Islamic Relief USA

Last updated

Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA), based in Alexandria, Virginia, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) humanitarian agency and member of the Islamic Relief Worldwide group of organizations. IRUSA was founded in California in 1993. In addition to international relief and development initiatives, Islamic Relief USA also sponsors and funds domestic projects ranging from emergency disaster responses to assisting the American homeless population and supporting those who cannot afford basic healthcare.

Contents

Activities

IRUSA projects inside the United States include the annual Day of Dignity, when volunteers distribute food, medical care, hygiene kits, blankets, clothing and more to homeless and low-income people across the U.S. [1] [2]

In 2005, IRUSA aided the victims of Hurricane Katrina by providing over $2 million in assistance and sending field workers to distribute aid and assess the needs of the victims. [3] Partnering with IRUSA for the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake that struck Indonesia, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated $1.6 million worth of emergency supplies. [4] [5] Islamic Relief USA and Equal Exchange launched The Islamic Relief USA Fair Trade Project in October 2009. [6]

After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, IRUSA staff and volunteers worked at shelters in New Jersey to house displaced residents. [7] In 2011, IRUSA's disaster response team assisted Alabama residents affected by tornadoes. [8] In 2015, IRUSA gave $50,000 to assist Detroit residents whose water had been turned off due to difficulty paying their bills. [9] Recent international emergency projects include assisting displaced Syrians in Syria and neighboring countries, and assisting refugees arriving in Greece in 2015. [10] In 2016, IRUSA's Disaster Response Team responded to emergencies in the United States including the Flint water crisis, [11] [12] Louisiana flooding, [13] and Hurricane Matthew in North Carolina. [14] [15] In 2017, IRUSA assisted in disasters including Hurricane Harvey [16] [17] and the Las Vegas shooting [18] and continued assisting Hurricane Matthew survivors by repairing homes. [19] In 2018, IRUSA announced a partnership with U.S.-based Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) to provide humanitarian aid to refugees in Greece. [20] [21]

Recent non-emergency projects IRUSA have implemented or supported in the U.S. include after-school meal programs, a prison re-entry program, food aid on American Indian reservations, and assistance for victims of domestic violence. [22] In 2016, IRUSA supported a United Way program assisting homeless families with children in Roanoke, Virginia. [23] [24] In 2017, IRUSA provided food for schoolchildren during the summer in eight cities nationwide in partnership with the USDA. [25] IRUSA provides food, clothes, blankets and other items along with health-care services on its annual Day of Dignity events across the country [26] [27] [28] and distributes food and toiletries to homeless and low-income Americans on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. [29] [30] In 2019, Islamic relief supported flood affected communities in Bahamas, Mali, Sudan, India, and Niger. In 2020, IRUSA responded the COVID-19 crises by assisting more than 5 million beneficiaries domestically and internationally.

Awards

In 2019, IRUSA was named a Top-Rated Nonprofit by Great Nonprofits [31] and was awarded four out of four stars by Charity Navigator. [32]

Related Research Articles

Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation (OBI) is an Evangelical Christian organization headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1978, OBI operates in more than 90 countries, focusing on disaster relief, medical aid, clean water, hunger relief, community development, and orphan care programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emergency shelter</span> Type of temporary shelter

An emergency shelter is a place for people to live temporarily when they cannot live in their previous residence, similar to homeless shelters. The main difference is that an emergency shelter typically specializes in people fleeing a specific type of situation, such as natural or man-made disasters, domestic violence, or victims of sexual abuse. A more minor difference is that people staying in emergency shelters are more likely to stay all day, except for work, school, or errands, while homeless shelters usually expect people to stay elsewhere during the day, returning only to sleep or eat. Emergency shelters sometimes facilitate support groups, and/or provide meals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic Relief</span> International aid agency based in Birmingham, UK

Islamic Relief Worldwide is a faith-inspired humanitarian and development agency which is working to support and empower the world's most vulnerable people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LDS Humanitarian Services</span> Charitable services within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Latter-day Saint Charities is a branch of the welfare department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The organization's stated mission is to relieve suffering, to foster self-reliance for people of all nationalities and religions, and to provide opportunities for service.

