CROP Hunger Walk
For the first time, we had the Walk for Hunger in Redmond. The walk started from MAPS and went through Marymoor Park, followed with a barbecue.
25% of funds raised benefited the local work of MAPS-MCRC , Emergency Feeding Program, and Hopelink; 75% of funds brought sustainable food sources to global communities through the work of organizations such as Islamic Relief, CWS, Mazon, etc.
Delivering food at Habitat for Humanity Site
On Sat Oct 8th, MCRC volunteers participated in the Interfaith Together We Build day with Habitat for Humanity. MCRC volunteers provided lunch and joined other volunteers building low income housing at the the Sammamish site.TWB is an Interfaith Coalition of Christians, Jews, and Muslims seeking to find common ground and learn from one another as they work together to build houses for low-income families in King County. The volunteer-based coalition has led the annual event each year to show the world that together we can build a stronger community.
Serving food at Emergency Woman's Shelter in Kirkland
One volunteer, Sherine Abbas, described her experience as so: "I went there early and got to do a little setup (chairs, tables, blankets). I helped among others in food serving. I thought the place was great. It was big and warm. The room was equipped with mattresses, tables, chairs, and covers. The proximity to the kitchen area made it very convenient for food serving.I got mixed feelings coming our of this experience. I felt great being able to help and make a little bit if difference. I felt relieved that there are places where the homeless can go to and find such a caring environment. But I also felt so bad seeing the how difficult life can be hard on some."
Clothing Drive for Syria
MAPS MCRC partnered with SCM(Salaam Cultural Museum) to host yet another clothing drive for Syria. We were able to collect used clothing and other household items. We were able to collect ~13K weight worth of items which helped raise about $3000. This amount would be used to purchase food for people in refugee camps in Greece.
Members of broader community also participated and volunteered for the event. Most of our volunteers were youth and It was a great opportunity for them. They enjoyed being part of this event and helped make the event very efficient.
"Budrus" Screening
"It opened my eyes", said an audience member at the 'Budrus' movie screening on October 22nd at MAPS. A movie about Palestinian Liberation, the screening was a collaboration between MAPS-MCRC and Jewish Voice for Peace. The focus of the event was two-fold, to bring Jews and Muslims together in order to humanize the "other" and to highlight the success of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. The screening was followed by a small group discussion, where participants shared their thoughts on the movie and explored ways to actively support BDS.
Days for Girls-stitching feminine hygiene kits
We kicked off our first days for girls event of the year at MAPS today. We are on our way to making our own dedicated team of daysforgirls. Our volunteers learnt a lot from cutting the fabric, ironing as per measurements, overlocking and sewing the drawstring bags for the feminine hygiene kits. We also had ladies from other faith who joined the event. It is always such pleasure for our volunteers to work with broader community for a larger cause.
Sandwich making/delivering
Members of our community, got together on Friday, November 4th in Sammamish mosque to make sandiwches for North Helpline. Over 300 sandwiches were made, and later delivered to North Helpline in Seattle the following day. People in that area, were given a chance to take as many sandwiches as they want. It was a great event, and many were thankful.
The MAPS-MCRC clinic is in collaboration with the Rainier Valley Community Clinic (RVCC), a clinic based in South Seattle dedicated to the care of local families. Our goal is to provide culturally competent healthcare for individuals and families who lack access to basic health services and we will provide continuous aid to low-income and underserved groups regardless of their ability to pay. The clinic on October 16th saw a record number of patients-- 19 patients amongst 3 providers and one medical assistant within 3 hours. This monthly clinic is on the third Sunday of every month, serving members of the community. It was a great success.
Sanaa Syed is a young girl, age 13 who shared what her experience was like. "My experience at the homeless shelter was nice. It felt good to be able to help out, and give warm food and smiles to people who needed it. Looking around at all the families and conditions they were living in gave me a chance to feel thankful for the blessed life I have, with a roof under my head, and warm food on the table each day. At first when the families came up to get food I didn't know what to say, but they were all so kind and had smiles on their faces, so I had an easy job of making conversation with them, while offering them food and answering questions. This lady and I also had a very fun conversation, and I felt really good that I could be able to talk with her, and not make her feel lonely. Overall this was a pleasant experience, and I wouldn't mind doing this again soon."
