Zakat Foundation of America has Awarded Fifteen Grants to Social Services Programs, in light of social issues and economic hardships facing societies in the big cities of America. Zakat Foundation of America has launched its new Grant Program in May 2010, offering an estimated $200,000 in funds to social services projects.
The program is designed to increase services that Muslims provide locally to both Muslims and non-Muslims, and as a result, may eliminate the disconnect between Muslims and our non-Muslim neighbors, as well as fulfill our Islamic duty to the those in need of assistance.
About 84 percent of the mosques in the U.S. provide funds to the those in need, but few have formal structures in place that go beyond this charity. With Zakat Foundation of America's Grant Program, mosques and Islamic organizations are provided with guidance in hopes to become pro-active in their communities and neighborhoods.
Through careful evaluation, a number of organizations had been picked as the winners of the Grant Program among dozens of applications that were sent from across the nation. The winners had submitted well-developed ideas ranging from food pantries, women's shelters, youth programs, and re-entry initiatives.
Below are a few examples of social services programs that we support:
Neighborly Needs
Al-Maun is a non-profit organization based in Las Vegas, Nevada that aims to address the needs of the community at large and to help improve the conditions of families, children, senior citizens, and the growing homeless population by providing free medical and nutrition assistance.
Zakat Foundation of America shares the same aspiration in providing sustainable assistance to the poor and needy within the community and therefore has awarded Al-Maun grants for its programs.
Helping Victims of Domestic Abuse
Domestic violence crosses ethnic, racial, generational, religious and socioeconomic lines. In cases of domestic violence, it is not enough to provide a shelter and meals for these victims.
Though these women have survived, they are wounded by their traumatic experiences. They struggle with fear and stress, heightened emotions, and even memory loss or impaired judgment from repeated injuries to the head.
Zakat Foundation of America recognizes Women Affairs of Al-Mumtahinah Home in Baltimore, Maryland as a shelter that furthers their purpose by providing medium and long term support to the victims of domestic violence.
Changing the World, One Person at a Time
Nearly 650,000 people are released from state and federal prisons yearly, and arrive on the doorsteps of communities nationwide.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics study of 15 states, more than two-thirds of state prisoners released from incarceration were re-arrested and more than half returned to prison within three years of their release.1
Citizens Against Recidivism is working in collaboration with other community and faith based organizations, to achieve and maintain behavior change among those who have been released from prison or jail in the New York area. The re-entry initiatives have been chosen as one of the winners of Zakat Foundation of America's grant program.
Insha' Allah, we will continue to assist these and other social services programs in the future. Together, we will continue to make a difference in the lives of others, Alhamdullah.
Source
Langan, P.A. & D.J. Levin. Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 1994. NCJ 193427. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2002