Many countries and international organizations offered the United States relief aid in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurricane Katrina disaster relief</span>

The disaster recovery response to Hurricane Katrina in late 2005 included U.S. federal government agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the United States Coast Guard (USCG), state and local-level agencies, federal and National Guard soldiers, non-governmental organizations, charities, and private individuals. Tens of thousands of volunteers and troops responded or were deployed to the disaster; most in the affected area but also throughout the U.S. at shelters set up in at least 19 states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Relief Services</span> Humanitarian agency from the USA

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Founded in 1943 by the Bishops of the United States, the agency provides assistance to 130 million people in more than 110 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human Appeal</span> British development and relief charity

Human Appeal is a British international development and relief charity based in Manchester. It was established in 1991. It runs targeted poverty relief programmes in emergency response and sustainable development.

Muslim Aid is a UK faith based International Non-Governmental Organization. It acts as an international humanitarian charity with relief and development programmes in countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe. The charity works to support people suffering the effects of poverty, war, and natural disaster through both emergency relief and sustainable programmes designed to provide long-term support and independent futures to the most vulnerable communities around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Direct Relief</span> Charitable organization

Direct Relief is a nonprofit humanitarian organization whose mission is to improve the lives of people in poverty or emergency situations by providing the appropriate medical resources. The charity provides emergency medical assistance and disaster relief in the United States and internationally. The organization is headed by an independent board of directors and its president and CEO, Thomas Tighe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development</span> French humanitarian organization

Acted is a French international solidarity non-governmental organization (NGO), founded in 1993. It is headquartered in Paris. 

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humanity First</span> International non-governmental organization

Humanity First is an international charity that provides disaster relief and long term development assistance to vulnerable communities in 52 countries across 6 continents. The organisation is run by volunteers with diverse skillsets across the world and has access to thousands of extra volunteers worldwide. Volunteer staff in all areas often pay their own expenses to support the international projects.

Zakat Foundation of America is a Chicago-based NGO providing emergency relief, post-disaster rehabilitation, sustainable development, education, healthcare, orphan sponsorship, and seasonal programs such as Ramadan iftars and Udhiya/Qurbani. Zakat Foundation of America is registered under 501(c)(3) as a non-profit charity organization.

IsraAID is an Israel-based non-governmental organization that responds to emergencies all over the world with targeted humanitarian help. This includes disaster relief, from search and rescue to rebuilding communities and schools, to providing aid packages, medical assistance, and post-psychotrauma care. IsraAID has also been involved in emergency response and international development projects in more than 60 countries, with focuses on Water, Sanitation & Hygiene, public health and medical care, education, and mental health and protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Hatzalah</span> Volunteer-based emergency medical services

United Hatzalah is an Israeli volunteer-based emergency medical services (EMS) organization providing free service throughout Israel, with its headquarters based in Jerusalem. Its mission is to provide immediate medical intervention during the critical window between the onset of an emergency and the arrival of traditional ambulance assistance. It is one of many Hatzalah organizations in various parts of the world and the only one that includes women and non-Jewish volunteers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humanitarian aid during the Syrian civil war</span>

Humanitarian aid during the Syrian civil war has been provided by various international bodies, organizations and states. The main effort is coordinated by Jonh Ging of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). In 2014, U.N. Security Council Resolution 2165 authorised humanitarian aid to be supplied via four border crossings not controlled by the Syrian government, generally to supply rebel-controlled territory.

Islamic Help is a UK based charity that was founded in 2003 and works both internationally and within the UK. According to their registration with the UK Charity Commission, “Islamic Help provides humanitarian assistance all around the world. Support is also provided to the needy, widows, victims of emergency natural/manmade disasters and homelessness in the UK”. Islamic help characterizes itself by its ability to inspire, motivate, and mobilize young individuals wishing to provide assistance to disaster stricken communities.

Al-Khair Foundation (AKF) is an international Muslim aid NGO based in the United Kingdom and Turkey, and is the third largest Muslim charity in the UK. It was established in 2003, and aims to deliver aid to the poor and vulnerable, as well as education for the Muslim community. It specialises in humanitarian support, international development, emergency aid and disaster relief in some of the world's most deprived areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alison Thompson</span> Australian global humanitarian volunteer

Alison Thompson is a global humanitarian volunteer and the Founder of Third Wave Volunteers, a United States based nonprofit that responds to disasters and crises around the world. She was born in Sutherland Shire, Sydney, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 Bangladesh cyclone</span> Category 4 North Indian tropical cyclone in 1994

The 1994 Bangladesh cyclone was a powerful tropical cyclone in the Bay of Bengal. The cyclone closely followed the path, strength, and time of year of a deadly cyclone in 1991 that killed more than 138,000 people. The 1994 cyclone formed on April 29 as a depression, which organized and intensified significantly over the subsequent few days. On May 2, the cyclone attained winds of 215 km/h (135 mph), according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). That day, the storm made landfall in southeastern Bangladesh, and rapidly weakened over land, before dissipating on May 3.

