Please Pray for Wedgewood – MY Project USA is Monitoring a Rise in Gun Violence in the Community

It has been a violent week in the Wedgewood community. There have been several incidents of gun violence, including a shooting on Tuesday that put one of our Hilltop Tigers soccer players in the hospital when he was grazed by a bullet.

Fortunately, the young man is currently recovering. We are very thankful for that, but MY Project USA remains concerned because of a recent spike in violence in Wedgewood. That includes an incident just this Friday morning where gunshots were again reported in Wedgewood. Nearby Eakin Elementary was placed on lockdown twice this week because of nearby gunfire. 

MY Project USA is closely monitoring the situation in Wedgewood and is working with our city and community partners to try to help the situation in any way. We will continue to keep you informed on all of our efforts to improve things in the Wedgewood community.

MY Community Cafe: 

It's a Great Day NOT to Cook! Order from MY Community Cafe!

The sign says it all! It's a great day NOT to cook. Visit MYCommunity.Cafe and order your lunch or dinner. Get great food and support MY Project USA's programs.

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

Global Gifts & Thrift: 

Don't Forget Mom! Global Gifts & Thrift has Great Gift Items!

If you have not yet been to Global Gifts & Thrift, now is the perfect time to check out all of the great items in stock now that are perfect for Mother's Day!

We proudly offer an international, multicultural collection of gifts, artifacts, decorative items, clothing, shoes, household items and more. We've got a great selection of shoes and bags, and what mother does not love that?!

Each dollar spent at Global Gifts & Thrift helps MY Project USA feed, clothe, employ and empower underprivileged youth and their families, refugees, unemployed and homeless people. It helps us address gang/gun violence and human trafficking. It helps us foster strong girls and women leaders.

SHOP. DONATE. BUILD A LIFE.

📍 Address: 4730 Cemetery Rd. Hilliard, OH 43026 (next to the BMV)
🕒 Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Volunteer Appreciation Day: 

No Rain Scheduled This Time! Volunteer Event Slated for Saturday

All MY Project USA volunteers, staff and their families are invited to this FREE event at Alum Creek State Park! Please be sure to register, however, so we know how many people to expect.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/617056361187/

There will be many fun things to do, including:
• Kayaking (Weather Permitting)
• Hiking/Walking Trails
• 3,000-Foot Beach
• Sand Volleyball
• Food from 4:30-6 p.m.
• And MORE

We are appreciative of the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources for providing this space free of cost to the organization and to other sponsors for their support.

Join us at the Noor Islamic Cultural Center, where food and info are on the menu on Friday, May 12! MY Project USA will be selling delicious food from our latest venture, MY Community Cafe – a pay-forward cafe with all proceeds going to help us feed all children, elderly, homeless and other clients on the west side of Columbus – starting at 5 p.m. Founder & Executive Director Zerqa Abid will also be giving a presentation on MY Project USA at 9 p.m. Please join us!

MY Project USA is currently searching for a Trauma Recovery Social Worker. This position will be a vital asset to our community. Please visit the LinkedIn link below to see more information.

Youth Development: 

MY Project USA Board Member Ajmeri Hoque Highlights Her Path to Success

Ajmeri Hoque, MY Project USA Board member and attorney/owner of The Law Offices of Ajmeri Hoque, was the most recent Career Fri-Yays speaker at West High School.

Hoque spoke to the students gathered at the WHS Media Center about the path she took to succeed in life. She talked about growing up in a low-income family as an immigrant child and the obstacles she faced and the resources she used in order to find success in her career and life.

We thank Ajmeri for sharing her story! Career Fri-Yays is a weekly event running through May that helps students prepare for life after high school by giving the students a chance to hear from great speakers, each of them found success despite facing difficult challenges along the way. The event also allows students to network with professionals, peers and community leaders.

Career Fri-Yays are sponsored by MY Project USA and the RoundUp After-School Program at West. We also thank the Ohio Dept. of Education, the United Way of Central Ohio and the Ingram White Castle Foundation for their support.

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:

8 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)

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