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Alhamdullillah, as we know, the blessed month of Ramadan is fast approaching. Allah Subhana wa Ta’Ala provides many opportunities for us to do good deeds throughout the year, and in particular this month many Muslims try to take full advantage of these opportunities.

Insha’Allah, for those who are willing and able we have opportunities in the following areas:

Ramadan Food packages for families in need:

Packages include foods for Sahoor and Iftar—cereals, pancake mix, syrup, cream of wheat, eggs, breads, jams, crackers, tea, evaporated milk and other staples such as juices, fruit cups, tuna fish, canned vegetables, rice (basmati), flour, sugar or honey, spaghetti sauce, pasta, peanut butter, spring water, fruits—bananas, oranges, apples) or donation of $10.00 per day or $300.00 for a food package per family for the month of Ramadan.

Sponsor a family for Ramadan (sadaqa or zakat funds for particular families to help with bills, personal care items, or any emergency expenses):

As a result of there being so many widows and disabled Muslims living on very low social security disability (more than 65 families) we have a fund just for that this year. If you wish to sponsor a widow or Muslim who is disabled or terminally ill, please let us know. Muslims who receive SSI will never be able to return to work due to disability, illness or frequently hospitalizations requiring extensive care. We also have many newly arrived refugee families (at least 65-75 families) and single parent families (sisters with children) who need assistance, and some homeless Muslim families (about 10 families) who are still looking for permanent housing but due to lack of funds have been unable to secure housing.

If you wish to sponsor a family in any of these categories, please indicate when you make the donation, so we know where the funds need to go. You can choose to sponsor a family for $75-$100 per week ($300-$500 for the month of Ramadan) or more if you choose. All of these families struggle throughout the year with bills and are zakat eligible. The newly arrived refugee families need much assistance as well starting over here from scratch and many with very large families.

Iftar dinners sponsorship:

Sponsor an Iftar meal during Ramadan or for any individual family or more than one family in need of food items for iftar that can’t get to their local masjid for iftar meals because of illness of lack of transportation or they live too far from masjids to get iftar meals. For individual families we recommend ($50-$75), which includes appetizer, main meal and dessert. Some families are very large extended families so we recommend $100 for these families. For groups of 50 or more we recommend $350 in order to serve everyone appetizers, main meals and desserts (which include drinks). Groups of 100 or more we recommend $500. We do have communities that eat together and are already asking for iftar meals deliveries.

Eid clothing collection:

In sha’ Allah, during the month of Ramadan we will collect new clothes for families in need of them for the EID. These include children’s shalwar khameez, kufis, hijabs, abayas, men’s and ladies shalwar khameez, thobes, chaddars. In particular, we need children’s shalwar khameez and kufis and hijabs. New clothes only.

EID toy and gift card drive:

Insha’Allah, we are working on our EID toy drive for children 6 months thru 17 years of age which includes toys, books, gift certificates to local stores-particularly for the teens 13 and up, games). The toys, books and games need to be new if anyone wishes to donate these for families. We can pick them up once we are contacted. As of now we have over 450 children on our EID toy drive list. All children on the EID toy drive list are from zakat eligible families. For pre teens and teens we recommend gift cards (Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Bath and Body Works, etc…) of at least $10 or more for the teens.

We can also accept cash donations to be used for gifts for children through PayPal on our website: www.madinahfoodpantry.org or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. via Bank of America (bank transfer) or personal check made payable to Madinah Food Pantry, Inc 365 Twin Brook Way, Lawrenceville, GA. 30043. We can also accept donations via Zelle or Venmo using 6784468737.

Fidya:

For those who can’t fast (due to illness or health restrictions, without the reasonable expectation of ever being well enough to fast again etc.…) they can feed the poor in the community two meals per day through fidya or $20.00 per day or $600 for the entire month of Ramadan based on the average cost of a meal throughout the country.

 
Kaffara:

Kaffara is also a donation type that requires individuals who deliberately miss or break a day of fast during the month of Ramadan without a valid reason to either fast for 60 consecutive days or feed 60 miskeen (poor people) two meals per day. The estimated cost per meal is $10 per person for 60 people, which equals $1200.00 a day for each missed or broken fast day.

Ramadan Good Deed Baskets:

These are baskets filled with personal care items (soaps, toothpaste, facial tissue, shampoo, toothbrushes, combs, brushes, deodorant, first aid cream, band-aids and small snack items-crackers, raisins, nuts or trail mixes, dates, jams or jellies, tea) delivered to families the first two weeks of Ramadan by our volunteers.

HADITH

The prophet Mohammed (Sallalahu alayhi wa alaihi wa sallam) said,
"If a person gives iftar to a fasting person in this month, his sins will be forgiven. And he will be given as many rewards as has that fasting person,"
Can you imagine the reward and blessings you will receive if you fed a couple of families during the holy month of Ramadan? May Allah Subhana wa Ta’Ala increase your sustenance and bless and reward you for your good deeds.

Ramadan Is Also The Month Of Charity.

Holy Prophet Mohammad (Sallalahu alayhi wa alaihi wa sallam) said, “…Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month), shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time; and whoever performs an obligatory deed in (this month), shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time.Ramadan is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer's sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast during month of Ramadan shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Hell fire, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished"

“The person who strives on behalf of the widows and the poor is like those who strive in the way of Allah and like those who fast in the day and pray at night.” Sahih Bukhari.

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As this blessed month is coming to an end, we wanted to share all the wonderful projects that many of our local sisters and families did to assist others in need of help. Alhamdullilah, before this blessed month of Ramadan a group of sisters that make Ramadan baskets every year, made 400 baskets this year which were delivered to families throughout metro Atlanta. These baskets were such a blessing to so many families that need food staples and snacks and other items for their families.

Alhamdullilah, we also had much support for our Ramadan iftar program which enabled us to deliver many iftar meals to both individual families and also groups, and some nights have food catered for very large groups. The meals were greatly appreciated by all the families. Many families were also assisted through our Ramadan family sponsorship program, especially many of our new refugee families that really needed much support.
Eid goody bags have been distributed and will continue to be distributed on the Eid to many families as well. Over 500 Eid goody bags were made this year by different sisters and their families. Alhamdullilah.

Alhamdullilah, we also had various sisters coordinate Eid gifts for our families. Muslim Girl Scouts came out to distribute many gifts to refugee families, and a special thanks to families at Masjid Al Furqan that organized a Eid toy drive. Alhamdullilah. In sha’ Allah we are currently distributing toys and will continue to do so on the Eid.

Anyone who would like to make donations to assist families can do so via Zelle or Venmo using 6784468737 or via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. thru Bank of America transfer or via PayPal on our website at www.madinahfoodpantry.org

All families are zakat eligible. May Allah Subhana wa Ta’Ala accept all of our good deeds and forgive our sins. Ameen.

We wish everyone a very joyous Eid.

Dr. Salimah Hunafa