Ramadan observance sparks backpack giveaway in South Yonkers

Aug. 23, 2010 - PRLog -- YONKERS, New York (August 23, 2010) - The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and the Muslim American Society of Upper NY (MAS-UNY) plans to give out free school bags and school supplies to the South Yonkers community this coming Saturday, August 28th 2010 at the Andalusia School, 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.

Chuck Lesnick, the City Council President, will be at the inauguration of the event and will hand out the first school bag. Hundreds of families are expected to attend this Saturday’s event. According to MAS-UNY representative Abdullah Makhlouf “last year this event attracted many, crowding up our Andalusia School’s gymnasium and we unfortunately ran out of school bags for everyone. This year we will be serving 500 children with school bags and school supplies whereas last year we only had enough for 400 children.”

This initiative hopes to cater to needs of low income families in the South Yonkers 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 and MAS-UNY hopes to both help struggling families provide for their children and inspire the American Muslim community to partake in this commendable act.

This Yonkers event is a part of a larger project; this month, giveaways are also being hosted by ICNA in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, and Long Island. Last Weekend the event was held in Brooklyn and Queens, where hundreds of families attended, forming long lines before the opening of the event. According to the Outreach Director 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:
Saturday, August 28, 2010
11:00am – 1:00pm

Location:
Andalusia School
380 Walnut Street
Yonkers, NY 10701

The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and Muslim American Society (MAS) are American Muslim organizations dedicated to the betterment of society through the promotion of Islamic values. ICNA and MAS work to build relations between communities by devoting their selves to education, outreach, social service, and activism.

Press Contacts:

Abdullah Makhlouf
Muslim American Society of Upper NY
E-mail: amak2000@aol.com
Phone: (347) 992-6394
Website: www.masnewyork.org

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

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The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and Muslim American Society (MAS) are American Muslim organizations dedicated to the betterment of society through the promotion of Islamic values. ICNA and MAS work to build relations between communities by devoting their selves to education, outreach, social service, and activism.