(Detroit, MI) Jan. 7, 2015—The Muslim community of Michigan is stepping forward with a contribution to support Detroit residents who are facing hardship from water shut offs. The Michigan Muslim Community Council (MMCC) in partnership with Islamic Relief USA (IR USA) –the largest Muslim charity organization in the United States – is giving $100,000 to help the people of Detroit.
Over 60,000 households in Detroit have faced the risk of water shut off creating great hardship for many. The grant will be divided evenly between the Detroit Water Fund in partnership with United Way of Southeastern Michigan and Wayne Metro Community Council, to be used in direct assistance to disadvantaged Detroit families struggling to maintain their water utilities or recover from water damage due to recent floods. MMCC and IR USA hope that this grant will encourage others to come forward with assistance since there is still great need. Says IR USA CEO, Anwar Khan: “We are hoping this is going to be contagious. … The most important thing we have is not our money, it’s our energy and our enthusiasm, and it’s our people… Also it is important to us in our faith to help our neighbors. It is a part of our faith to help our friends.” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan led an effort to provide water relief to disadvantaged families by setting up the Detroit Water Fund and a 10/30/50 plan for residents to receive help. Other major donors to this effort include Ford and GM who each donated $50,000, and the United Way which donated $100,000.
The grant is part of a concerted effort by metro-Detroit Muslims to contribute to the city’s revitalization since Detroit has been an important part of American Muslim history and is recovering from difficult economic times. Other initiatives include: the Huda clinic, which provides free medical and dental clinic to everybody; Zaman International, which provides food and material assistance to at risk-women and children; DREAM (Detroit Revitalization Engaging American Muslim), which reclaims and renovates homes for disadvantaged families; and the Ramadan Fight Against Hunger Food Drive and Oedhiya project, which distributes several tons of food and meat annually to local food banks and community centers.
Islamic Relief USA had provided disaster relief teams to metro-Detroit to help with recent Detroit flooding, and has partnered with local groups to offer Disaster Assistance Response Training to residents in order to have a group of trained individuals who can help f future disasters strike this area. Muzammil Ahmed, chairperson of MMCC, says that, “We hope that our example of helping the city will inspire others to step forward and be a part of Detroit’s revitalization.”
Press Conference with the Detroit Mayor and other officials:
Date: January 7th 2015. Time: 1130AM
Location: United Way Detroit Office: 600 Woodward, Suite 300
Media Contacts:
MMCC Contact: Muzammil Ahmed 734-368-2127 mahmed@mimuslimcouncil.com
Islamic Relief Contact: Christina Tobias-Nahi 703-236-9796 cnahi@irusa.org
United Way Contact: Laura Rodwan 313.477.2750 lrodwan@sbcglobal.net
City of Detroit Contact: Curtrise Garner (313) 701-2147
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Islamic Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization. Its mission is to alleviate suffering, hunger, illiteracy and disease regardless of color, race, gender or creed, and to provide aid in a compassionate and dignified manner. Islamic Relief USA aims to provide rapid relief in the event of human and natural disasters and to establish sustainable local development projects, allowing communities to better help themselves. Its programs benefit millions of people each year around the world, including in the United States.
Islamic Relief USA meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, a national charity monitoring group affiliated with the Better Business Bureau system. Islamic Relief USA is on the U.S. government’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity list, and it is also a signatory to the code of conduct of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.