Ehab Hassan, a Howard County Resident, put out the call early in the morning on Monday. The night before Main Street in Ellicott City, a historic mill town, had witnessed apocalyptic scenes as 10 inches of rain inundated the valley.. He is on the board of the Muslim Family Center.
By noon, forty people showed up and went out to get the supplies based on a list shared on social media. After Dhuhr Salah, a few representatives delivered them to the Howard County Food Bank. Bleach, paper towels, contractor trash bags- there was 900 lbs of these items gathered at the first drive- Hassan knows because the Howard County Food Bank weighed it in front of him.
“It worked out. The community stepped up,” he stated to the Muslim Link. The group met the Muslim Family Center. The center rents out a unit from the Tarbiyyah Academy in Elkridge. The message was shared with the school’s parents. "It was a combined effort of the two organizations,” he added.
“It is a blessing to have or be in Allah's cause and for Allah to allow us to help others. It’s really important especially during these days of Ramadan to help the less fortunate,” he stated. "Ustadh Sami Saharan (a regular khateeb at MFC) reminded the congregation recently, that to help a brother in need is better than being in seclusion in the masjid,” said Hassan.
“Tragedies like these are a reminder of the responsibility we have to help alleviate others’ suffering,” said CAIR Director of Maryland Outreach Zainab Chaudry. “We encourage our communities to donate items, volunteer their time and keep all those affected by these floods in their prayers.”
“The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was the most generous during the holy month of Ramadan,” said Baltimore-based Muslim Social Services Agency Executive Director Imam Hassan Amin, who encouraged local mosques to support Baltimore’s disaster-stricken neighborhoods. “In this tradition, we encourage Muslims to help our neighbors and brothers and sisters in humanity during this difficult time and reap the rewards.”
“It’s a tragedy that Ellicott City is going through this again. They were strong last time and they’ll be strong coming out but it’s tough for family businesses, said Hassan.
USA Today reports that “local leaders long have known that storms could leave the city, which sits at the bottom of a valley, in shambles. But critics say very little over the years has been done to meet the threat head-on, even though study after study has offered both warnings of disaster and possible solutions."
Residents were worried about favorites like Syriana restaurant that opened last year. Syriana survived with little damage but other local stops like the Little Market Cafe will need lots help rebuilding the kitchen and buying new equipment. A GoFundMe page has been created and it’s unclear whether the store will reopen .
Supplies are still needed in SW Baltimore, which was affected but not covered by the news media. Still Meadow Community Fellowship, 5110 Frederick Ave, Baltimore, MD is collecting items, daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Items requested include washcloths, towels, sanitary products, socks, deodorant, toothbrush, paste, pampers, baby food and formula, cleaning products, paper towels, toilet paper, trash bags, and toys.
Muslims are still delivering.
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