Unite to Fight Hunger Campaign

Ramadan Food Drive 2008

Last Modified: Fri, 26 Sep 2008 06:11:16 GMT v1.010

"Unite to Fight Hunger" is a campaign spearheaded by The Council in collaboration with a broad-based coalition. The goal is to engage Muslims in a broad and sustained anti-hunger project that helps people of all faiths in our communities. The "Ramadan Food Drive '08" is the kick-off event for the campaign!

Hunger, a longstanding affliction of the indigent and the working poor, has hit middle income America - very hard. The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (the Council), through its Unite to Fight Hunger Campaign, announces the launch of its Ramadan Food Drive!

The Ramadan Food Drive is a regional campaign. The Council is coordinating food collection and monetary donations from Muslims and non-Muslims throughout the month of Ramadan.

Food Collection

Food collection will take place at local mosques. Please look around your local masjid beginning this weekend for food collection bins and for flyers detailing the types of food that are acceptable for donation! If your masjid is not participating in the Ramadan Food Drive and you would like to launch the drive yourself, please contact us and we will help you!

Monetary Donations

We are also asking for monetary donations as they are an integral part of helping Muslim-run food pantries' operations. All monetary donations for the Ramadan Food Drive will be distributed to participating Muslim-run food pantries.

Monetary donations must be sent to the Council with checks made payable to CIOGC and specifically earmarked in the memo section as "Ramadan Food Drive". The monetary donations are tax deductible.

Unite to Fight Hunger Campaign

The Ramadan Food Drive is a "kick off' to a broader, longer-term Unite to Fight Hunger Campaign. This campaign is the result of a series of collaborative sessions among Muslim-run food pantries and mosque leaders active in hunger alleviation efforts. These sessions were organized by the Council, first at a workshop at the Islamic Center of Naperville in June, and then followed up by a series of email and telephone discussions culminating in a second collaboration session in early August.

Our vision is a sustained and effective hunger alleviation effort within the Muslim community year-round. The goal is to create a long term strategy within the Muslim community to work on hunger alleviation in our community that includes education, organization and mobilization components. The focus of the work is feeding the hungry - Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

For more information about the Ramadan Food Drive or about the Unite to Fight Hunger Campaign please contact Ausaf Farooqi at ausaf@ciogc.org.