Benefit Dinner Announcement:

MY Project USA, Noor Islamic Cultural Center Join Hands for Benefit Dinner to Feed & Protect Local Children

There are more than 10,000 children at risk of violence, drugs, gangs and human trafficking in the Hilltop area on the west side of Columbus. The annual median income of their families is $6,000. They are 200% below the poverty line. Their struggles with poverty, hunger and a bad neighborhood with no recreation/enrichment opportunities make them easy prey for criminals to recruit them to their gangs.

As we all know, hungry children are easy prey.

Noor Islamic Cultural Center & MY Project USA are joining hands to make sure that all children have food and a safe place to play and learn to reach their full potential in Columbus. Please join us at this dinner to learn more and contribute. Help us reach our goal of feeding local children. We aim to serve 100,000 meals in 2023.

This event is free, but registration is required. Please register by Wednesday, June 14.

Ramadan Reflections: 

MY Project USA Served More Than 15,000 Clients During Ramadan

MY Project USA is proud to share the results of several of our Ramadan initiatives with the public. We are exceptionally humbled by all of the support we have received. Without the support of donors and volunteers like you, we could not do the important work we undertake.

MY Family Pantry served 10,288 individuals from 2,730 households this Ramadan. Approximately, 35,000 meals and snacks were provided to these families through our pantry. 

Via MY Iftar Kitchen, MY Project USA served the elderly and needy during Ramadan by providing iftar and sahoor. Volunteers, including members of our Hilltop Tigers youth soccer program, packed and delivered hundreds of meals – approximately between 120-160 hot meals per day, in fact. That means MY Project USA was able to distribute approximately 4,000 iftar meals this year. Thank you to all of those who cooked, packed and delivered these much-needed meals.

Staying with food, needy Muslims in Columbus were given food on behalf of those who donated their Zakat al-Fitr money to MY Project USA. We were able to serve 1,300 people from 350 families, mostly from the Afghani, Somali and Yemeni refugee communities in central Ohio. They received one month's worth of food and supplies. 

Finally, MY Project USA ran another toy drive for Eid. The 2023 MY Eid Toys Drive was another huge success. About 1,000 toys and goody bags were distributed this Ramadan. We are extremely thankful to those that donated toys and those that helped gather and wrap the gifts for the children.

Thank you all for your continued support of MY Project USA and all of the worthy clients we serve.

Youth Development:

Career Fri-Yays Concludes Weekly Series with Entertaining Speaker, End-of-Year Celebration

Students Work on Writing Activity that May Lead to Music Created at West H.S.

MY Project USA was honored to have entrepreneur and musician Eric Rollin as our final guest speaker for our Career Fri-Yays at West High School.

Rollin spoke to more than a dozen students at the library, telling them about his music career and having the students do a writing activity that may lead to music being created at the studio being built at WHS.

After Rollin's presentation, it was time for an end-of-year party! There was a gift card raffle for attendees, as well as delicious food and drinks served. Career Fri-Yays was a weekly event organized by MY Project USA with the aim of preparing students for life after high school. We had great speakers talk to students each week about finding success despite facing challenges along the way.

As always, we thank our partners for their support of our after-school programming. Thank you to the Ohio Department of Education, the United Way of Central Ohio and the Ingram White Castle Foundation. Special thanks to MY Project USA Youth Program Director Katana Mullen for all of her hard work with this program.

Hilltop Tigers: 

Football Flashback: Hilltop Tigers Travel to Dublin for Nike Cup Competition, Improve by Battling Talented Teams

While the spring slate of soccer games has concluded for our Hilltop Tigers, we are still thinking about all of the fun our teams had on the pitch.

First is a look back at the Nike Cup in Dublin in late April. The Hilltop Tigers had their Under-13 and U-17 teams participating – led by coaches  Mohamed "Speedy" Ahmed, Ali Jeylani and Abdi "Neymar" Idris. It was an honor to participate in the event with several other talented teams, and we look forward to playing in the Nike Cup again next year!

We also look back at a game in Mt. Vernon, where the Hilltop Tigers were the final opponent for a local team before the end of the season. It was another great evening for soccer and another chance for the Tigers to improve by playing talented competition.

Everyone at MY Project USA is proud of our young soccer players and the young men who coach them! If you would like to help us keep the Tigers on the pitch, please consider donating to MY Project USA at myprojectusa.org/donors.

Community Development: 

HART Hilliard Brings 'Can You See Me Now?' Program to Wedgewood Power Hours Event

Thank you to our friends at Health Awareness & Recovery Together (HART), who brought their "Can You See Me Now?" program to Wedgewood for the most recent weekly Wedgewood Community Power Hours event at Wedgewood Village Apartments. This program features a simulated teen bedroom set up where parents can explore to identify potential warning signs of drug use, alcohol use and other risky behavior.

