SeekersWorks On Tumblr

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Who… or what is SeekersWorks???

So you’re a Hubber, or someone at least partially active on social networks, or maybe someone approached you this past Ramadan and asked you to donate to the FeedME Hunger Campaign, we know that you’re thinking “What’s this…SeekersWorks?” We know you have questions, so we are here to deliver. We know that it might be somewhat confusing to give to a cause or organization without knowing what it has done, and where it has been. For us to gain your trust and your support, we have decided to take you on a journey, to introduce you formally to SeekersWorks, it’s achievements, it’s goals, and it’s purpose. Stay tuned for a series of mini posts that will unveil the secrets of this mysterious force that is taking your community by storm. 

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FEEDME2012 - A DAY WITH SEEKERSWORKS

Nader Khan, Director of SeekersWorks, one the road with the FeedME 2012 Campaign to help make a difference in our neighbourhoods.

The initial goal of $10,000 for the campaign has now been extended to $50,000, to be raised by December 31st 2012. We've also launched the CoverME 2012 campaign, to raise 1,000 blankets by December 31st 2012.

"People who are just going through a rough patch and they need a hand..." - Nader Khan 

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "Visit the sick, feed the hungry, and (arrange for the) release of the captive.''

The Prophet (SAW) gave so much importance to service to others, whether it was feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, or just giving a smile as a sadaqah. SeekersWorks' main initiative is to be of service to our community, regardless of race or culture, to practice the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW), and to encourage others to give what they can, when they can, even if it's just time in service. Alhamdulillah, only through Allah's Grace were we able to reach our goals during Ramadan, which has inspired us to extend the campaign, both to reach more people who struggle with hunger and poverty, as well as to give others the opportunity to do something. We would like to invite you, whether you are a student, a working professional, a mother, a father, a grandmother or grandfather, to join us in this campaign, and see how easy it is to give back to the community, raise awareness, and make a difference. Spread the word, get your family, friends, neighbours and co-workers / colleagues involved. The possibilities are endless. 

All you have to do is:

1. SHARE this video 2. Get involved -- email [email protected] for a free FeedME & CoverME concert at your high school / university campus 3. Go to the campaign page 4. Download the fundraising form 5. Collect $10 from 10 friends 6. Send it to us: • online via Email Interac or Paypal ([email protected]) along with a picture of your completed form - OR - • in person at 2355 Royal Windsor Drive, Unit 10, Mississauga ON L5J 1K6

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SeekersWorks FeedME 2012 Campaign Update and Thank You

Alhamdulillah, SeekersWorks is proud to announce that the FeedMe 2012 Hunger Campaign was a huge success. With the help of Allah, the Most Gracious, we managed to collect over $12,200 (and counting!) to donate to The Mississauga Food Bank.

With your help The Mississauga Food Bank will be able to distribute more than $90,000 worth of food by the funds everyone has worked so hard to collect. What does this mean? It means the food bank will have enough food, inshaAllah, to sustain them for the rest of the summer and feed families that are silently struggling to make ends meet. Summer time is the worst time for many food banks as most of their donations come through during the festive holidays while the shelves go empty during the summer season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs_jnyryEcA&feature=player_embedded Click the link to hear what Shaykh Yahya Rhodus said about the FeedMe 2012 Campaign 

We all took part in fasting during the blessed month of Ramadan this year, and we know how unforgiving the long summer days can be, but we still managed to get through the day and break fast with our families. The reality of the matter is that our immediate neighbours might be the ones frequenting food banks, and they might be the ones not able to provide for themselves and their children. Unfortunately this is not an issue that can be solved by a one-time hunger campaign. SeekersWorks will continue with the FeedMe 2012 Hunger Campaign to raise awareness on poverty and food insecurity issues which remain unsolved within our communities. SeekersWorks recognizes the responsibility Muslims have towards their neighbours, as well as speaking up against all injustices taking place within the community. Through this success, and inshaAllah future successes, SeekersWorks aims to show the community that as Muslims we are here to be in service to them without discrimination. The goal is to act upon the knowledge we are given and inspire others to do the same while following the sunnah of the Prophet (SAW), as he (SAW) is the best example to follow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDBHGWLx0uE&feature=player_embedded Click the link to see what Imam Zaid Shakir had to say about the FeedME 2012 Campaign

SeekersWorks has set a goal that seemed too high to reach to many, but when the Muslim community answered the call, we not only reached our goal but went above and beyond the set amount. This just shows that as an Ummah, united, the possibilities are endless.

SeekersWorks would like to extend a thank you to everyone who made this possible:

Anyone who pledged or donated, none of this would have been possible without your efforts and generosity.

