Family,

My beautiful mother is slowly but surely losing various body functions as her dementia is progressing on top of her health issues due to stroke. She is a true source of love, peace, and compassion in my life at this point. As taking care of her is getting harder with every passing day, I am humbled for Allah’s blessings on me. There is no other purpose in her life than simply increasing my rewards and blessings as I take care of her with ultimate love and care. She is here physically but not much mentally.

All I have at the moment is her kisses on my cheeks and her love pouring out of her eyes for me and honestly, that’s all I need. I can’t thank Allah SWT enough for blessing me with this opportunity at this point in my life. All praise is due to God. On this blessed night of Ramadan, I ask Him to restore her mental and physical capacity for the rest of her life so I can take care of her better and can benefit from her presence even more. Indeed, I miss her amazingly active and vibrant personality prior to the stroke.

She is my princess, and I am the lucky one. Alhamdulillah. 

As I take care of my mother, this organization that I have birthed and nurtured with your help over the last six years is being neglected. I don’t have the human capacity to stay on top of the Ramadan Fundraising. I am behind in producing last year’s extensive report for your review as well.

Although my board members and program directors are working very hard, we have raised only $18,000 so far. In order to meet the community's needs and make MY Project USA self-sufficient, we must raise $250,000 this year from the community. Our goal for this Ramadan is at least $100,000. 

I ask all of you, my Muslim and non-Muslim friends, to help us in raising funds from within your networks. Just as I take care of my mother, MY Project USA takes care of hundreds of families. It is their lifeline for their basic to advance needs.

To me, MY Project USA is my mother’s legacy. It’s my family’s legacy. It’s our legacy.

Being a Muslim, I also believe that it is a sadaqa jariyah (continued charity) for my father who must have received daily gifts from my work in this organization since it started.

I invite all of you to join hands with me and help me sustain and grow our work. Let’s make it a family business. Let’s contribute to this work by honoring our living and deceased parents, family members, and friends that have inspired us throughout our lives. Together we can change the world for so many.

May God always protect and empower our families and bless our elderly with His bounties. Ameen.

In solidarity with youth & families, 

Zerqa Abid
Founder & Executive Director
MY Project USA

Did You Know We Fit Six Out of Eight Zakat Criteria? 

We are Zakat eligible since it falls into six of the eight categories of Zakat as commanded by Allah SWT in the following verse of the Quran:

"Zakat expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise. (Quran 9:60)"

The first and second category of “for poor and for the needy” applies since we are helping poor local and refugee Muslim families.

The fourth category of "bringing hearts together" applies since we serve all needy people regardless of their faith, ethnicity or race. We also work with individuals that are attracted to Islam and Muslims and prefer working with us to learn more.
The fifth category “freeing captives” applies since we are addressing human trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery, prevention, and intervention. We are specifically focusing on freeing sex slaves from their masters and then helping them in reestablishing their lives.

The sixth category of "paying the debt" applies since we take care of families, single moms, and family violence victims dealing with debts and financial instability.

The seventh category “the cause of Allah” applies because we are protecting and empowering Muslim youth and families in America. Through our work, we are addressing drugs, gangs, violence, suicides, radicalization, homelessness, and hunger through capacity building of the individuals and the community. Through the documentation and publicity of our work, we seek to address Islamophobia as well. Our goal is to preserve Islam and the Muslim community in America at its best.

According to the majority of scholars, Zakat can be given to those who volunteer to fight in the cause of Allah (SWT) and do not receive a fixed salary from the government. This also applies to the operational cost/salaries of a non-profit organization like ours that fits the other categories of zakat eligibility.

You can choose any of the following methods to send your zakat or other donations to our way. 

ONLINE: Our Website  or Our Facebook Page

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

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

RECENT EVENT

Be Inspired & To See The Impact of Your Contributions

The Village - Protecting & Empowering Youths & Families

On Sunday, April 18 at our virtual gathering, we celebrated our village and the youths and families that we have fostered together. We will also re-enforce our commitment to protect and empower more youths against drugs, gangs, violence, human trafficking etc., through our carefully-designed programs, advocacy and other social services.

In case you missed it, please check out the video of our latest event on Facebook. 

Watch the video on Facebook here.

Meet the Dynamic & Diverse Board of Directors of MY Project USA

Proud To Be Led By A Diverse Group of Women & Youth

We are humbled and proud to be the largest Muslim social Services and Civic Engagement organization of Ohio that is led by a very dynamic and divers board of Directors. Our current board is comprised of 7 women and four men representing 9 different ethnic groups. We have both Muslim and non Muslim board members. We also have a large representation of under-25-years-old young people on our board. We are proud to present our Board of Directors to you.

Zerqa Abid - Founder & President ( also acting as volunteer Executive Director)
Zubaidah Ghani - Treasurer, Director Parent Empowerment
Jonathan Galasso - Member
Raifa Alhag-Ali - Director, Reading Warrior
Binish Hussain - Director, Life & Health Coaching
Zeenath Sheikh - Director, Professional Development
Judge Sheryl Munson - Director, Social Justice & Civic Engagement
Dr. Kimberly Porter - Director Racial Justice & Equity
Abdirizak Idow - Director Community Development
Ramy El-Assal - Director, MY Family Pantry
Uzair Qidwai - Director, MY Deah's Warehouse

Please check our website to know more about each director and to meet with the rest of the team. Please keep us in your prayers. 

7 Ways To Make An Impact By Your Zakat

1. General Funds To Sustain The Organization - The Most Needed
Help us build an infrastructure that would serve the cimmunity for years to come.

2. Food Pantry / Soup Kitchen

3. Protect & Empower A Youth
Help us foster strong, compassionate, caring Muslim youths free of drugs, gangs and other crimes. Help us raise leaders of tomorrow through Reading Warriors, Mentorship Program, Sports, etc. 

4. Help Uplift A Family In Need
We support families in need by paying for their Rents, Utilities, Baby Items, Debts, Cash Assistance for Essentials and also by job training and employment if applicable.

5. Parent/Adult Education
We offer ESL Classes, Parenting workshops and one on one counseling to refugee parents struggling with day by day parenting challenges in a new country.

6. Support Victims of Human Trafficking Domestic Violence & Child Abuse 

7. Help Provide a Job Training & Find A Job for a Jobless Person 

Support the Hilltop Youth Empowerment Center

Here is How You Can Feed, Educate & Empower Thousands of Families Throughout The Year

MY Project USA is opening the Hilltop Youth Empowerment Center and a Free Food Market in the Hilltop Area where they are needed the most. Our new location is 3275 Sullivant Ave. Columbus, OH 43204.

Last year, we served 40,000 families in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic. We moved our operations to this new location to serve more this year.

This neighborhood is being recognized as a food desert with no good, affordable grocery stores nearby. Our food pantry has been the main source of free fresh produce and dry staples for thousands of families over the last four years.

This center will be home to the following initiatives:

• Free Food Market
• Pay Forward Sandwich Shop/Soup Kitchen
• Learning Extension Center for the Columbus City Schools & others
• Job Training Center for youths & adults
• Community Garden
• Free Health Screenings  
• and many more, inshaAllah

We are in need of  $150,000 immediately to cover the cost of HVAC, Concrete and other important construction and operation-related costs.  

This is an investment in our community. This center will be saving and changing the lives of thousands of families in years to come. We have put a sponsorship package for businesses, private donors, and families as well. Please contact me at info@myprojectusa.org if you have any questions or if you are interested in sponsorship or joining our fundraising committee for this center.

You can mail a check or donate online on our website, Facebook, Venmo or Zelle Direct Deposit. Please click below and send your gift now.