Summer Lunch Program
Amani Felfela Elghoroury
This month, Zaynab Ansari sat down to speak with Amani, ISB's volunteer of the month.
Amani's parents are Egyptian and came to the United States forty years ago. Amani was raised in California, and has lived in Chicago and Cleveland, where her two sons were born. In 1997, she went back to school to complete her degree in nursing. She currently works at Piedmont Fayette hospital in intermediate care. Amani is passionate about healthcare and community service, and has passed on that enthusiasm to her sons, who are both active in the summer lunch program.
Zaynab: Amani, it's a pleasure to talk to you. Please tell us how and why you became involved with the ISB.
Amani: I met Soumaya [ISB director] at the Islamic Community Center of Atlanta (ICCA). I've always been passionate about community service and the ISB sounded perfect. I have been truly blessed and I decided that as long as I can, I'd like to go out in the community and do what I can and encourage others to do it with me.
Zaynab: Tell us about the summer lunch program. It is a true community effort, isn't it?
Amani: Absolutely! The ISB was approached by members of the United Methodist Church. Basically, local churches partner with the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) so that children who receive lunches through the school year will have access to healthy, well-balanced lunches in the summer.
Zaynab: So if it weren't for this program, a lot of children wouldn't have lunch during summer vacation?
Amani: Correct. The goal of the program is to ensure that the children receive lunch Monday through Friday. There are four churches who are responsible for preparing lunches Monday through Thursday. The ISB and the ICCA are partners in preparing the Friday lunches.
Zaynab: What goes into preparing these lunches?
Amani: It's really a team effort. Local members of the Muslim community, including ISB speakers and their children, meet at the ICCA Thursday evening to assemble lunches for about 130 kids. Some of our volunteers donate money and supplies, others make the lunches, and others deliver the food. Some of our volunteers do all three! And the kids love the lunches! Delivering them is the highlight of the program.
Zaynab: With soaring food and gas prices, what would you say to those who are reluctant to volunteer?
Amani: This is about taking care of your neighbors. God is the one who provides. Someday we may find ourselves in need of a similar service. So just take the first step! We started out with a handful of volunteers, and now we have people coming in after work--with their kids--and entire families helping out! This program benefits everyone!
Zaynab: What was one of the most memorable things that happened as a result of the program?
Amani: Ms. Yosra Khalifa, Soumaya Khalifa's daughter, was delivering lunches when a woman came to the door to accept a package on her neighbor's behalf. Upon realizing that the lunches were prepared by Muslims of Atlanta, the woman remarked that what people see on the news does not tell the whole story about Islam and Muslims. She said she would always remember and appreciate how her Muslim neighbors volunteered their time and resources to help people out.
She also said she would contact her daughter who is in the media to see if a story could be run about the lunch program!
|
Hold the Date:
Building Bridges Awards Dinner, Saturday, November 8
Keynote Speaker Dalia Mogahed, co-author with John L. Esposito of Gallup's Who Speaks for Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think
For details, please visit our website.
|
ISB Calendar
July 27: Muslim Interscholastic Tournament (MIST) National Awards Ceremony
July 29: Presentation to Federal Bureau of Investigation's Multicultural Advisory Committee
August 7: Presentation to First Christian Church in Marietta
August 16: ISB summer picnic at Redtop Mountain, Shelter #4
|
The Islamic Speakers Bureau (ISB) is a non-profit, apolitical educational organization that provides
certified Muslim speakers to promote awareness about Islam and Muslims.
The ISB is a local affiliate of the Islamic Networks Group (ING).
:: |
|
From the Director's Desk
We hope you and your families have enjoyed a peaceful summer and taken advantage of the numerous opportunities for service. Nothing could be more important than volunteering our time and expertise to assist the younger members of our communities, whether it's by encouraging young people to give a helping hand to others, or extending that helping hand ourselves. All of the stories featured in our special June/July issue revolve around the theme of helping children to help themselves and better the communities around them.
In our May newsletter, we mentioned a summer-lunch initiative underway in Fayetteville. In this edition, we will introduce you to the woman who is one of the driving forces behind this program, Amani Felfela Elghoroury.
