MY Project USA's Impact:

Must See Video: Ali Jeylani Gives Inspirational Speech at Our Annual Banquet

'The Hilltop Tigers have been my source of inspiration and motivation. Our players come from the same backgrounds and neighborhoods as I did. They faced poverty, violence and a lack of opportunities – but we are full of untapped potential.'

Help Make the Issa Jeylani Memorial Rec Center a Reality by Donating Below

Need to feel inspired? Here is a must-watch speech by our very own Hilltop Tigers coach Ali Jeylani, the winner of our Deah’s Change Maker of The Year Award at our recent annual banquet. 

Ali is an inspirational young man, and our organization is proud to have him as a member of our team. He is co-leading our campaign of building Issa Jeylani Memorial Recreation Center.

At the banquet, Ali passionately shared his story of coming to America at 4 years old, to living in Wedgewood, to losing his 15-year-old brother, Issa, to gun violence in 2022, to turning his pain into purpose. 

Please click the button below to watch the full video and then visit MYProjectUSA.org/donors to help us make the Issa Jeylani Memorial Recreation Center a reality for the underserved children in the Hilltop.

After-School Programming:

'Career Fri-Yays' Exposes West HS Students to Successful Professionals

We're Still Looking for Future Speakers for This Program

MY Project USA is proud to continue its popular Career Fri-Yays events this school year at West High School. 

Recently we had a return visit from Luke Walker, owner of Luke's Auto at 5393 Sinclair Rd. Walker started and built Luke’s Auto into a highly successful repair facility. He has also founded the EQUIP Skills Center, which has taught hundreds of students over the years. While at West, Walker led students through the process of taking apart car brakes and engine parts.

Career Fri-Yays serve to prepare West students for life after high school. They hear great speakers who have succeeded despite facing various challenges, get the opportunity to network with professionals and more. MY Project USA is still looking for speakers for future Career Fri-Yays events. Those interested should email Assistant Education Manager Felix Mijangos at outreach@myprojectusa.org.

Thank you to the Ohio Department of Education, United Way of Central Ohio, the Ingram-White Castle Foundation and the Siemer Family Foundation for their support of our after-school programs.

After-School Programming:

Drum Circle Allows West Students to Express Themselves During Round-Up ASP

Our after-school programs continue their awesome work at several schools on the westside of Columbus, and speaking of west, that includes our Round-Up program at West High School!

Take a look at some photos taken recently at West, including some drum circle action with Chase Hurlow. Chase was a wonderful addition to our MY Summer Expedition series of summer camps, and he’s taken his musical skills to several of our after-school program locations this fall. He also teaches recreation for our Rise ASP at Eakin Elementary School. He’s a jack of all trades!

Thank you to the Ohio Department of Education, United Way of Central Ohio, the Ingram-White Castle Foundation and the Siemer Family Foundation for their support of our after-school programs.

Community Development:

New Americans Find Added Freedom Thanks to Our Help in Getting Them Driver's Licenses

MY Project USA Has Helped 20 People Earn Their Ohio Driver's License

Recently MY Project USA caught up with new Americans Khalid Sadat and Ajmal Hashmi, both of whom recently earned their Ohio driver’s licenses with the help of MY Project USA and Welcome.US.

Khalid and Ajmal arrived in America in 2021 following the fall of the government in their homeland of Afghanistan. Like many others, they found some initial challenges in their new homes, but now that they have earned their licenses, the future is bright.

“Getting a license is a very essential thing here in the United States,” said Ajmal. “It’s one of the basic requirements for everyone. If you have a license, you can easily apply for various employment opportunities. A lot of employers are asking for a valid driver’s license. Now I have this resource in my hand. I can apply anywhere, even if it’s 10 or 15 miles away. I can go and get a job easily now.”

Read the full story on our Facebook page via the button below. Thank you to our partners with Welcome.US for their support.

Hilltop Tigers:

Hilltop Tigers Under-18 Team Heading Back to Bluegrass for Indoor Tournament

The Hilltop Tigers are heading south for the Thanksgiving weekend to participate in the International Indoor Cup tournament in Louisville, Ky., from Nov. 24-26.

Our Under-18 team will represent our soccer program at the event, which will feature some great talent from Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Maine. We look forward to a fun weekend of competition, and we'll have plenty of photos to share afterward!

MY Project USA:

Ordering From MY Community Cafe Helps Keep Children in Columbus Away from Drugs and Gangs

Look at this delicious chicken platter! Today is the perfect day to order your next meal from MY Community Cafe. Use the button below to order your next meal!

Help MY Project USA support at-risk young people on the west side of Columbus. All proceeds from the cafe go to help fund our programs. Order. Donate. Feed a Future!

Family Platinum Card:

Register for Our Family Platinum Card Today!

MY Project USA is still actively registering low-income clients for our new Family Platinum Card. This brand-new initiative is FREE and has several benefits.

Benefits Include:

• 20% off discount at MY Community Cafe and Global Gifts & Thrift
• Monthly prize raffles
• Holiday gifts
• “Fast Pass” (a way to speed up the sign-in process) for MY Project USA events    
• Special “Members Only” events
• And MORE to be announced!
• Please come to the Hilltop Youth Empowerment Center (3275 Sullivant Ave. Columbus, OH 43204) to sign up.

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 – 7413 Maxtown Rd. Westerville, OH 43082
• Omar Ibn El-Khattab Masjid – 580 Riverview Dr. Columbus, OH 43202
• The Destiny Center – 1561 Old Leonard Ave. Columbus, OH 43219
• Bethel International United Methodist Church – 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.