The Zakat Foundation of America

Accumulated debris in front of Mosque

In early June 2008, when heavy spring rains poured down on Iowa and rivers broke through their levees, Cedar Rapids and the surrounding rural areas were severely affected. According to the Red Cross, over 4,000 residential homes were designated as uninhabitable, more than 1,000 local businesses and farms were destroyed and almost 500 non-profit organizations were affected.

Weeks after the initial flooding, thousands of people remained homeless. When a team from Zakat Foundation arrived in Cedar Rapids to assess the damage and to formulate a relief response, the destruction and despair they found was far-reaching. After meeting with local residents and Red Cross representatives, Zakat Foundation pledged to assist in long-term relief and development efforts for Cedar Rapids and its surrounding suburbs.

Using the Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids as a distribution center, Zakat Foundation provided displaced families with over $30,000 worth of immediate aid. The keystone of American Muslim heritage and history, the Mother Mosque of America, suffered an estimated $75,000 in damage. Zakat Foundation supported the repairs and preservation of this precious heirloom of the Muslim community in the United States.