Letter from MY Project USA Team Member:

Bigger Dreams, Bigger Sense of Community Motivate MY Project USA's Bashir Ahmed

Inspiring Bantu Young Man Ready to Tackle New Role with Organization

My name is Bashir Ahmed. This could be the first time you’ve seen my name, but it surely won’t be the last.

I am one of the Hilltop Tigers youth soccer coaches at MY Project USA. I am passionate and, at the heart of who I am, an inspired individual. My new positions with the organization as MY Leaders Program Manager and Somali Bantu Community Liaison allow me to do that. It allows me to live in my focus of change. I am granted more access to a bigger dream, a bigger sense of community, and a better chance to understand not only why I chose my mission but how I hope to one day complete it.

I am driven by not only my own ambition but also the faith that has been placed in me by our organization. MY Project USA has seen my potential for growth and have chosen to give me the chance to maximize my output. Helping my community has always been one of the biggest factors of my motivation. Coming from neglected neighborhoods, I quickly understood the need for adaptation and the acceptance of change. My environment groomed my character and sent me into a direction I never would’ve expected to be headed toward.

Truthfully, I found who I was in that journey and developed a connection with those struggles. They molded me into a better person, someone who understands what it’s like to be without, and it made me realize the true nature of our collective humanity. I am Bantu and knowing what that means within itself is a challenge, but there is grace. There is a necessary patience one must practice in the unknown and though chaos may brew.

The clarity found in the contention is in itself the seed of change. I believe differences are love, to pose a question against a belief or the lack of understanding in one is critical to finding a shared truth. With my new position I hope to continue to push boundaries and pursue the questions that become the challenges, to find the answers that summon humility and to guide the presence of peace in every situation that is lacking that medium. I am one of a kind in my mind and in my choices. I will lead my gratitude towards my work rather than my pride and give my best for not only the organization but the people we serve.

Bashir Ahmed,
MY Project USA

Youth Development:

Trio of MY Project USA's Young People Take Part in CCYA's Off-Season Program

MY Project USA was proud to have several of our young people take part in Capital City Young Aviators' 2024 Off-Season Program. 

Three of our young men took part in the program, which was held Saturday, Jan. 27 at the Columbus State Aviation Maintenance School. Participants got a hands-on tour of an aircraft hangar, took part in a discussion of aircraft maintenance career opportunities and participated in a hands-on small electric motor project that each student could keep and take home.

Education:

College Students Give Back, Visit MY Project USA's After-School Program Sites in Honor of MLK

Thank you to students from Columbus State Community College, who took time to visit several of our after-school program locations on Friday, Jan. 26, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Students from CSCC visited our students from Eakin & Binns Elementary School and Starling PK-8 School. Students had a Q&A with CSCC students, who also spoke about their journey to college and what they are studying while at the college.

Take a look at photos from all three sites on our Facebook page via the blue button below. Thank you to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, United Way of Central Ohio, the Ingram-White Castle Foundation and the Siemer Family Foundation for their support of our after-school programs.

Education:

Delicious and Educational! Local Matters Visits Starling REACH ASP, Educates Students

Our Starling REACH After-School Program recently had a visit from our friends at Local Matters.

Local Matters led our students through a fun and educational cooking activity. The kids made delicious tacos with ingredients that included avocado, tomato, onion and cilantro. Local Matters also taught our kids about the “My Plate” curriculum.

A sister of one of our students, Carlos, had this to say about her brother's experience: "He said he really enjoyed it, he had a rough day and it helped him, so Thank you guys for that! He also isn't a fan of vegetables, but he enjoyed making the tacos, his guacamole was missing a bit of salt but he enjoyed it! I asked him if we bought him the ingredients would he remake it at home and he said it was easy so he would."

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

MY Reading Warriors:

MY Reading Warriors Kicks Off New Nine-Week Program

After a brief, but restful break, MY Reading Warriors returned to the classroom for another nine-week program. 

The first week featured the book "Ish" by Peter Reynolds. The book features the topic of art and ultimately telling students that any art is beautiful. Afterwards, the students created their own artistic masterpieces.

MY Reading Warriors features a team of college and high school students who plan weekly programs at Eakin to expose students to books, reading, learning and, most importantly, focus on providing an emotionally safe space and mentorship for these students.

Our team consists of Safa Mohamed, Nadine Helmy, Yassmin Ben Haila, Dina Kanaan, Adam Khalifa, Zainah Shaheen and Dahlia Daboul. Thank you for all that you do! We look forward to showcasing all of their great work next semester as well!

Thank you to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and the Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services for their support.

MY Deah's Warehouse:

12 Locations in Columbus to Drop Off Donations – Truck Pick-Up Available for Large Donations

MY Project USA is searching for more locations across central Ohio where people can leave their donations of new and gently used clothes, shoes, books, toys and other small non-breakable items. We need your support!

We will collect the items from the bins weekly (or more frequently as needed) and sort them in our warehouse. Once organized, we offer the items for free to clients in the communities we serve. Some items are also sold at Global Gifts & Thrift, a retail location in Hilliard that is based on the Goodwill model. All proceeds of these sales go toward funding our programs.

Our organization will ensure that the area around the bins remains clean. Please contact Noorullah Shinwari at (614) 817-9159 with questions or if you are interested in partnering with us. Thank you!

If you are looking to drop off items to donate, our bins are at the following locations:
   • Ahlul Bayt Society – 2580 W. Dublin Granville Rd. Columbus, OH 43235
   • Bethel International United Methodist Church – 1220 Bethel Rd. Columbus, OH 43220
   • Covenant Baptist Church – 5100 Dierker Rd. Columbus, OH 43220
   • Global Gifts & Thrift – 4730 Cemetery Rd. Hilliard, OH 43206. (Business Hours Only)
   • Heritage Christian Church – 7413 Maxtown Rd. Westerville, OH 43082
   • MAS Youth Center – 4615 Northtowne Blvd. Columbus, OH 43229
   • Masjid Nimrah – 4501 Refugee Rd. Columbus, OH 43232
   • MY Deah's Warehouse – 4004 Fondorf Dr. Columbus, OH 43228. (Business Hours Only)
   • Noor Islamic Cultural Center – 5001 Wilcox Rd. Dublin, OH 43016
   • Omar Ibn El-Khattab Masjid – 580 Riverview Dr. Columbus, OH 43202
   • The Destiny Center – 1561 Old Leonard Ave. Columbus, OH 43219
   • The First Congregational Church – 444 E. Broad St. Columbus, OH 43215
   • Turkish American Society of Ohio (TASO) – 2885 W. Dublin Granville Rd. Columbus, OH 43235

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 help@myprojectusa.org.