Ramadan observance sparks backpack giveaway in Greenwich Village

Aug. 26, 2010 - PRLog -- MANHATTAN, New York - The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) in collaboration with the Islamic Center at NYU plans to give out free school bags and school supplies to the Lower Manhattan community this coming Sunday, August 29th 2010, 11:00am-1:00pm at the Islamic Center at NYU, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

500 needy children will receive school bags filled with supplies at the event, one bag per child present. Each bag will contain supplies including notebooks, pens, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, rulers, crayons and more.

Imam Khalid Latif, University Chaplain for NYU and Executive Director of NYU’s Islamic Center, will be at the inauguration of the event and will hand out the first school bag. Hundreds of families are expected to attend this Sunday’s event. According to Imam Khalid Latif “Knowing and providing for all members of one’s community are two integral components of Islam,” says Imam Khalid. “This event embodies both, as we seek to give to those who are in need and build relationships with them as well.”

This initiative hopes to cater to needs of low income families in the Lower Manhattan community. Many families are under financial pressure; some have lost jobs and find it difficult to buy school supplies for their children. Besides abstaining from food and drink during daytime hours, the month of Ramadan gives special importance to increasing in charitable acts. Fasting in Ramadan also develops compassion for those who are poor and needy, thereby inspiring the act of giving. Through the Back to School Giveaway, ICNA hopes to both help struggling families provide for their children and inspire the American Muslim community to partake in this commendable act.

This Manhattan event is a part of a larger project; this month, giveaways are also being hosted by ICNA in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Westchester and Long Island. Last Sunday the event was held in Jamaica, Queens, where many families attended, despite heavy rain. According to the Outreach Director for the New York chapter of ICNA, Omar Ranginwala, “These initiatives are in high demand due to the current economic downturn and the high prices of school supplies.”

Date & Time:
Sunday, August 29, 2010
11:00am – 1:00pm

Location:
Islamic Center at NYU
371 Sixth Avenue
New York, NY 10014

Press Contacts:

Omar Ranginwala
Outreach Director
Islamic Circle of North America—NY
E-mail: pr@icnany.org
Phone: 646-820-ICNA (4262)

Imam Khalid Latif
New York University
Director/Chaplain
Islamic Center at NYU
Email: kl442@nyu.edu
Phone: 212.998.4712

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The Islamic Circle of North America is an American Muslim organization dedicated to the betterment of society through promoting Islamic values. ICNA works to build community relations by devoting itself to education, outreach, and social service.