Zakat Foundation of America is holding another food distribution in collaboration with local, North Carolina-based groups and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families program.
Partners in the distribution include the Community Leaders Alliance, Integration Working Group, Al-Shurah Community Resources, The International Advisory Committee, ICT Food Pantry, Giving Hands, the Greensboro Halal Food Pantry and more.
The distribution is set to assist low-income families, and it features 1,248 food boxes that contain meat, vegetables, milk and other dairy. It is set to take place at 4 p.m., Friday, Dec. 18, at the Islamic Center of Greensboro, located at 2023 Sixteen Street, Greensboro, North Carolina, 27405. Beneficiaries are preselected.
“What an amazing way for our Islamic community to come together as one and give to those in need,” said Marikay Abuzuaiter, at-large councilwoman at the Greensboro City Council. She and Yvonne Johnson, Mayor Pro Tem, will be at the event. “So many people in our community are being affected by COVID and the uncertainty of where their next meal will come from. While we can’t solve all of the problems arising from COVID, we can certainly take a moment to commend those who are making a positive difference in our community.”
Zakat Foundation has distributed more than 1 million pounds of fresh produce and dairy since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a 500,000-pound potato distribution from coast to coast.
“I am truly grateful to Sister Siddiga, chair of the International Advisory Committee, and Sister Khadija from Al-Shurah Community Resources for helping to facilitate this distribution and reach those truly in need in Greensboro,” said Nayma Kose, Zakat Foundation’s North Carolina Community Center manager. “Zakat Foundation hopes to continue to work with them in the future to bring relief to struggling families.”
The Integration Working Group’s leaders work closely with many of the nonprofits that serve immigrants and refugees. IWG, which is mainly grassroots led, helps organize immigrant and refugee community members around issues impacting their lives.
“Even though this pandemic has impacted all individuals and families differently, it also taught all of us that we are part of a unique fabric; therefore, we can only make it through this unprecedented time safely by thinking in unprecedented ways,” said Darma Sarry from Community Leader Alliance, which aims to create and support projects and programs that support growing the development of international communities and minorities in collaboration with different nonprofit agencies. “This outbreak truly trained us to expand our prospect to include others and to consider others every minute of the day.”
Distributions will be held at various locations at the same time and date.