SeekersHub (Toronto), SeekersHub (Sydney), The Ansaar Project, SeekersGuidance, Mathabah Foundation, TorontoMuslims.com, and DawaNet, thank you for your continuous support.

An extra special thank you to Imam Zaid Shakir, Sidi Yahya Rhodus, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Imam Afroz Ali and Dr. Bano Murtuja for all your guidance, support, advice, assistance, videos, shout-outs, etc.

To the entire SeekersWorks team – Huma Durrani, Lina Rahman, Hassan Jafri, and everyone at SeekersHub Toronto that helped with this campaign.

Thank you to Umar Shazad for the excellent graphic design work and Hassan Jafri for the video skills.

A special thank you to David Alexanderson for his exceptional support and efforts through out the campaign.

Last but not least, on behalf of all the volunteers, SeekersWorks would like to give an extra special thank you to the Director of SeekersWorks, Nader Khan, for taking initiative to start a great cause and allow us the opportunity to “Do Something” of immense value and be a part of such a great cause.

It was narrated by Abdallah ibn Amr, A man asked the Prophet , "What sort of deeds or (what qualities of) Islam are good?" The Prophet replied, 'To feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not Know'" (Sahih Bukhari)

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said “A man said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, which kind of charity is best? He said: ‘Giving charity when you are in good health, and feeling stingy, hoping for a long life, and fearing poverty.’” (Sahih)

May Allah (SWT) send blessings upon anyone who donated money, time, or effort, to help us reach our goal. Jazzakum Allahu Khairan. 

[rawbdz]

[mikaelpittam]

Awaken Your Hearts to End Hunger

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United for Change Presents: United Against Poverty (by unitedforchangetv)

Confirmed Speakers: Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Siraj Wahhaj, Shaykh Yasir Qadhi, Imam Zaid Shakir, Imam Suhaib Webb, Shaykh Abdullah Hakim Quick, Chris Hedges, Imam Mohamed Magid, Sr. Yasmin Mogahed, Shaykh Abdullah Adhami, Dr. Fatimah Jackson, Sr. Asma Hanif and Shaykh Imadudeen Abu Hijleh

Please bring cans and other perishable items to donate.

Date Saturday, September 29, 2012

Time 10 AM to 10 PM Doors open at 9am

Location Stamford Hilton 1 First Stamford Place, Hilton, CT 06902 General Admission: $35 ($45 at the door) Student Admission: $25 ($35 at the door) Childcare: $10 (Ages 3-12) 60 spaces available

Halal food  Bazaar Deaf interpretation  Attendees encouraged to bring halal canned goods and other nonperishable items for food drive Donate generously for Masjid Al-Islam fundraiser at UFC evente

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Penny Harvest kicks off drive for food bank donations

CAMBRIDGE — Beginning Wednesday, residents can lighten their pockets and wallets by donating their pennies to the food bank.

The third annual Penny Harvest, run by the Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank, has launched with collection containers at stores throughout Cambridge Centre Mall.

Food bank executive director Pat Singleton said this year’s goal is to raise $10,000 for the food bank to support their services and buy shoes for children in need.

To help reach that goal, Singleton’s grandson 10-year-old Cameron Hass is participating in the fundraiser for the third time and has already raised over $200.

“It’s a good thing to do for other people who don’t have what we have,” said Hass.

Keeping busy, Hass already took part in Relay for Life after his two-year-old sister Kylie was diagnosed with Leukemia this spring. He also dyed his hair orange to raise awareness about childhood cancer.

“I would like to do the Relay for Life again or any more fundraisers for my sister if they come up,” Hass said. “She’s my best friend.”

Read More. 

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Kay’s comments: More seniors go hungry in U.S. today

On my way home Monday night, I heard a shocking discussion. The NPR show, “On Point” was discussing a report from the Meals on Wheels Foundation. That report found that one in seven or 8.3 million Americans face the threat of hunger.

Those 8.3 million are not children. They are seniors and especially seniors between the ages of 60 and 69. In 2005, that number was one in nine. The report used questions from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and emphasized those who were at threat of hunger or marginally food insecure.

Those senior citizens most likely be threatened by hunger were racial or ethnic minorities, those living in the South or Southwest, those with lower incomes and those in the 60 to 69 age group. Most of those threatened by hunger have incomes above the poverty level and are white.

The numbers are increasing according to the report. From 2001 to 2010, the numbers of seniors facing hunger has increased 78 percent.

The report also found, “Hunger threat among divorced or separated seniors is two and a half times greater than married seniors, and younger seniors, especially those under 75, are at heightened threat in comparison to those over age 75. Likewise, the threat of hunger is over 3 times higher among the disabled than the retired, and if a grandchild is present, the prospects for being under the threat of hunger greatly exceed those households with no grandchild present.” Some people commenting on the report speculated that seniors caring for grandchildren may give up their own food so their grandchildren will not go hungry.”

