USA

Hurricane Beryl Makes Landfall

Hurricane Beryl has made landfall in Texas as a category 1 storm. Immediately following the storm, nearly three million people were without power, with only about half having their power restored. With heat waves sweeping the country, many people are seeking shelter at cooling centers and other places where they can get much needed relief from long, hot days. The full extent of the storm damage is still being assessed due to communication gaps. In the meantime, Islamic Relief is mobilizing staff and volunteers to help provide families in need with food, water, and emergency flood buckets.

Focus on the United States

Racial inequity, homelessness, poverty, and the effects of climate change are just a few issues Americans face on a daily basis. And now, inflation is on the rise as food and gas prices are soaring, exacerbating an already difficult circumstance for families across the country.

As Islam teaches us, charity starts at home, and that’s why Islamic Relief USA is dedicated to supporting work across the US that provides families with the tools to succeed.

A few of our interventions across the US include: 

• Distributing hot meals and food boxes to alleviate food insecurity 
• Providing halal turkeys and complementary foods to thousands of vulnerable families 
• Providing free health services to vulnerable communities
• Day of Dignity events, a community-based initiative that works to provide low-income individuals and those suffering from homelessness with access to essential services and resources such as food, hygiene kits, medical screening, resume building, financial advice, and more
• Deploying our Disaster Management Team and volunteers to support survivors in areas hit by devastation.

Refugee Resettlement Program

Islamic Relief’s refugee resettlement program strives to help newly-arrived refugees navigate and integrate into their new community within their first 90 days in the country. Upon arrival, each refugee family is assigned a caseworker or case manager who takes care of everything from airport pick-up to helping them find suitable jobs. This includes setting them up in a fully-furnished home, helping them sign up for benefits like food stamps, finding adequate healthcare services, English class enrollment, and much more. The goal is to help each family overcome their hardships and become self-sufficient.

Between 2022-2023, Islamic Relief worked with local partners including Radiant Hands, DAH, and HRRG to resettle 76 people from various countries including Afghanistan, Burma, Congo, Nicaragua, and Syria. Since the beginning of 2023, all five partners have resettled a total of 269 people. Our projected goal is to help resettle 695 people, and we’re expecting to work with a sixth partner, Al-Misbaah in Sacramento, California by the end of the fiscal year insha’Allah.

Click below to learn more and take action today, whether it’s advocating for the Afghan Adjustment Act or sponsoring a newly arrived Afghan family. Stay tuned to this page for more information as it becomes available.