Wedgewood Community Power Hours are powered by a grant from the Franklinton Development Association. We are grateful to the Wedgewood Administration and Wedgewood Manager Hakima Cheik for their support.

Thank you to MY Project USA staffers Taqdeerullah Aziz and Shirell Shaw for their help.

MY Family Pantry Update: 

Volunteers Help Serve Hundreds of Clients Through Mid-Ohio Market at MY Project USA

For the week of May 20, MY Family Pantry provided much-needed food and household necessities to a total of 188 families and 700 individuals.

MY Project USA is thankful to all of its volunteers, including our Director MY Family Pantry Ramy El-Assal, our pantry executive team members and our Mid-Ohio Market at MY Project USA manager Nasir Khan Shinwari, who worked hard to provide fruits, vegetables, meat, snacks, pastries and household necessities to our clients. The impact these men and women have made on our clients is immeasurable. Thank you to all who make the pantry experience fast and smooth.

Mid-Ohio Market at MY Project USA is a collaborative initiative of MY Project USA and Mid-Ohio Food Collective powered by MY Family Pantry volunteers and staff. We distribute fresh produce and groceries to hundreds of individuals in our community every week. If you would like to join us in fighting food insecurity in Columbus, please click here (or the button below). 

Survey Reminder: 

Please Remember to Take our New (Short) Survey!

Help MY Project USA Better Serve Its Clients

This is a short, 27-question survey that will help MY Project USA in the days, months and years ahead. We greatly appreciate you taking a couple of minutes out of your day to let us know what you think!

MY Community Cafe: 

'What an exciting space to add to this community!' – Minority Leader Allison Russo Speaks About MY Community Cafe

Order Online Today! Feed a Future! Visit MYCommunity.Cafe to Order

MY Project USA was blessed to have several elected officials attend the Grand Opening of MY Community Cafe, and Ohio State Minority Leader Allison Russo was one of those. Click on the image above (or here) to listen to her thoughts about our latest venture!

Order. Donate. Feed a Future!

📍 Address: 3275 Sullivant Ave. Columbus, OH 43204 (Hilltop Youth Empowerment Center)
⏰️ Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

Annual Report: 

Have You Read Our Annual Report Yet? It's 32 Pages of Great Info!

If you have not yet read our latest annual report, click on the image above (or the button below) to download a PDF of the 32-page report. We did our best to put eight years of work in these pages, but that's nowhere near enough to attempt to tell the full story. 

MY Helpline:

Rent & Utilities Support Available At MY Project USA

We have been working very hard in securing grants and building collaboration with other partners to help our clients. Thanks to The Columbus Foundation, United Way of Central Ohio, and IMPACT Community Action, we are still able to help more of our families with their rent and utilities. If you or someone you know needs help, please ask them to contact us at (614) 905-0977 or helpadmin@myprojectusa.org.

MY Deah's Warehouse:

12 Locations In Columbus To Drop Off Donations – Truck Pick-Up Available For Large Donations

You can now drop off your donations of new and gently used clothes, shoes, books, toys and other small non-breakable items in a donation box near you. These locations include: 

• Noor Islamic Cultural Center –  5001 Wilcox Rd. Dublin, OH 43016
• Masjid Nimrah – 4501 Refugee Rd. Columbus, OH 43232
• MAS Youth Center – 4615 Northtowne Blvd. Columbus, OH 43229
• Turkish American Society of Ohio (TASO) – 2885 W. Dublin Granville Rd. Columbus, OH 43235
• Ahlul Bayt Society – 2580 W. Dublin Granville Rd. Columbus, OH 43235
• The First Congregational Church – 444 E. Broad St. Columbus, OH 43215
• MY Deah's Warehouse – 4004 Fondorf Dr. Columbus, OH 43228. (Business Hours Only)
• Global Gifts & Thrift – 4730 Cemetery Rd. Hilliard, OH 43206. (Business Hours Only)
• Heritage Christian Church (NEW) – 7413 Maxtown Rd. Westerville, OH 43082
• Omar Ibn El-Khattab Masjid (NEW) – 580 Riverview Dr. Columbus, OH 43202
• The Destiny Center (NEW) – 1561 Old Leonard Ave. Columbus, OH 43219
• Bethel International United Methodist Church (NEW) – 1220 Bethel Rd. Columbus, OH 43220

We are looking for more locations. If interested in helping us or have any other questions, please contact us at warehouse@myprojectusa.org.