With the help of Inspire FM, a Luton community group, 13 mosques across the town took part in a dedicated Friday money collection to purchase edible goods.

Salma Khan, director of operations at Luton Foodbank, said she was “delighted” by “truly amazing and heart-warming” donations.

She said the Muslim community support the charity throughout the year but this year more groups came together.

“This is the first time so many mosques have united to support us”, Ms. Khan added. “It’s so nice to see every part of the community taking part, it’s amazing, truly heart-warming.”

She said the money had already made “a huge difference” and meant there were enough donations for over the festive period and into early January, when donations can dip.

She added: “Christmas is a time of year that people who don’t have much are forced to spend money on gifts, food and heating, so it pushes a lot of people into crisis.”

Mohammed Tariq, from Inspire FM, said: “We are deeply appreciative of the mosques coming together to support the local Foodbank during this critical time. This act of unity and generosity truly reflects their core values.”

Maqsood Anwar, from the Madinah Masjid mosque, said it has supported the “much-needed” foodbank for over a decade and “we are more than happy to help”.

Allama Qazi Abdul Aziz Chisti MBE said: “Feeding the hungry is one of our duties as Muslims.”

Elizabeth Stringer, the chairman of the foodbank, said: “With higher numbers of people using the foodbank, all contributions will help with food distribution throughout the colder months.”

Source: BBC

To create the exhibit, the WF Fund asked Muslim Americans nationwide to share their personal stories of daily giving. The group received nearly 200 submissions and more than 50 were selected by a national panel for inclusion in the Atlanta showcase. About a quarter of the featured submissions are from Atlanta residents. Some of the Atlanta stories include Sisters Nurturing Sisters, led by Shahidah Shariff that hosts community leaders who have joined to support their journey of service. Another story is the generosity of the Clara Mohammed Schools founded by Imam Warithudeen Mohammed to mainstream the excellence in education in faith and civic engagement. Another story is The Black Iftar that is about building community through fasting during the month of Ramadan that started in 2018.

The Inspired Generosity storytelling showcase was part of Dilnaz Waraich’s fellowship for National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP). The NCFP Forum in September at the Loews Hotel, sponsored by the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, was the culmination of the fellowship. “The shortest distance between two people is a story,” is a quote by Georgia’s Patti Digh that grounds the showcase. Asking marginalized communities to be vulnerable and tell their stories is a hard ask. Certain communities have been told repeatedly that their stories are not important and that they aren’t American enough.

“The Community Foundation recognizes the power of the Inspired Generosity showcase in bridging communities and fostering dialogue,” said Cynthia Padilla Pearson, program officer at the Foundation, who supports the work of interfaith organizations through the Foundation’s TogetherATL Fund. “By bringing diverse leaders together and sharing authentic stories, this initiative not only challenges harmful stereotypes, but also encourages real reflection and connection. It’s an invaluable platform for creating lasting change.”

The Inspired Generosity showcase and the process of building the host committee has been important to develop relationships between philanthropy and leaders in Atlanta while using the power of stories to push back against the negative images of Islam and Muslims that are so dominant in the U.S. The showcase has been able to host over fifteen events that bought diverse leaders to question their implicit biases.

Inspired Generosity runs through October 26 at Auburn Avenue Research Library. Visit with your colleagues and ask how these stories connect with you. Also, follow Inspired Generosity on social media.

Source: SaportaReport