Ar-Razzaq Food Bank Fundraiser Assists Sacramento Community
By Ras H. Siddiqui
The Ar-Razzaq Food Bank has been serving disadvantaged members of the Sacramento community for over 14 years now and during this time it has only seen the need for its services to grow. Its incubation involved four motivated Muslim ladies from the area. They are its founding visionary Hasnizah Ghazali-Collins plus Sister Aaliyah Muhammad, Sister Durriya Syed, and Sister Suzana Malik who decided to practice what our religion teaches us, which is to assist one’s neighbor who is in need, especially if they are hungry.
As with all such efforts, there is a resource requirement. For that to be fulfilled a fundraiser or two is necessary every year to keep this program going. Ar-Razzaq has being doing small fundraisers hosted in area homes to fund its activities in the recent past. But this time it decided to hold a more formal event just before Ramadan to capture its spirit of giving at the local SALAM Center on Saturday, March 9, 2024. With all the fundraisers going on in our community these days, it was a welcome sight to see a packed hall greet us at this event.
The evening started with Sister Durriya Syed welcoming everyone. She thanked the community for taking time out of their busy schedules to attend this event. She said that this is a special fundraiser because it has to do with our own backyard. We need to take care of us (our local community) before we venture out of Sacramento, she added. Brother Usman Khalid was next invited to start the formalities with a recitation of the Holy Qur’an and its translation which he performed in a befitting manner.
Sister Durriya returned to the stage; this time accompanied by Sister Suzana Malik to share more details about the Ar-Razzaq Food Bank effort. She spoke of its history, including the year 2009 inception, and how the food bank came into being. She shared the organization’s Mission Statement which is “We aim to assist impoverished individuals and families in the Greater Sacramento Area.” Adding the Ar-Razzaq Vision “We aim to alleviate hardship and hunger by providing assistance to those in need.” And this all started off from a pantry and kitchen to a garage and now to a warehouse. As Muslims we felt that we needed to help the community in Sacramento, said Sister Durriya.
Sister Durriya also introduced the Ar-Razzaq Team with its President Suzana Malik, Vice President Sarah Anwar, Secretary Tahir Rashid, Treasurer Khalid Elias and Volunteer Coordinator Nowreen Saeed, plus Community Liaisons Sister Durriya herself, Rizwana Siddiqui and Shabana Azam, Operations Manager Anjum Siddiqui and Marketing Managers Sabah Elias and Rahma Beg. And not to be left out, everyday volunteers Sisters Nowreen and Rameen Saeed, Parveen Ahmed, Zareen Jan, and Riffat Javaid.
The next speaker Ar-Razzaq President Sister Suzana Malik further elaborated on just who the Ar-Razzaq Food Bank is now serving, plus how and where. She mentioned three program recipients for bag distribution: 1) The Refugee Community, 2) Homeless people on the streets, and 3) Homeless at-risk youth at schools either directly or through a local youth organization. How this is done is through the volunteers who gather at the Ar-Razzaq warehouse and prepare different bags keeping in mind the recipient community as agents from local Mosques join them and pick up the bags for distribution. She also presented a list of 10 Mosques and organizations which are currently being served. The local soup kitchen Loaves and Fishes is also provided with Halal ingredients for use, she said.
One of the agents from the local Masjid Ibrahim Brother Seifudeen spoke next and expressed his appreciation for the work that Ar-Razzaq has been doing for the community over many years, especially with the bags of food that really help struggling families. He encouraged everybody to support the Ar-Razzaq Food Bank effort which has been nothing but a tremendous help. We are coming into the month of Ramadan and Insha’Allah people here will be generous, he said.
Next, Vice President Sister Sarah Anwar was very articulate in her presentation on Ar-Razzaq and the environment in the Sacramento area in which it operates. She first thanked everyone for coming to this event and elaborated further on the services provided by the food bank. The good news shared was that Ramadan packages had been started and were already going out with a second round of packages going out about a week before Eid. Ar-Razzaq distributes special packages to families around the two Eids and collects pledges for Udhiya (sacrificial livestock) during Dhul-Hijjah and distributes the meat as a part of the Eid packages. She also spoke on the homeless situation in the Sacramento area and how our religion emphasizes the need to help all our neighbors.
The next two presentations by Br Tahir Rashid and Br Khalid Elias were extremely professional. Br Rashid rubbished the notion that the Sacramento area homeless do not need our help and that the government does everything for them and Br Elias shared the Ar-Razzaq Annual Report and its all-important budget, the average cost per package, the all-important 2024 expense forecast, and how we all come into the mix!
And from our youth, Sabah Elias and Rahma Beg who are keeping Ar-Razzaq up to date in the realm of social media also spoke. These days no organization which is involved in social work can do without Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, QR codes and what have you. Thank God for these young people who are savvier with these outreach tools than our generation. So, look out for Ar-Razzaq Food Bank on all these platforms and discover new ways of donating to this effort electronically!
The keynote speaker for the evening was Imam Azeez of the Tarbiya Institute. He was on very familiar ground here because he got his local start at SALAM many years ago. Imam Azeez thanked Brother Anjum Saeed for the invitation to be here and assist in this effort. He also wished everyone a Ramadan Mubarak as Taraweeh prayers were scheduled to begin the following night. He also described the month of fasting and spirituality as especially busy for Imams with its intensity and responsibilities. He added that it is customary for people to come and ask Imams to pray for them but in this case, he was asking us to pray for him and fellow Imams.
Listening to Imam Azeez is often a learning experience as he connects the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah with our everyday life in a way which any ordinary person can understand. At this event he connected the Prophet’s (SWW) journey to Medina from Mecca and his struggles and fondness for both places with the struggle of immigrants today. He asked everyone to think of the new immigrants to our area as us 25 years ago and reflect on our own struggles before we made our lives work in this country. He also pointed out that not all is well and that he has learnt of some refugee kids in the area joining gang activity unlike the success stories of others who worked hard, succeeded, and moved to the suburbs. One night before Ramadan we have an opportunity to assist struggling families here, said Imam Azeez. He also prayed that Allah (SWT) blesses our efforts to be a source of good and positive change in our community by helping the less fortunate.
Br Usman Khalid returned to the stage and conducted the fundraiser assisted by Br Tahir Rashid. From the last numbers that we have just over $70,000 was collected to assist the local community. Imam Azeez returned to conclude the event with a closing prayer and a delicious Mediterranean dinner from Crest Café was served soon after.
On a final note, it needs to be mentioned here that Ar-Razzaq Food Bank did start off with a Muslim focus which it has maintained, but it now helps all deserving people that it can in the Sacramento area irrespective of their faith. Where there is a need and Ar-Razzaq is aware, it steps forward!
(Please visit https://ar-razzaqfoodbank.org/how-to-donat/ if readers would like to assist)
