Help Us Prepare for the Arrival of Refugee Families

For a list of in-kind donations requested, please visit ICNA Relief !

Donations can be shipped to ICNA Relief Chicago, 1793 Bloomingdale Rd, Suite #5

Glendale Heights, IL 60139. To drop off in person, please email chicago@icnarelief.org to book an appointment.

Will Your Family Be Safe in a Disaster?

As the frequency and intensity of natural and man-made disasters increase, it is only a matter of when, not if, our local community will be affected. Preparation is key.

Towards this end, Sr. Jane Aslam, Director, Disaster Relief Services, ICNA ReliefUSA, will speak to the community at large on November 14, 2015. At the end of the workshop, you will have learned how to protect your family in the event of a disaster and how you can be a valuable resource in the community when tragedy strikes. Workshop open to teens and adults.

You will also learn what it takes to be on the frontlines as a volunteer during a disaster. As you are aware ICNA Relief USA offers Disaster Relief Services to help survivors of both man-made and natural disasters. Our volunteers have served tosupport and rehabilitate communities in almost 40 disasters, from the Twin Towers in NY, during Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav, Ike, and Sandy; floods in Tennessee, Detroit, and Texas; tornadoes in Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, and more . ICNA Relief USA is recognized by FEMA and NVOAD, and has participated in projects funded by the American Red Cross, FEMA, United Way, and the September 11th Fund.

Being well prepared is half the battle. Learn how you can protect your family and community at this valuable workshop.

RSVP at chicago@icnarelief.org, with DRS in the subject line, indicating if you need babysitting and how many family members will attend.

ICNA Relief Food Pantries Collaborate with Ulta Foods and Jewel-Osco

Alhamdollilah, Ultra in Lombard and the Jewel Stores in Wooddale and Elmhurst will be donating fresh produce and fruits to ICNA Relief’s Food pantries as part of the Direct Connect program run by Northern Illinois Food Bank. “We are so pleased to see the commitment ICNA Relief’s food pantries have from area businesses. Given the need, this is a blessing,” said Naeem Iqbal, Outreach Coordinator Midwest and Coordinator Hunger Prevention Midwest.

Free Flu Shots & Health Screenings - Nov 7th

Free health screenings,and $5 flu shots, scheduled for Nov 7th at ICNA Dawah Center, 6224 N. California Ave. Chicago. Flu shots from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.; Screenings from 11:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. Event hosted by ICNA Relief, Compassionate Care Network and Hamdard Healthcare Center. Please spread the word! ( 8 hour fasting recommended for Diabetes screening).

We Ensure Your Udhiyah Reaches Your Neediest Neighbors

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah upon him) explained Udhiyah or Qurbani as "... the sunnah of your father Abraham. For every hair of the sacrificed animal you receive a reward from your Lord.” (Tirmidhi).  We will immediately distribute the meat to the poor, including to widows and orphans, in our communities.

As Easy as I-2-3

This Eid-ul-Adha, ICNA Relief can facilitate the Qurbani/Udhiyah on your behalf, right here in the USA. You can:
• Drop off your Qurbani to designated stores across Chicago.
•Visit www.icnarelief.org to donate your Qurbani today. The Qurbani will be offered for the name you specify, at the time of the slaughter.
Details to come.

Volunteer
Volunteer to help us distribute Qurbani meat. Mention “Meat Drive” and provide your contact information and dates of availability at http://bit.ly/DonateTime.
Questions? Contact Outreach Coordinator, Naeem Iqbal, Chicago@icnarelief.org; Subject line: Meat Drive; (630) 489-8390

ICNA Relief Chicago Marks 9/11 with Donation Valued at $5,600+, to Chicago School

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Muslim Non-Profit Marks 9/11 with Donation Valued at $5,600+, to Chicago School

Glendale Heights, IL (9/10/ 2015) - With donations, both monetary and in-kind, from Chicago area Muslims the national  non-profit, ICNA Relief , will donate 400 Back Packs and supplies to Emmett Louis Till Math and Science Academy in Chicago, today, in observance of  9/11.  The donation is valued at $5,600. ICNA Relief Chicago chapter has donated more than 1200 back packs and supplies locally, in total, this summer. They will be at the school between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Thursday 9/10.

“Do you remember the joy of having brand new school supplies? Many of these children don’t. We have also distributed back packs to 200 children in need at the DuPage County Back to School Fair 2015. Other recipients include homeless children via Bridge Communities in Glen Ellyn and refugees at the Chicago Dawah Center, Islamic Center of Wheaton, Masjid AlFarooq in Chicago, and kids in need in Rockford and Peoria,” said Dr. Saima Azfar, Director, ICNA Relief Chicago.

“We are living our faith in action. As Muslims we are expected to be there for our neighbors, especially the most vulnerable, our children in need. Getting their school year started off on the right foot is an important step in the right direction.”  

Besides individual donors, Muslim organizations supporting this effort include Islamic Center of Wheaton (ICW), Wheaton; MECCA Center, Willowbrook; Muslim Community Center (MCC), Morton Grove; ICNA Sisters Wing, Young Muslims (YM) and Muslim Children of North America (MCNA).

In 2014,  ICNA Relief distributed 23,825 backpacks and supplies to children in 16 states, across 70 distribution sites. The Glendale Heights based Chicago chapter alone distributed 850 backpacks including among homeless children hosted by Bridge Communities, a Glen Ellyn, IL, based non-profit. 

-end-

"It's like I lost my own child." - Ziyad al Falah, Syrian Refugee Resettled in Chicago

The images of three-year-old Aylan and his five-year-old brother, Galip, their little bodies washed ashore a Turkish beach, hit Ziyad al Falah particularly hard. This ICNA Relief beneficiary, a refugee who has been in Chicago since December 17, 2014, is no stranger to the Syrian Refugee Crisis. He, too, has children, a seven-year-old daughter and a ten-month-old baby. He, too, knows the desperation, fear and anguish that is fueling Syrian refugees to rush out to sea, to escape.

"I am very sad because they are like my children.  They are now like angels in heaven. I am very sad for the Syrian people's situation," he shared, via a translator. "It's like I lost my own child". Ziyad himself has been a prisoner in Syrian jails. "I've been tortured and I don't know how I survived this experience.  I got out, by God's will. But I found out that my daughter and my wife were kidnapped in Syria," he chokes up.  Ziyad approached tribal leaders to help him negotiate and secure the release of his wife and pre-schooler.  "With their help, we were able to escape Syria. I haven't seen the rest of my family for three years. My brother is still missing. All because of Bashar Al Assad."

ICNA Relief's efforts with refugees like Ziyad al Falah include everything from securing car donations, to helping set up refugee apartments and kitchens, to helping them learn how to read a train schedule. "Our work is to help the most vulnerable and when you add a new country, a new language and a new culture to the mix, to a refugee the odds are seemingly insurmountable," said Executive Director, Mr. Maqsood Ahmad.  

We are currently seeking volunteers from across the nation to serve as mentors and friends to refugee families. It can be anything from a social visit once a month to helping refugees learn that generic and bulk groceries are cheaper than brand name products. Volunteers can spend as little as an hour each month with a refugee family. Potential mentors can request more information at bitly.com/MentoraRefugee. 

Donate to help refugees in the USA at www.icnarelief.org/refugees.