Students to work at D.C. soup kitchen for ‘Helping the Needy’ month

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/12/2011) –- Student interns at a prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group will serve the homeless this week and encourage Muslims around the country to do the same.

As a part of its annual summer “Muslims Care” campaign, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is asking Muslims nationwide to donate money or volunteer their time at local agencies that aid the disadvantaged.

This week, CAIR interns will serve lunch at Christ House, an organization dedicated to “providing comprehensive health care to sick, homeless men and women from the District of Columbia, and to assist them in addressing critical issues to help break the cycle of homelessness.”

SEE: Christ House
http://www.christhouse.org/

CAIR’s interns will not only prepare and distribute food, but also spend time engaging with homeless individuals in the Columbia Heights neighborhood.

“Americans of all faiths understand the importance of helping one’s neighbor,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.

Hooper cited an Islamic tradition (hadith) in which God offers a spiritual reward for feeding the needy. God said: "(O humankind). . .Did you not know that had you fed (those in need), you would surely have found (the reward for doing so) with Me?" (Hadith Qudsi)

He also emphasized the importance of working with Christ House, a Christian organization. “Serving those in need is a way for us to come together and recognize our commonalities,” said Hooper.

Visitors to CAIR's "Muslims Care" website, http://www.muslims-care.org/, may download a toolkit containing information about how to become a volunteer and suggesting a variety of other volunteer activities such as blood drives, health awareness fairs and student tutoring.

The "Muslims Care" kit also offers advice to community religious leaders about how they can promote volunteerism in local mosques and suggests partnering with established volunteer groups such as the American Cancer Society and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Imams (Islamic prayer leaders) are also being encouraged to give Friday sermons on the importance of volunteerism.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-341-4171, 202-488-8787, E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it