Hilltop Tigers Won The Ohio Champions Cup While Honoring An Amazing Police Commander

This Is Why We Honor Commander Scott Hyland!!!

Dear Family, 

This month, we are celebrating the life of an incredible Police Commander, his presence in our organization and his role in the Hilltop community. Commander Scott Hyland is a Rock Star!!!

To many, Commander Hyland might be a just the Zone 3 Commander of Columbus Police Division.  To me, he is a beloved brother. To Hilltop Tigers and many other kids and adults in the Wedgewood community, he is a trusted friend, an uncle-figure, a mentor, a beloved and trustworthy law enforcement official. 

This relationship go back to 2017, when 17 shootings and 7 homicides took place in the first seven months in the Wedgewwod Apartment Complex. I reached out to the Columbus Public Safety Department and asked them to connect me with the police zone leadership. Commander Hyland followed up the next day. He came to Wedgewood with the most friendly smile and a firm attitude that would lift up our youth and give them the confidence and a sense of security in the midst of a neighborhood taken hostage by drug dealers and gangsters. 

Commander Hyland became my best ally in transforming the neighborhood from "the most deadly location" in Columbus to just a normal neighborhood. In early mornings, he would throw balls to kids waiting for school buses. In late nights, he would stop by at our Friday Nights socials to engage with the young emerging leaders at the Wedgewood Rental Office. He would bring the police officers to spruce up the neighborhood with the kids and play soccer and basketball with our kids. He along with his wife served food at the Wedgwood Festival, and he danced on the stage to bring more kids close to the police. I can go on and on but I am sure, you got a picture of how he helped me stop the violence in the Wedgewood community and helped keeping it that for a longer period than ever before. 

Commander Hyland, unfortunately, is fighting with cancer this month. As we are praying for his full and speedy recovery, we are also doing everything in our capacity to show our respect and gratitude to this amazing human being and an outstanding police commander. 

Last weekend, our U14 team played and won Ohio Champions Cup while wearing jerseys with his name on. This weekend, at our Hilltop Tigers Festival, we have teamed up with the Columbus Division  to bring all the fun back to Wedgewood and to scare away the criminal away from this neighborhood. This festival will continue as a part of his legacy for years to come. On November 7th, we will be presenting him with an award at our Fall Banquet & Award Ceremony. 

Currently, we have live fundraiser for Hilltop Tigers. Several police officers have donated to this fundraiser honoring Commander Hyland. You can also donate here: 

If you have not booked your seat yet, please join us at our banquet and help us celebrating him and other amazing individuals whose tireless work and support has helped us protect and empower hundreds of children and families over the past seven years. 

In Solidarity with Youth and Families, 

Zerqa Abid, 

Founder & Executive Director, 

MY Project USA

"Seven Years of Resilience" Fall Banquet

Celebrations & Fundraiser To Support Our Amazing Youths, Leaders & Community

Please Join Us for an Inspirational Evening with Elected Officials, Interfaith and Community Leaders and our Youth Leaders as we gather to Support and Celebrate Columbus Youth and Families.

In the last seven years, MY Project USA has become a mainstream, largest Muslim Social Services & Civic Engagement Organization in Ohio. We are working hand in hand with our interfaith and social justice partners to bring prosperity and hope to the under-served communities in Columbus. At our annual banquet, we will celebrate our accomplishments. We will also re-energize our base and will raise money to continue and grow our work to the next level. Please join us and bring your family and friends with you. 

MY Project USA Prepares To Support Afghan Refugees

Short-term and Long-Term Needs Will Be Addressed

Asking for Monitorial and Material Donations

MY Project USA is preparing to welcome and support 350 Afghan Refugees in Columbus. We are working closely with the local refugee settlement agencies, Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS) and US Together, in assisting the new arrivals with culturally appropriate clothing, household items and other accessories, mental health support, job trainings, etc.

The fundraiser will help us purchase any services or items needed to support any family that they might be missing in addition to the welcome kits provided to them by settlement agencies. This fundraiser will also help us pay their rents, transportation, utilities, ESL classes and any other employment support to help them find a job, etc., that they might need after the grace period covered by the government. Community donations help us provide support that is not covered otherwise.

We have formed an Afghan Refugees Welcome Committee to take care of all urgent and long term needs of the new refugees. We are expecting arrivals as early as this week to the next 6 months. This fundraiser will provide funds to this committee to address all needs of our new arrivals without any delay.

We are also collecting clothes and other household items. Please check out our Support Drive Sign Up if you are interested 

Please donate generously and invite others as well.

Credit card donations on Facebook are free of charge, therefore we would love you to donate here on Facebook.

OTHER WAYS TO DONATE: You can also choose any of the following method to send your zakat or other donations to our way.

ONLINE: MYProjectUSA.org

MAIL: Write Your Check to “MY Project USA” & Mail it to PO Box 1311, Hilliard, OH 43026

Visit Us At Hilltop Youth Empowerment Center at 3275, Sullivant Ave., Columbus 43204

More Info: Refugees@MYProjectUSA.org - 614-905-0977

Community Development:

MY Professional Mentoring Initiative - Be A Mentor or A Mentee

MY Project USA has always strived relentlessly to provide the best development opportunities to their community. Maintaining that momentum, MY Project USA is proud to provide Professional Mentoring opportunities to underserved highschool students and adults.

This is an extension and supplement to the Mentoring program provided by the “Under My Wing” initiative. We are super excited about this program’s prospect.

The focus of this initiative is to ensure that underserved high school students and adults are prepared for post-secondary education, trade schools, or entry-level professional success.

Our aim is to develop professional skills such as communication skills, career development soft-skills, goal setting, self-efficacy for personal and professional development; and academic development skills such as college application process and knowledge about career fields.

This program aims to develop healthy decision-making in young people by providing them with professional adult mentors who can listen, guide, and provide meaningful opportunities.

If you are a youth interested in participating in this program as a Mentee then please complete Mentee Application. If you are a college student and would like to help a high school student going to college, please complete College Mentor Application. If you are interested in being a Professional Mentor then please complete Professional Mentor Application. We will reach out to you individually as we start screening the applicants.