services include; 16 Shelter homes for women, 31 Food Pantries, 7 free clinics, 7 counseling centers and 12 refugee empowerment centers. ICNA Relief has responded to 56 disasters since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Other services include back2school giveaways, rental and utility support for needy families and educational workshops. ICNA Relief serves more than 12,000 fellow citizens every month without discrimination.
* Our 28+ food pantries & weekly food distributions serve 50K+ weekly
* We serve over 3,000 #Refugees here in the US annually
* We have responded to over 40 disasters nationwide
* We operate 6 free health clinics
* We operate 14+ women's transitional housing facilities
* Give out over 20K school bags each year to children in lower income communities
#ICNARelief #OneNationOneCause #Back2School
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