tml

For some Muslims in Montgomery County, Md., serving the elders of the community has been a rallying call.

“The idea to serve our senior community [was there] since [our] inception,” said Irma Hafeez, president of the non-profit Montgomery County Muslim Foundation. The grassroots organization recently launched a free bus service to provide transportation to Friday prayers for elderly Muslims. Still in its initial stages, the service only serves the Islamic Center of Maryland in Gaithersburg.

“We have been actively working on [the bus service] since last year,” Hafeez said. “This is the first step towards our overall plan of eventually creating a cultural and social center for our seniors.”

The bus cost MCMF about $24,000, which is being raised through donations from the Muslim community and from MCMF board members.

The United States Census Bureau projects the number of people 65-years-old and over will “more than double by the middle of the next century.”  The bureau estimates about one in eight Americans were elderly in 1994, but about one in five will be elderly by the year 2030.

Hafeez and the MCMF recognize this trend and are hoping to be ready to serve.

“[Our] short term plan is to provide our isolated seniors a means for social networking, independence and dignity,” she said. “[Our] long term plan is to provide mobility for [elders] to promote independence, self worth and happiness.”

For now, the bus service is limited to round trips from homes to the ICM and back. Hafeez says services will be expanded as the needs become clear. MCMF estimates the free bus service for Friday prayer costs about $60 per hour to operate.

MCMF is asking the community to spread the word about this service, particularly to residents of Montgomery County. The MCMF is a sister organization to the Montgomery County Muslim Council, a group formed in 2002 to promote Muslim political involvement and civic engagement at the local level.

To donate or learn more, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

• Add New

Comments (0)

Write comment

Your Contact Details:

Name:

Email: do not notifynotify

Website:

Comment:

Title:

Message:

Security

Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Joomla components by Compojoom