The Islamic Food Pantry Now 14 Years Old

ATLANTA - March 21, 2014 - PRLog -- The Islamic Food Pantry (fomerly the Community Food Pantry) in Metro Atlanta is a big secret to many in the area even to some in the Islamic Community. It began as a suggestion in a business meeting at a local masjid in the city in 2000 by a disabled veteran Brother Rasool Abdullah. It was started in a room just a bit larger than a clothes closet in 2000 with three or four volunteers. However grew quickly when a local businessman Abdul H. Abdullah was asked to come on board and help with fund raising and gaining support from local Muslim business people and others. Unfortunately due to some internal politics in the local masjid where it was housed it was closed by 2005. It was temporarily shutdown for a year. Then another Islamic community adopted it for a few months and had to stop housing it due to a dispute with their landlord. It remained closed again for a few months until the Baitul Salaam Network, Inc.-International a domestic violence awareness organization adopted it into its office in Stone Mountain in April of 2009. The project is now thriving again gaining more and more support from many members of the Islamic community and some people outside of the Islamic community. The Islamic Food Pantry is open on Thursdays from 1 pm-2 pm to distribute food to people who need it from all sections of the city.

The Islamic Food Pantry is listed with the United Way 211 call center for people who need assistance with food, shelter, finding organizations to volunteer in, etc. Those who need food are asked to call 770-255-8500 Thursday mornings between 7 am-10 am to set an appointment to come in between 1 pm-2 pm that day to receive the food. You must answer a few qualifying questions and have a valid state or federal issued ID to receive food. People who are temporarily without ID are served and asked to bring items like rental agreements, statements from employers, clergy or a referral from another social service agency in the metro Atlanta area.

The vast marjority of people who come for food from this food pantry are recently laid off working women with children age 16 and under. Some of these women work out of temporary agencies or work part-time and make less than $20K per year. Many people come to the food pantry who are not of the Islamic faith, In fact most of the clientele (about 90%) of the Islamic Food Pantry are not Muslim. We do not discriminate on any level and we do serve men. We do have a few single fathers who have come to the Islamic Food Pantry. "We must continue to fight for services like this in our communities to serve our neighbors and ourselves,"says, Hadayai Majeed, Administrator of the Baitul Salaam Network, Inc.-International.

The Islamic Food Pantry also collects emergency supplies like batteries, bottled water, battery operated lighting, first aid supplies, disposable diapers and sanitary items for women to assist in supplying families who need these items during natural disasters and other emergencies. In 2011 when tornadoes ravaged parts of GA and AL the Islamic Food Pantry assisted in filling small trucks with supplies that were taken to the areas that were hit the hardest by the storm.

The Islamic Food Pantry is restocked weekly by local civic organizations, Girl Scout Troops who sponsor non-perishable food drives and individuals who understand that we must be able to help our neighbors in time of need. To donate food or money to support this project call 770-255-8500 Monday-Thursday 7 am-7 pm, Friday 7 am-1 pm and Saturday 10 am-2 pm or visit the Baitul Salaam Network, Inc.-International web site at www.baitulsalaam.org.