No Child Goes Hungry Under Our Watch

Hilltop Youth Empowerment Center Will Feed & Empower Hundreds of Youth & Families On Daily Basis

Family,

2020 for many families brought about many challenges ranging from navigating distance learning, unemployment, to food insecurity.

Over the past year, we have learned to adapt and adjust to most of the unexpected changes that occurred in 2020 and in 2021.  Both of our children have been able to navigate distance learning, many of those individuals dealing with unemployment were able to obtain temporary government funding and or find new jobs. 

In 2020 we saw an increase in food insecurity, due to many students that previously received a free or reduced lunch being unable to obtain that during distant learning. Personally, as an educator, I have watched many students in virtual classrooms struggle to function and process information due to the lack of food available in their homes.

Food insecurity was, is, and will continue to be of grave concern to many individuals. 

This year we have seen a record number of individuals and families in need utilized our food pantry in order to feed themselves and their families. In the past 6 years, we have been able to provide more than 3.5 million meals included through our soup kitchen and Ramadan iftar dinners.

In 2021, we are opening our very first free food market in the partnership of Mid-Ohio Food Collective. This will be the very first free food market in the Hilltop area. 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. With this free food market, we will make sure that all eligible families have needed groceries and other basic supplies throughout the week. 

In addition to the food market, the Hilltop Youth Empowerment Center will also host a pay-forward sandwich shop (MY Soup Kitchen) that will serve free cooked meals to the homeless and needy neighbors, specially children.

Our academic support and youth recreation programs will also be offered at this center and this is how we plan to protect and empower our youth and families. We can only do so with your continual support in providing the necessary funding to pay the rent, utilities and other operational cost of the center.

Our operational budget is one million dollars this year. We have been securing most funding from various grants, but we still need to raise at least $250,000 from the community this year. During this blessed month of Ramadan, we ask for your financial support to feed and empower all eligible families at this center throughout the year.

Please join my hands in making this center a part of your legacy this Ramadan by donating generously.

Sincerely,

Zubaidah Ghani
Treasurer, 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

MY Iftar Kitchen 2021

Total meals served in the first 15 days of Ramadan: 1156

A Big Thanks to All of the Sponsors, Donors, and Volunteers Who Make This Possible

Hilltop Tigers Soccer Club News

The U11, U13 & U16 Have All Been Winning Their Games 

In the past few weeks, all team tigers have been in action. The U11, U13, and U16 have all been winning their games. 

The U16  team is currently playing in the Ohio Champions League where they are currently 3-0 Winning every game with at least 3+ goals against other teams. 

The Starfish Assignment through community fundraising with officer Sean Taylor sponsored new team warm-ups!

The new orange & white and Black &  White warm-ups were sponsored by The Starfish Assignment, the cost for the new kits was $1,000. Group pictures with new warm-ups coming soon.

MY Family Pantry News

Ramadan Food Pantry Continues to Serve Bulk Amount of Food to Hundreds of Families

Ramadan Kareem to all of our readers who observe.

This weekend our team helped provide a variety of goods to 117 wonderful families in our community. Thanks to our partnership with Mid-Ohio Food Bank, carts distributed to our clients included celery, watermelon, cantaloupe, oranges, potatoes, apples, basmati rice, flour, and dried plums.

Your generous donations have allowed for the renewal of equipment at the pantry that not only increases serving efficiency but safety as well. With every dollar donated, we take another step in combating food insecurity in Columbus. A new pallet jack will be commissioned in the future to greatly increase our output, and our team is incredibly grateful to all who have made these improvements possible.

MyFamilyPantry Statistics 4/24/21:
Total Families Served - 117 ⬆️
NEW Families Served - 17 ⬆️
Total Individuals - 463 ⬆️
Children (birth - 17) - 224 ⬆️
Adults (18 - 59) - 204 ⬆️
Seniors (age 60+) - 35 ⬆️

We would like to thank everyone who came out to serve the community this weekend, and also our donors who make our initiatives possible. We hope to see you all again soon.

MY Family Pantry is an initiative of MY Project USA that is 100% run and led by students. We distribute fresh produce and groceries to hundreds of individuals in our community every week.

If you would like to become a donor and help us continue to feed the community, please click the button below.

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 

MY Reading Warriors News

We offer Reading Program for Grades 1-9 for their Reading Skills Improvement.

This past week program development was focused on creating a fun and interactive program with embedded implicit reading. The outcome was a modification of the game show “Jeopardy” that was called “Jeoparty.”

The purpose of this activity was to build ties between the team members and the kids and increase our kids’ confidence by allowing them to exercise their knowledge in a friendly, competitive manner. 

We have a Team of Volunteers participating in our program as Mentors and Teachers. Join our Team as a Volunteer for our Reading and Tutoring Programs. 

Contact us:
Readers@MYProjectUSA.org
614-971-9375

Dear MY Project USA Volunteers,

We are humbled by your generosity, both your volunteerism and financial donations. Thank you for your unwavering support to the cause(s) of MY Project USA. It is greatly appreciated. 

Through your engagement as one of more than 3500 volunteers and youth activists who have contributed more than 60,000 community service hours, we have served 154,000 individuals since 2015.  

Thanks to your efforts, we will be able to continue meeting the needs of families who truly need this assistance. Not only does your work help the organization, it directly impacts each person who receives assistance.

Again, thank you for volunteering your time and expertise. Your efforts contributed greatly to the success of our organization.  I look forward to your continued volunteer involvement with MY Project USA.

With the deepest gratitude for your commitment to serve, I thank you on behalf of MY Project USA  the people we serve.

Regards,

Zeenath Sheikh, 

Chair, Volunteer Appreciation Committee