Report by Bara Levitt, Faith House Social Justice Intern
Photos by Alvin Poblacion
On October 3, a group of 12 Faith House volunteers gathered
in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn as a part of Islamic Relief's National
"Day of Dignity" program to serve America’s most needy in 19 cities across America.
The amount of goods Islamic Relief and its partner
organizations purchased and received through donations was vast, of high
quality and very much needed. By
11:15 the line of people began to stretch down the block and by twelve I could
not see the end of it from where I stood. The mass of people remained for
the next 3.5 hours despite heavy rain. By the end of the day we had
distributed goods to more than 400 people.
So you have a sense of how many wonderful items were
distributed I have included a list here: a full hot meal and
prepackaged groceries, sweatshirts, socks, gloves, knit caps, scarves,
t-shirts, bed sheets, deodorant, flashlights, emergency preparedness kits,
towels soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes. In addition to these great
items, basic medical and dental screenings were also available for those
interested.
At the end of the day we took off our shoes and entered the
Masjid Taqwa to gather with the other volunteers and organizers to debrief the
day. We were in the company of
volunteers from World Faith, the Progressive Muslim Meetup, the Islamic
Center at NYU, Islamic Relief, the Muslim Women’s Institute for Research and
Development, and the Masjid Taqwa among others. One of the Islamic Relief staff people commented that the
effort was truly interfaith and engaged many different members of our
community. Not only did we come
together as a greater community, brought together by a desire to help and
serve, but we were part of a larger national effort of Islamic Relief which was
bringing the event to 19 different locations.
We definitely made a difference and were left with much to
think about.
What really struck me was the make up and number of the
individuals in attendance to receive the day’s services. The people we
served did not fit any mold! They
were young and old, singles and families, they represented many different
ethnic groups and spoke many different languages, some came with large carts,
while others had small children by the hand and a quite a few were pushing
strollers. There were even a few
children who came by themselves.
There is no way in observing and interacting with a line like this that
I could pretend that there is any mold for what in need looks like.
Living in New York City has had a large role in shaping my
conception of what a person in need looks like. Traveling on the subway,
I am, as I assume many of you can relate, constantly faced with individuals
selling their wares or appealing to their fellow travelers for food or money.
In addition to lived experience, popular culture has also influenced my
understanding of what a person in need looks like and acts like. I have consciously made an effort over
the past few years to shake these stereotypical assumptions, in order to be
better open to and aware of different people in need. The first Serve Together
was an experience that helped me on my way to doing so.
Ways to Serve Together
Our Serve Together opportunities this year are set up in
order to give you a taste of the amazing work being done around the city and
the countless social justice issues being tackled by that work. We hope
that you will find an issue you are interested in and passionate about, an
issue you feel you can and want to contribute to, and get involved.
I am here as a Social Justice intern to facilitate these
"tastes of social justice", but also to help you become more involved
with Social Justice work on a regular basis. Please contact me about
ways you can become involved in social justice issue on a regular basis or to
suggest a Serve Together opportunity for the future. If you are a member
of an organization that is looking for regular volunteers please let
me know as well.
I hope you will join us for future Serve Together
opportunities. Please mark your
calendar for October 25 when from 12:30-3:00 we will be carving pumpkins,
visiting and serving snacks to members of one of the Metropolitan Council for
Jewish Poverty’s low income senior residences in Manhattan.
Bara Levitt
Social Justice Intern
bara4987@gmail.com
All photos on this page by Alvin Poblacion.
Slideshow of three dozen photos from the Day of Dignity
View All Faith House Manhattan Photos by Alvin Poblacion
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