Read More. 

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The Mississauga Food Bank is pleased to announce the launch of its new website. The site will make it faster and easier for people to find information about hunger in Mississauga, food bank locations, volunteering and donating.

The Mississauga Food Bank website will include a new online volunteer system. This new feature will allow volunteers to schedule and manage their own volunteer service. Whether it is sorting food or helping at special events, volunteers make sure that more food can reach more people throughout the community. The hope is that this new system will better manage valuable volunteer time.  A major goal for the new website is to help the food bank connect with the local community. Seventeen percent of Mississauga residents live in poverty, sixty-one percent of whom are children. Ongoing access to food banks is vital to these residents. The new website features links to a Facebook page, Twitter account and blog. This makes it easier to connect with the food bank at anytime from anywhere. Information on how to help the food bank is also available on the website. There are always new and exciting ways to donate, fundraise or raise awareness. The website is a great tool to keep people up-to-date on how to help.

Read More. 

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Farmers, Campbell Soup team up with NJ food bank to offer some peachy help by making salsa

CAMDEN, N.J. — A New Jersey food bank has found a new way to try to feed the hungry and help farmers: Selling salsa.

The Food Bank of New Jersey and the Campbell Soup Co., announced the plan Wednesday, hoping it can become a model for fundraising for food banks and for innovative ways for charities and corporations to deepen their relationships.

Here's how it works: The food bank is collecting small and blemished peaches from the Eastern Propak Farmers' Cooperative of Gloucester County and taking some of them to Campbell.

The company is turning them into the featured ingredient in Just Peachy Salsa, a cooperative product being produced by Campbell using donated cilantro and other ingredients and put into donated jars. Campbell donated the recipe and the manufacturing in its small plant that's usually used to make products for testing purposes rather than for sale.

Company employees are volunteering to can and label the salsa.

From there, the food bank will sell the Just Peachy Salsa at first for $2.99 per jar through its website and at a peach festival on Saturday in Collingswood. The group is trying to line up some stores willing to sell it, too.

The partnership is planning to produce 54,000 jars of salsa this summer with the idea of raising at least $100,000 for the food bank, which has about 175,000 clients in southern New Jersey.

"It's one small little jar," said food bank CEO Val Traore, "but it's a giant step in the battle against hunger."

Read More. 

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Artists Against Hunger & Poverty Empowers Grassroots Organizations

Locally-based charity organizations have big goals and limited resources. One works through reservations to improve dietary health of Native Americans. Another focuses on shelters for battered women and their children. Others are oriented toward urban school systems and getting nutritious food to children who can’t afford it.

Such organizations work directly with the people who need it, and could make a bigger impact, but they struggle to find the publicity they need to raise significant funds. Perhaps they don’t have the connections to get resources where they’re needed.

The national nonprofit WhyHunger fills that need. WhyHunger connects people to nutritious food and empowers communities by supporting sustainable grassroots solutions.

WhyHunger is the brainchild of longtime New York City radio DJ Bill Ayres and the late songwriter Harry Chapin. One of their most familiar programs is their annual radiobroadcasted Hungerthon, which raised over $800,000 in 2011, and has raised millions over the past three decades.

Now, to reach younger music fans, the growing organization has prioritized its Artists Against Hunger & Poverty partnerships with seasoned artists and rising independent acts as well. Through ticket sales, meet and greets, and food donations, musicians raise funds for local relief organizations.

Read More. 

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Iftar Dessert #oud #coffee #beanpie (Taken with Instagram)

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That just looks tantalizing - tumbling with 10 minutes left till Maghrib 

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Doing good deeds during Ramadan has multiplied rewards. May we all hasten to compete in good deeds this Ramadan. 

Smiling is charity, if you can do more donate some time or change, feed a hungry person and gain those rewards. 

Give without doubt and give as much as you can, for Allah (SWT) is The Sustainer - when you do work in His service, it will come back to you, even multiplied. So give and have faith that He will support you without any doubt. 

Don't know where to start? Help us combat hungry in our community and provide food for those who struggle with hunger daily http://seekershub.org/works/feedme2012/.

May Allah (SWT) shower you with blessings on this blessed month. 

Jazzakum Allahu Khairan. 

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#FeedME2012 Update: Alhamdulillah! We've *just* crossed the halfway point at just over $5K! Have you signed up yet?

http://seekershub.org/works/feedme2012/

1 in 5 residents of Mississauga live in poverty and struggle with hunger, almost half of them children. The Ansaar Project: Toronto seeks to make a difference by raising funds for The Mississauga Food Bank.

