Mawlana Hazar Imam has worked tirelessly to eliminate poverty in the poorest regions of the world and emphasized the ethic of Islam - that is, to live the faith through one’s actions in service to their community. In his speech on November 27, 2007 at the State Banquet during the Golden Jubilee Visit in Madagascar, he stated: 

 

“Islam’s ethics establish an inextricable link between spiritual and material life, Din and Duniya. Consequently, my responsibilities as spiritual leader and interpreter of the faith are coupled with a deep commitment to improving the quality of life…Our duty is to try to free people from poverty...A voluntarist and innovative strategy is needed in order to break this chain of despair and total imprisonment.”  

 

It is in the spirit of that sentiment that the US Jamat has been striving to live these values: from aiding in the efforts of poverty elimination in the states where they live, to organizing a hunger walk, to planting trees in their local towns. The stories below highlight the efforts that the Jamat has engaged in to demonstrate their faith through community engagement and volunteer activities. 

Florida Jamat’s first task was to organize a food drive for organizations around Florida. In Tampa, the community donated over 225 pounds of food to the Kaye Prox Food Bank, in conjunction with the Lutheran Church of Our Savior.

 

In addition, Jamati members spent weekends reading at local homeless shelters to celebrate a book drive that collected over 1,000 books and 100 personalized and handmade bookmarks for four homeless shelters across Florida to foster literacy and learning. Between volunteering at three events for Habitat for Humanity and planting a garden for a homeless shelter, the Florida I-CERV (Ismaili Community Engaged in Responsible Volunteering) team has taken every opportunity to put into action the ethic of the Ismaili faith as summed up in Marian Wright Edelman’s quote: “Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time.” 

When the Ismailis in Portland, some of whom have resided there for well over 30 years, were approached with the opportunity to hold an I-CERV event, they were excited and quickly mobilized. On an especially cold Saturday morning in March 2017, a group of 24 volunteers arrived bright and early at the Tualatin River Greenway Trail, to help the city plant seedlings at this park.

 

Even the infamous rain and overcast skies of the Pacific Northwest could not dampen the spirit of the group, prompting one of the City's organizers to comment: "I have never seen a more happy and energetic bunch!"  An impromptu visit by Oregon State Senator Richard Devlin underscored the significance of this initiative, providing inspiration to the volunteers to continue to participate in such programs. Said volunteer Murad Pirani, “Who would have thought working in the rain and mud would be so much fun; let’s do it again soon!”

 

The Portland Jamat was quick to establish a follow up event at the Oregon Food Bank on April 22, 2017. All 25 available slots for this volunteering activity were filled by the Jamat and they worked alongside another corporate group to help package over 100,000 pounds of apples, potatoes, pears, and other food items for the needy. 

   

Several leaders from the Seattle area Jamat drove several hours to join the Portland Jamat in this service opportunity. The Food Bank invited the volunteers back on June 3, 2017, and opened up more slots for us as well.  

 

“This event was hard work with the huge sacks and heavy lifting but it was very satisfying to see how it all benefits the needy and what happens behind the scenes,” said volunteer Sarah Laiwala.

On March 5, 2017, a group of 50 volunteers from the I-CERV, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), and the Atlanta Retailers Foundation joined together under Team Alleviate Poverty to fight hunger at the 33rd annual Hunger Walk/Run in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

Sponsored by the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB), the Walk/Run raises awareness and money for hunger relief. This year, approximately 13,000 individuals participated in the 5K event, helping to raise close to $600,000. Statistics show that 26.1 percent of children in Georgia live in a household with food insecurity - meaning that they do not know where they will find their next meal. Additionally, close to 20 percent of Georgians are living in poverty, including 10 percent of senior citizens.

 

AKF’s Southeast Regional Chairman, Adnan Virani, said, “We strongly believe in alleviating poverty, not just globally, but also locally, by getting involved and helping the communities that we live in." He added that events such as these provide an opportunity for civic engagement, which resonates with AKF’s mandate of strengthening civil societies.