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On April 12th, 2014, the team left the masjid around 12 noon in a three car convoy with all of the collected food items.  There were nearly six boxes of food that were donated by the community and the children over the last two weeks.  The team included 9 adults (including a few teachers) and 1 children volunteers.

We arrived at the Houston Feed Bank on Portwall Street on time and took the food in.  After taking a group picture, we informed the registration desk of the team’s readiness to participate in the project.   Soon we were called along with other groups from across Houston.  In the large room where the team worked, further instructions were given and the team members started working with great enthusiasm.  Everyone worked hard unpacking and packing food into boxes, transporting the boxes, cleaning up the cardboard and plastic and so on.  We worked for about 90 minutes and took our first break with some snacks in the cafeteria.  We returned and worked another 30 minutes or so until the work finished for the day.  We assisted hundreds of other volunteers with the cleanup and after taking one last group picture with a poster, we left the Food Bank.  On the way back we stopped and had lunch before returning to the masjid.

The children had a good learning experience, one that was also hands on and great fun.  Above all they learned that they belong to a community with diverse members, where many are in need of help.  They had the satisfaction to see how strong the community feelings are working with total strangers to help other strangers.  We may worship in different ways but we all belong to the same humanity.

I want to thank Br. Waheed for doing the heavy lifting here organizing the field trip.  Of course, we are grateful to all the volunteers, teachers and parents and students who participated. Inshallah, we have big plans for the next trip to the Houston Food Bank in the fall semester.

Jazakallah Khairun.

Br. Munir Quddus