Amina Khalid, Head of Sustainable Communities Programme at IofC UK, has shared with us some of the incredible work that is happening in the community on the ground.
Amina said: 'These trying times of upheaval have triggered an outpouring of love, generosity, kindness and community spirit among many of us across our nation. Many members and partners of the Sustainable Communities Programme have been playing key roles in serving their communities since the outbreak of Covid-19. We are witnessing real examples of the four absolute moral standards of IofC being put into practice. Teams across the country are showing unselfishness, love, purity and honesty in their actions and service to others, it has been incredibly humbling to witness and personifies the truest example of humanity.’
Several members of the core team have joined the thousands of volunteers in the new local 'mutual aid' groups. Teams in Islington are busy bringing groceries, medications, and support to vulnerable communities. Others are making phone calls to the elderly and those who are self isolating.
In London, daily free warm meals and Ramadan Iftar J are being provided to all Islington residents by our partner at Muslim Welfare Mosque and at Light Project Pro International. In Scotland, Ian Monteague (Chair of Family Action in Rogerfield & Easterhouse) and his team are busy working with different agencies towards a collective response to Covid 19. So far 160,000 food hampers have been delivered to the poorest members of the community in the East End of Glasgow.
In Wythenshawe, Manchester, one of the most deprived areas in the city, where Ann Panks from Copperdale Trust is based, friends from local Muslim mosques and restaurant are delivering daily hot meals to her doorstep at Copperdale. Similarly, individuals like Adeel Mohammed Younas, a police officer and a successful young entrepreneur, has been inspired to share the beauty of Ramadan with his Muslim and non-Muslim neighbours and friends by delivering Iftar food from door to door with the support of his friends.
Others within the team are thinking creatively by writing songs of inspiration like Jimmy Elderflower in Sheffield. Abdul Basit, founder of World Humanitarian Drive (WHD) was inspired to host a Youtube live poetry contest entitled; 'Covid Times Poetry' an astonishing 3,436 poems were written in 16 languages from 41 different countries.
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