Alexandria, VA – In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA), a nonprofit humanitarian and advocacy organization, has awarded a $4,000 ‘Silver Anniversary’ grant to Project Downtown Gainesville, Inc. to help facilitate a program to address hunger and food insecurity in the area.
The ‘Silver Anniversary Community Bridge-Building’ program was announced as an initiative to bridge the differences that frequently divide communities – such as religion, race, or political opinion. The grant announcement generated 175 formal inquiries from organizations working in 36 states and Puerto Rico, demonstrating that people all across America are interested in finding common bonds and committing to a common mission for the sake of their communities.
“The tremendous response from grassroots, community-based and national organizations shows that people who, on the surface have little in common, can come together to make the world a better place—a place where there’s more unity, more sensitivity, and an endless amount of potential and promise,” said Anne Wilson, director of programs for IRUSA.
With the help of the grant, Project Downtown Gainesville will provide essential items to community members in need. Items that will be provided include meals, hygiene kits (soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, razors), and gently used clothing. Dates of the distributions will be determined.
“We will be inviting different groups per week based on various factors; religious institutions, student organizations, political groups, government officials, local communities, and more,” Project Downtown Gainesville said in a statement. “These groups, which may not have significant overlapping interactions, will be invited to assist the underserved and realize that, despite differences, the desire to promote and help each other in the pursuit of a strong community is the basis of all of our goals.”
Project Downtown Gainesville has been in existence since 2008, when it was founded by students from the University of Florida.
MEDIA CONTACT
Syed M. Hassan
media@irusa.org or
(703) 370-7246
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Islamic Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization. Its mission is to alleviate suffering, hunger, illiteracy and disease regardless of color, race, gender or creed, and to provide aid in a compassionate and dignified manner. Islamic Relief USA aims to provide rapid relief in the event of human and natural disasters and to establish sustainable local development projects, allowing communities to better help themselves. Its programs benefit millions of people each year around the world, including in the United States.
Islamic Relief USA meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, a national charity monitoring group affiliated with the Better Business Bureau system. Islamic Relief USA is on the U.S. government’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity list, and it is also a signatory to the code of conduct of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.