I am inviting you to join me on Saturday, April 3 at 10 AM for a special event benefiting Al-Maa’uun, and featuring Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Al-Maa’uun is “Inspired by the teaching of the Holy Qur’an and housed in Minneapolis' historic Mosque of the Light, Masjid An-Nur. We partner with neighboring organizations, faith communities and individuals to meet the needs of our neighbors in North Minneapolis.” This independent, nonprofit organization serves all in need in the Near North neighborhoods with food support, employment support, affordable housing, and mentorship to improve their lives in our community.
- We have served over 100,000 prepared meals to community residents in north Minneapolis during the pandemic, as well as food shelf delivery.
- Since July 1st we have supported over 40 unemployed/underemployed Northsiders through training, employment coaching. 21 people are now fully employed with an average wage of $17 per hour.
- We own and manage 10 units of affordable in our 2nd Chance housing program designed to meet the needs of those who have experienced long term homelessness, incarceration and/or chronic unemployment.
Join me around 9:45 AM for a short meeting with just me and a few friends to say hello and greet each other personally. Then at 10 AM, we will join a larger group and have a welcome from some key partners of Al-Maa’uun, including Tawanna Black from the Center for Economic Inclusion and the CEO of Islamic Relief USA Sharif Aly. Then we’ll hear from Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison about his commitment to the work of Al-Maa’uun, and the importance of locally led and locally staffed efforts to improve the lives of our neighbors struggling with basic needs. Finally, Imam Makram El-Amin, the executive director of Al-Maa’uun, will speak briefly about the importance of faith community action during the holy month of Ramadan, which begins this year on April 13.
This event will be held virtually (we look forward to seeing everyone in person again as soon as that is safe!) and will only last an hour. We hope to provide an understanding of the work of Muslim leaders in serving the entire community, and this event is designed to welcome our non-Muslim brothers and sisters to this effort to serve all in need.