September 2010Issue  5


Philanthropy

Community Service

Personal Development


"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

- Margaret Mead
Letter From Our Founder
Anisha mug
   As-Salaamu-Alaykum
  
   Dear MWA Member,

   This Ramadan has been full of blessings for MWA. 
   First and foremost, it is with great pleasure that I inform you that Muslim Women's Alliance is now an official 509 (a)(2) public charity and is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) under the laws and guidelines of the Internal Revenue Service. All praise to Allah (SWT).
   We would like to thank our legal advisers Mazen Asbahi of Asbahi Law Group, and Nazia Hasan for the time and energy they dedicated in helping MWA achieve official nonprofit status. We would also like to thank MWA's Director of Finance, Husna Ghani for her assistance in consistently following up on the long 501(c)(3) application process. 
   We can now continue to meet the ambitious vision of the organization and help it grow to the next level.
   Additionally, MWA is also blessed because of YOU, our dedicated members. Your efforts resulted in a meaningful Ramadan and summer:

  • More than 180 MWA members rolled up their sleeves and participated in 1,000 hours of hands-on community service
  • MWA members donated $17,055 to charity
  • Nearly 700 individuals and 65 families benefited from MWA's service projects and charitable contributions
   You have proven that Muslims are an integral part of the fabric of our nation. You have shown that we do care about our Muslim and non-Muslim neighbors. Through dialogue, interaction and service with people from different faiths and cultures, you have helped meet a part of MWA's mission to build a mutual understanding between people of diverse backgrounds. 
   Thank you for your continued support in ensuring that MWA is a resourceful organization in the community. 

   MWA wishes you and yours a very happy Eid!


Anisha signature

   Anisha Ismail Patel
   MWA Founder & Executive Director
   anisha@mwachicago.org
Ramadan Rush for Rewards 2010 Recap
 
This year's Ramadan Rush for Rewards was a huge success thanks to our members. MWA hosted five events and logged more than 1,000 hours of hands-on community service.
 


In cooperation with Feed My Starving Children, 92 volunteers worked for more than two hours to package almost 21,000 meals, or enough to feed 57 children for one full year! In addition, MWA raised $700 in donations benefiting the organization. For pictures, click here.
 
The second event was a community iftar held at a synagogue where 250 Muslims and Jews came together to pray, break the Ramadan fast, and learn from each other. They also jointly worked to put packages together for homeless youth. For pictures, click here.
 
Our third event was providing iftar for 40 people at Masjid Al-Farooq, which serves the south shore community. MWA members raised $1,570 toward a new masjid.
For pictures, click here.

Once again MWA was a part of UMMA's "Adopt a Refugee Family Initiative" for the fourth RRR event. MWA sponsored the "Kids Korner" engaging children with craft making, face painting, singing songs, and making new friends. MWA volunteers also raised close to one thousand dollars to provide Islamic books to the kids, baskets for families, and additional aid for refugee families. For event pictures, click here.
 
The final RRR event was volunteering at Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica to work in the parish's soup kitchen.

Nearly 50 volunteers met for suhoor (meal before starting the fast) at an all-night diner followed by Fajr prayer at the church. They made breakfast for 200 homeless people in Chicago. For pictures, click here.

MWA also participated in a pre-Ramadan event to welcome new refugee families of IMAS (Iraqi Mutual Aid Society) in early June. Volunteers welcomed 30 new refugees by helping them navigate through the immigrant experience.  More than 65 baskets were collected full of household and  nonperishable food items. For pictures, click here.

Thanks!
 
MWA would like to acknowledge the following people for making the 2010 Ramadan Rush for Rewards possible.

RRR 2010 Team:
MWA Director of Community Service Sabina Abdul-Qadir
MWA Program Managers:  Aqeela Jogee, Samana Khan, Beenish Manzoor, Nazia Pervaz, Alzena Saleem, and Yasmin Sitabkhan

Thanks also to our Marketing Department:
Eman Hassaballa, Fareen Kazi,
Madhu Krishnamurthy and Sadia Qureshi. 

You and your respective committees showed outstanding leadership. May you all be rewarded for the positive impact you have made!

In This Issue
Ramadan Rush for Rewards Recap
A Vote of Thanks
Prayers for Pakistan
MWA Supported Events
Member Spotlight
Our Corporate Sponsors

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Board of Directors


Anisha Ismail Patel -
Founder/Executive Director

Sabina Abdul-Qadir -
Director of Community Service


Ayesha Ahmed -
Secretary

Husna Ghani -

Director of Finance


Noor Hasan -

Director of Community Relations

Support Us


Mail donations to:


Muslim Women's Alliance
P.O. Box 3354
Oakbrook, IL 60522


Join Us


MWA is looking for volunteers to serve in the following capacities:


MARKETING DIRECTOR

PROGRAM MANAGERS

WEB DESIGNER

WEBMASTER


Click below to join MWA:

MWA Volunteer
Application Form

Hadith For Thought


The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said: "Whoever fulfills the needs of his brother, God will fulfill his needs. Whoever eases his brother's difficulty, God will ease his difficulty in this life and on the Day of Resurrection."

Sahih Al-Bukhari,
Volume 3, Hadith 622

Prayers for Pakistan

Please keep the millions of Pakistanis affected by the catastrophic floods
in your prayers. 
MWA is partnering with www.pakistanfloods.org to provide information to its members about various needs in the region right now. Continue to donate geneoursly through charitable organizations providing relief to Pakistan.

MWA Supported Community Events

MWA Executive Director and Founder Anisha Ismail Patel
was invited to speak at One Chicago One Nation's Community Ambassador Induction Ceremony at IMAN's Takin' it to the Streets event early this summer.
Speakers included Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and IMAN's Executive Director Rami Nashashibi. 
Below is an excerpt of Anisha's comments:
"The One Chicago One Nation initiative is going to help MWA further motivate our members to realize the organization's vision of building a strong alliance between women from diverse backgrounds so that collectively we can partake in philanthropy, community service & personal development. This will help us with our efforts to build mutual respect & understanding.  Women make an even greater impact as they serve as role models for the present and the future. When women stand together as sisters, the message is echoed even louder, and it is clear that we serve the community as strong agents of change. MWA looks forward to continue to collaborate with people from different faith backgrounds."
MWA Member Spotlight
 
Sadia Qureshi serves as an Interim Marketing Specialist at MWA overseeing
the marketing
strategy and branding of the organization. 
Sadia works for The Women's Treatment Center (TWTC) as a Development & Marketing officer. TWTC provides continuum of substance abuse treatment and counseling services to women and their children. Part of Sadia's personal career mission is to help people find opportunities to empower other people as well as themselves so that they may improve their overall life experiences as a community. Previously, she worked with the University of Chicago Hospitals, YWCA, and several advertising agencies in Pakistan as a concept and copy writer.
Sadia earned her bachelor's degree in Mass Communications, and Integrated Marketing Certification from The University of Chicago. She is a member of Association of Fundraising Professionals and Young Nonprofit Professionals Network.
Email Sadia at sadia@mwachicago.org
Corporate Sponsors

      RRR 3.1.2