USA

Hurricane Ian Slams Florida

One of the most powerful storms to hit Florida, Hurricane Ian has spread widespread devastation, leaving more than 2.5 million people without power and trapping residents in their homes. Unfortunately, the storm is now being referred to as one of Florida’s deadliest in decades.

IRUSA’s Disaster Response Team (DRT) is working closely with first responders on the ground, including the Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and is deploying staff and volunteers Monday, October 3, to help survivors receive disaster assessments and more. Local IRUSA staff have also already helped distribute essential items, like water, to affected residents. This page will continue to be updated as information is made available. 

Donate now and help our neighbors in Florida. And click here to start an IRaise to raise more funds and awareness with your friends, family, and networks.

Focus on the United States

Homelessness, hunger, poverty, lack of clean water access, sanitation, and health care aren’t just international problems. They exist right here at home in our neighborhoods. The end of 2020 brought the sharpest rise in the U.S. poverty rate since the 1960s, according to a study by the University of Chicago and the University of Notre Dame, placing the poverty rate now at 11.8%.

Much, but not all, of this can be attributed to the coronavirus pandemic, but the suffering of so many American families extends well beyond that:

For instance, “Black Americans were more than twice as likely to be poor as their White counterparts in December—an improvement from the summer months when they were nearly three times more apt to live in poverty—but an increase from before the pandemic, when the differential was under 2,” reports Bloomberg.

And when disaster strikes, like brutal winter weather, tornadoes, wildfires, or man-made tragedies, the need for urgent aid and support grows exponentially especially for families already vulnerable to poverty and suffering.

Islamic Relief’s Dedication to Serving Neighbors in Need

As Islam teaches us, charity starts at home, and that’s why Islamic Relief USA is dedicated to supporting work across America that makes sure families have shelter, kids have food, and disaster survivors and refugees get the support they need. In 2020 alone, IRUSA reached vulnerable communities in more than 350 cities nationwide!

Here’s just a sampling of our recent efforts across the U.S.

• • Distributing hot meals in urban cities across the U.S. for vulnerable neighbors
  • Supporting efforts that advocate for and advance services for refugees
  • Providing free health services to vulnerable neighbors
  • Distributing food boxes, filled with nutrient-dense meals, packed by IRUSA volunteers to families across the U.S. suffering from hunger
  • Bringing community-based services together through our Day of Dignity events to provide low-income and homeless individuals with access to free resources, including hygiene kits, food, haircuts, medical screening, financial advice, resume building, and more
  • Deploying Disaster Management Team members and volunteers members to support survivors in areas hit by devastation

IRUSA is Helping Resettle Afghan Refugees Across the Country

Islamic Relief USA is now part of a network of organizations that are helping resettle Afghan refugees in states across the US.

As part of this special program, IRUSA will recruit, vet, and train community partners who will commit to providing key services and financial support to newly-arriving Afghans in their communities for at least the first 90 days after they are resettled.

Through our partnership with 28 community groups in the IRUSA network, we are disbursing hundreds of thousands of dollars to aid more than 37,000 Afghan newcomers by providing hot meals, food vouchers, shelter, rental assistance, mental health and psychosocial support, free medical support, legal consultations, cash assistance, ESL (English as a Second Language) classes, and job trainings. Below is a listing of the community groups we are working with to see this through:

• Access California Services
• Afghan American Cultural Center
• Al Huda Inc
• Al Misbaah
• Alnoor Islamic Center
• CAIR CA
• Cornerstone Marriage & Family Intervention
• Culturingua
• Dar Al-Hijrah
• Global Emergency Response and Assistance
• Hanan Refugees Relief Group
• Islamic Association of Raleigh
• Islamic Center of Detroit, Inc.
• Islamic Social Services of Oregon State (ISOS)

• Jericho Road Ministries
• Khan Ohana Foundation
• Miry’s List
• Muslim Association of Virginia
• Muslim Housing Services
• Peace Catalyst International
• Radiant Hands
• Refugee Development Center
• Refugee Enrichment and Development Association (REDA, Inc)
• Sabil USA
• The Community Impact Fund
• Women for Afghan Women
• Zaman International

In addition to the resettlement efforts, here are just some of the ways IRUSA donors helped Afghan refugees when they first started arriving late last year.

In-Kind Distributions:

• Distributed 5,000 prayer rugs to Afghan newcomers on bases from September to December 2021 and 1,000 prayer rugs to resettled families in the DMV area in 2022
• Distributed 5,500 hygiene kits including feminine hygiene products, shampoo, sanitary napkins, wash clothes, etc to bases
• Distributed 100,000 articles of new clothing such as hoodies, sweatpants, socks, undergarments, t-shirts to families on 9 bases nationwide, as well as to partners in the DMV, NJ/NY area working directly with Afghan newcomers
• Distributed 1,200 household accessories such as pillows, sheets, bedding and kitchenware to families in the DMV area
• Distributed 9,736 winter coats for men, women, and children in various states across the country including VA, MD, NJ, MI, and WI

Food boxes:

• Distributed 5,980 boxes to Afghan families resettled in VA, MD, TX, OK, CA, IL
• Will be making another 4,020 food boxes after Ramadan to distribute to incoming Afghans as well as resettled ones.

Your advocacy, volunteerism, and donations are how we can help support and get aid to Afghan families who are in desperate need right now.

Interested in Sponsoring a Refugee Family?

IRUSA is taking requests for willing and able individuals and families to host an Afghan family newly-arrived to the US. If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, please fill out the form below to receive more information, including training materials. Please note: filling out the form does not commit you to being a sponsor, or guarantee that you will be placed as a sponsor.

Questions? Please contact us at usprograms@irusa.org.