MCMF Dinner Helps Muslims Help Needy

“Charity is a pillar of Islam,” says Potomac resident Saba Rashid. She is an attorney by day and the chair of the food pantry and clothing drive sections at the Montgomery County Muslim Foundation (MCMF).

Rashid has volunteered with MCMF for 5 years. With 15 years experience in running a non-profit in Pakistan, she came to MCMF after meeting the chairman, Tufail Ahmed — inspired by the work MCMF does clothing and feeding those who are most in need in Montgomery County. “We cater to a diverse audience; many of our clients have [disablities] and low income,” she says. A majority are non-Muslim. MCMF get referrals from the Interfaith Clothing Center and from the Muslim Community Center.
 
 “Interfaith Clothing Center has referred many families to the MCMF Food Pantry, which has been of tremendous help. We have had very positive feedback from the families that have gone to the food pantry. MCMF also partners with Interfaith by providing meals to Wilkins Avenue Women’s Assessment Center- a 65-bed emergency shelter serving over 250 women per year,” said Priscilla Da Rocha, Outreach Coordinator at the Interfaith Clothing Center.
 
A partnership with the Capital Food Pantry enabled MCMF to serve 150 clients on the last Saturday of every month.  Volunteers many of whom are young Muslim kids gather at 10 a.m. at MCMF’s Gaithersburg location. They make packages of vegetables, halal or kosher chicken, fruits, beans, rice, oil, dried milk, dried potatoes, tomato sauce, cereal and juices, and spaghetti, amongst other basic staples. “We aim to provide a nutritionally balanced basket,” says Rashid.
 
"The meat from MCMF is such a blessing for the low-income residents of Takoma Park that we serve. Their food budgets are too low to afford much meat, and the other food supplement programs seldom include meat,” said Terry Seamens of Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington.
 
The distribution starts at 12 p.m. and by 3 p.m. volunteers are ready to wrap up for the day.
 
The foundation also conducts Eid meat distribution, Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets, a Ramadan clothing drive and a winter blanket drive. Recipients of these drives include the MCC community and the International Rescue Committee.
 
A recent annual fundraiser highlighting a post-9/11 hate crime survivor, Rais Bhuiyan, who is now a peace activist and the founder of World Without Hate. Academy Award winning director Kathyrn Bigelow is making his story into a movie.
On Nov 14th, 2015, President Sara Noor welcomed 200 people to collect donations from the community members and recognize volunteers and partners. The board of MCMF and Montgomery County Council Member George Leventhal, Bruce Adams joined her. Director of the Office of Community Partnership, Interfaith Community Liaison Rev. Mansfield Kasey Kaseman, MD State Delegates Aruna Miller, Kumar Barve, Senator Susan Lee and other community leaders also attended the annual dinner. Several partner and recipient organizations sent their representatives, prominent among them- Shane Rock CEO Interfaith Works, Idris Mokhtarzada from Manna Food Center, Terry and Joyce Seamans from Adventist Community Services, added Rashid.
 
The goal was $50,000 which will help fund current activities as well as two new initiatives: Senior Program headed by Mona Negm and Youth Empowerment head by Dr Ishrat Hussain.
 
“Need is not confined to any race, ethnicity, nationality, gender or faith. Poverty is indiscriminate which makes the work of Montgomery County Muslim Foundation even more critical for the community safety net. MCMF serves the entire community, helping the most vulnerable in Montgomery County, regardless of their faith, to regain stability and hope. MCMF is a vital partner in Interfaith Works service to those experiencing homelessness or poverty in Montgomery County,” stated Shane Rock, CEO Interfaith Works in his speech at the fundraiser.
 
4th and 5th graders Naba Yazdani and Hanya Shahzadgraders spoke about their community service experience at the pantry at the event. A young volunteer, Amna Rashid sold and donated the proceeds of the specially handcrafted cards to the food pantry. Rev. Kaseman commended the work of these volunteers and added that, “listening to the volunteers and witnessing young people growing into their own humanity was just what the world needed today.”
 
The total raised was not tallied at the time of the report but Rashid hopes that is enough to continue doing the great work that MCMF has been doing since 2008.
 
“We are very proud to be Muslims,” she says about the current climate in the country. She says that it is a shame that negative stories are being high lighted and the good work Muslims do every day, as a practice of their faith is not. That is the greatest challenge.
 
MCMF aims to increase service to 200-300 people in 2016.  To learn more about MCMF volunteer opportunities (earn SSL credits) log on to mcmfmd.org or contact Saba Rashid at 301-793-2775.