References

  1. "NBC 3 News: Faiths unite for Day of Dignity to help homeless".
  2. "Obama Administration To Highlight Interfaith Volunteerism". The Washington Post. 2009-08-31. Archived from the original on 2009-09-03. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  3. "Islamic Relief USA Written Statement U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions" (PDF). Islamic Relief USA. 2006-03-07. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 26, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  4. "LDS, Islamic Leaders Share Relief Efforts". Mormons Serving Worldwide. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  5. "Muslims Put Faith Into Action For Ramadan". The Christian Science Monitor. 2006-10-19. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  6. "Equal Exchange Announces its 11th Interfaith Partnership: Islamic Relief USA". The Corporate Social Responsibility Wire. 2006-10-06. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  7. "Huffington Post: After Hurricane Sandy, Chaplains And Faith-Based Organizations Offer Aid And Tend To Spiritual Needs". HuffPost . 31 October 2012.
  8. "Huffington Post: Religious Relief For Southern Disasters". HuffPost . 12 May 2011.
  9. "Huffington Post: Muslim Groups Give $100,000 To Help Detroiters Without Water, Say It's 'Part Of Our Faith To Help'". HuffPost . 8 January 2015.
  10. "PRI: From one refugee to another: 'study, get educated — then come help the people'".
  11. "Huffington Post: "American Muslims Hand Delivering Fresh Water to Residents of Flint"".
  12. "PRI: From Lesbos to Flint: An Islamic Relief Group Helps the Poor Get Safe Water".
  13. "While Trump was spreading Islamophobia after Brussels, American Muslims were helping people hit by floods". The Independent. 2016-03-23. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
  14. "Their first goal in rural N.C. was disaster relief. The other: Being the face of Islam in a red state". Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
  15. "Islamic relief group helps North Carolina recover from Hurricane Matthew". newsobserver. Retrieved 2016-10-26.
  16. "In the South, a new helping hand: Muslim disaster relief teams". The Christian Century. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  17. Johri, Subia. "Hurricane Harvey-Local Muslim aid worker joins effort". Highland Community News. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  18. "Islamic Relief Donates Thousands For Shooting Victims". 2017-10-10. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  19. "Two groups help community rebuild year after Hurricane Matthew" . Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  20. "Jewish and Muslim groups join to help refugees in Greece". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  21. "HIAS and Islamic Relief USA Partner to Bring Legal Protection to Refugees in Greece". HIAS. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  22. Gollihue, Krystin. "Islamic Relief USA: Doing Good Through Diversity" . Retrieved 2016-10-26.
  23. Anchor, Jenna Zibton-Virginia Today (2016-10-19). "Islamic Relief USA donates $40,000 to RYSE program". WSLS. Retrieved 2016-10-26.
  24. Holmes, Paris (October 20, 2016). "United Way receives $40K to help homeless kids in the Roanoke Valley". virginiafirst.com. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  25. "Free Meals For Kids At Las Vegas' Al Maun Center". Las Vegas, NV Patch. 2017-07-27. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  26. "Muslim Community's Day of Dignity Provides Supplies to Seattle's Unsheltered". South Seattle Emerald. 2017-11-13. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  27. Ocasio, Bianca Padró. "Arab-Americans in Orlando come together for Day of Dignity". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  28. Weisberg, Lori. "Homeless, immigrants treated to 'Day of Dignity' in City Heights". sandiegouniontribune.com. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  29. Campbell, Colin. "Muslim volunteer groups hand out food, toiletries at Martin Luther King Day of Service charity event". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  30. Connelly, Christopher. "On An MLK Day Of Service, Muslims Reach Out To Homeless Folks As Storm Bears Down" . Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  31. "Great Nonprofits".
  32. "Charity Navigator".