By August 18th 2012, we’re seeking to raise $10,000, which will allow The Mississauga Food Bank to distribute $75,000 worth of food in the Peel Region.

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Yesterday Nader Khan (@nader_khan), Director of SeekersWorks (@SeekersWorks), dropped off two bins full of food and others essentials at the Muslim Welfare Centre.

Special thanks to all The Hubbers that made this possible (@SeekersHub), Jazzakum Allahu Khairan. 

#FeedMe2012 http://seekershub.org/works/feedme2012/

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Mississauga girl is riding Peace Bus

Cross-Canada trips aren’t rare: it’s a trek many families like to do every summer. Not many people, however, do so on a bus — as Mississauga teen Flavie Rodrigues is doing. The 15-year-old is on the Windsor Salt C2C Peace Bus that left Victoria, B.C. on June 26 and will reach Halifax on Aug. 2.  Its mission is to educate and inspire action for peace. Along the way, the 11 participants, who range in age from 14-16, learn about their country, volunteer and meet new people.  Yesterday, the bus was in Mississauga, and the teens chose to sort and pack donations at The Mississauga Food Bank and the Salvation Army Thrift Shop. Working at the food bank was Rodrigues’ idea.  “The food bank is new to me and I thought volunteering here would be a great opportunity for community service,” she said.  Before they hit the food bank and Salvation Army, they drove to Ajax in their carbon-neutral 15-passenger van. There they met and talked to Kim Phuc, the girl burned by napalm and shown in the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo taken June 8, 1972. It was one of the enduring images of the Vietnam War.  "Kim was really inspirational," said Rodrigues. "She still has the scars from her burns, but she forgave everyone. Meeting her was so intense." The teens are roughing it during their two days in Mississauga, sleeping in the basement and living room of Rodrigues’ home. Rodrigues says it's nice to be home for a few days.  Ted Rodrigues is Flavie's father-turned-short order cook while the Peace Bus docks at his house.  "This generation seems more involved and giving than mine," he said admiringly.

Read More. 

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Sioux City food bank adjusts as funds dry up

SIOUX CITY | A drop in corporate donations and state assistance is forcing the Food Bank of Siouxland to change how it collects money and products. They’re relying more on private donations to weather the fragile economic climate.

"Fundraisers are critical to us, no two ways about that," said Linda Scheid, executive director of the Sioux City-based group, which provides food to 125 agencies in 11 Nebraska and Iowa counties.

In the past, many supplies came from the region’s bustling food industry. But donations dropped following the 2010 closure of the John Morrell meat processing plant in Sioux City. More recently, contributions took a hit after Dakota Dunes-based Beef Products Inc. came under fire nationally for its lean, finely textured beef product, the subject of reports that raised safety concerns. The company, which repeatedly said the products are safe, had to reduce its workforce after orders dried up.

The result is that people who once had good-paying jobs and donated money are now on the receiving end of the Food Bank’s services.

Brad Boblit, of Sioux City, visits the St. Thomas Episcopal Church food bank on 12th Street in Sioux City monthly. His wife lost her job, he said, and providing for their two kids is a challenge.

"A lot of times it’s mac 'n’ cheese or peanut butter sandwiches for dinner," he said.

The family has moved several times looking for cheaper rent and he visits to food pantry every month to get extra help, he said. Boblit remembers visiting food pantries with his dad when he was younger and credits his father for helping him get through the past two years.

"He taught me how to provide for my family, even during trying times," he said.

Read More. 

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More middle-class families heading to food bank

By Rick Cousins

Published July 28, 2012

FRIENDSWOOD — Across the wide parking lot of Friendswood’s majestic Mary Queen Catholic Church, in the shadow of its two twin European towers, sits a humble cinder-block building that houses a saint. Not officially, of course, but Chris Austgen and the 42 volunteers who staff the church’s food pantry all are suitable for canonization if you take the word of local legend and frequent hot dog purveyor Joe DeBonis. “She’s a saint already,” he said. “Chris has doubled the capacity of this place since she came in. Pantry volunteer Raquel Canepa agreed. “It’s a blessing to have Chris and her wonderful family here,” she said. “She guides and unites us.” The 800-square-foot space is a busy one. A half dozen mostly older helpers move between the bins and shelves filling sacks for clients as they come in through the July rain. “My mom, Marian Ganter, has been volunteering at the pantry for over 30 years,” Austgen said. “Our goal is to provide enough food for everyone in a house for five to seven days. We try to include meat, eggs and butter along with all the standard non-perishables.” The pantry provides trilingual support — English, Spanish and Italian — and even curb service in some cases. Orders for larger families are loaded on a cart and trundled directly to clients’ vehicles.

Read More.