After you read Amani's story, make sure to check out the other wonderful features in our special June/July issue, including Kids4Peace Atlanta and Emory's Youth Theological Initiative.
We
look
forward to hearing your stories of service! As always, thank you for
your continued support, encouragement and contributions. And please let
us know if you have any suggestions on how we can
further our efforts.
Thank you,
Soumaya Khalifa
Executive Director
Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta
|
Points of Light Interfaith Breakfast
On Tuesday, June 3, Ms. Soumaya Khalifa attended the 5th Annual Faith and Community Interfaith Day. Sponsored by the
Faith Initiative of the Points of Light & Hands On Network and
the
Corporation for National & Community Service, the event is described as "a gathering point for the leadership of those interested in connecting with the resources, infrastructure, and sheer scale of faith-based service." The highlight of the event was the keynote address by Mr. Martin Luther King III, with opening remarks from Mr. Neil Bush, board chair of the Points of Light Institute.
The ISB was instrumental in identifying people from different faith communities to participate in the prayer breakfast. Shaikh Khaled Ibrahim, a graduate of the prestigious Al-Azhar University of Cairo, gave the Muslim call to prayer. The breakfast also featured a Buddhist chant, a Christian prayer and reading, a Hindu devotional, and a Jewish prayer of thanksgiving.
|
|
Kids4 Peace Atlanta
On Friday, July 11, Kids4Peace visited Al-Farooq Mosque in midtown. Kids4Peace, which was featured in our May newsletter, is an interfaith, cross-cultural peace education program. Every year, twelve children from Jerusalem--including Muslims, Christians, and Jews-- travel to the United States and team up with twelve children from metro Atlanta for two weeks of summer fun and learning. The children visit local houses of worship and go on a camping expedition.
ISB Atlanta would like to thank Dr. Khalid Siddiq for hosting the 2008 Kids4Peace delegation at the mosque.
The children's visit concluded with the Abraham Tent celebration on Sunday, July 13 at St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Atlanta.
ISB director, Soumaya Khalifa, is a board member of Kids4Peace.
|
|
ISB Visits Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
On Wednesday, July 16, Ms. Soumaya Khalifa presented to healthcare providers at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Audience members included residents and interns involved in pastoral care. The special presentation consisted of an overview of Islam and Muslims, with a special focus on the needs of Muslim patients and end-of-life issues.
In our February issue, we covered Ms. Slma Shelbayah's visit to Children's Healthcare where she presented twenty gift bags to Ms. Brenda Green, director of chaplaincy. The ISB is proud to partner with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
|
|
Emory University's Youth Theological Initiative
Continuing a summer tradition, the ISB organized a training session for over 20 Muslim youth participating in Emory Candler School's Youth Theological Initiative (YTI). Part of the training
included a presentation by the Rev. Drew Johnson, recipient of the 2006
Building Bridges Award on behalf of the YTI, and assistant director of
the program.The summer-long program brings promising young people from all over North America to Atlanta for interfaith service and education.
This year, the day of
interfaith service was on Monday, July 21. Christian and Muslim youth
jointly worked on several service projects and met afterward with their discussion leaders for a debriefing on the meaning of service in
different faith traditions.
The ISB would like to thank Ms. Hina Hossain, Mr. Ehab Jaleel, Mr. Bassem Fakhoury, Mr. Emad Hamid, and Mr. Saif Altalib for volunteering their time and talents.
The ISB would also like to recognize the remarkable young leaders who made this program a success.
|
|
Meaningful Conversations
The ISB conducted a "Meaningful Conversations" workshop for youth attending Al-Farooq Mosque's summer camp at a national state park. The annual retreat draws young Muslims from all over metro Atlanta and beyond.
Mr. Ehab Jaleel, ISB speaker and workshop facilitator, introduced the young participants to the importance of interfaith engagement and the elements of successful public speaking. The two-hour long workshop was very well received. The ISB is committed to preparing the next generation of interfaith leaders through future Meaningful Conversations workshops.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
