Ramadan is Ending...

We are approaching the end of Ramadan...it's so close and it's so sad that soon we won't be in this special month.  But we also have such a wonderful feeling that we have been able to help so many orphans this month, Alhamdulillah.  Because of all of our efforts and with Allah's help and all the blessings of Ramadan, we have been able to raise money for many orphans.  In just this past weekend, we have had quite a few events to help orphans.

On Friday, some of the orphan members traveled to Washington D.C. to the Islamic Heritage Museum to participate in a ZF-sponsored iftar and bookbag distribution.  In addition to helping out with the iftar, the members gave a short presentation about our project.  The attendees enjoyed the presentation a lot, especially the part when we showed the rap video.  The were so amused by the video that they begged to see it again.  Because of the overall presentation, many donated for the orphans and we raised $160, an amount we had not been expecting!

Saturday night (Sunday morning) we had suhoor at a Muslim-owned IHOP in Delaware.  The owner generously offered to give 20% of the proceeds from that morning to the orphans project.  A few families met up at this late (or early...whichever way you want to see it) hour to help the orphans.  We are really grateful to IHOP and the families who supported us that day.  Check out some pictures of the event below:

Orphan members at IHOP, waiting for suhoor dishes to come

Family enjoying yummy suhoor at IHOP and happy to help the orphans

Happy to help orphans at IHOP

Youngest IHOP customer and future orphan project member, insha Allah :)

Sunday late afternoon/evening, we had a table at the Islamic Society of Delaware Eid bazaar.  People were able to learn about project if they already didn't know about it and got to donate.  Alhamdulillah, we were also able to get money from this event.

We still have two more exciting events coming up!  Today (Monday) we are having a boys video game party with a $10 attendance fee for all.  There will be PS3, X-Box, and PS2 game tournaments.  Boys who like video games are encouraged to attend.  Have fun with your friends doing your favorite thing ever!

Wednesday we are having a girls henna party.  Get pretty henna designs on your hands for Eid for only $5 per hand.  But it's not just any ordinary henna party.  We'll also have fun games and activities planned out for you to enjoy with your friends while you wait to get henna and of course to keep you occupied while your fasting.  If you're a girl and you're reading this, be sure not to miss the henna party!

Stay tuned to find out what's going on with the 99 Orphans project this Ramadan.  Have a great day and a great rest-of-Ramadan!

~Nur Kose
President
DE Team

99 Orphans Rap

Finally, after weeks of hype and hours of hard work, the greatest rap about Orphans is now online! Watch below, and donate money to Orphans!

Only 20 Orphans Left!

The 99 Orphans team is happy to say that we were able to raise money for orphans during the ZF annual Delaware community iftar on Thursday.  Each of the members had certain time slots to stay at the orphan table and we all gave our presentation to the attendees of the iftar.  Although we were hoping for more, we are grateful to say that we got about $2,000 from some of the iftar guests who visited our table and generously put donations in our orphan boxes.  

It was also great to hear that one of our members was able to get $2,170 in anonymous donations.  We are really grateful to these donors and we know that the orphans are, too!  

Overall, we now have twenty orphans left to reach our goal of 99 orphans.  We hope you'll step in to help us reach our goal this Ramadan!  Don't forget that every good deed done during this month gets multiplied many times more on your scale of good deeds.  Have a great last-half-of-Ramadan and don't forget to help the orphans!

~ Nur Kose

President

DE Team

Cookies as Gifts for Guests

Among the preparations for the ZF DE annual iftar for the 99 Orphan team was Cookie Day.  A group of girls from the 99 Orphans team met together to bake and pack 300 cookies to give as gifts to guests on the iftar date.  On July 23rd, eight girls met together during early noon in one member's house.  Full of energy and excited to get started, they set up different stations in the kitchen and dining room and got right to work.

The kitchen was bustling with activity as the girls worked on their self-assigned tasks.  Reahaam, Nur, and Hana first worked on cutting, hole-punching and writing the website address on the tags while Samiyah and Rania worked on warming up the cookie dough and Huda and Merve made dough balls and put them on the trays.

After the first hour went by, things began getting more organized.  The girls realized that making the cookies was going to take time and they only had a few hours left together.  Soon, each girl had an important job to do that was necessary to the completion of the cookies.  

Rania was in charge of the kitchen.  It was her job to make sure that the cookies were cooked well and didn't get burnt.  She also had to place the dough on the tray in such a way to make the maximum amount of cookies in one time but also avoiding having the cookies stick together.

The other girls were situated around the dining table to work on packing the cookies.  After showing the girls how to wrap cookies, cut ribbon, tie the plastic wrap, curl the ribbon, attach the tags to the ribbon, and the other jobs that had to be done, Nur set the girls at different areas around the table.  

One wrapped a cookie with plastic wrap.  Another cut ribbon and handed them to the girl who tied the packs.  Two girls worked on curling the ribbon and another girl piled the cookie packs together and kept a count of how many were done and how many more needed to be done.

Although it was lots of fun, the girls also got very tired.  After a few hours, many of the girls wanted to take breaks and play.  The girls curling the ribbon had sharp pains in their wrists after a few hours of curling.  "My wrist was hurting so badly," Samiyah remembers, grinning.  All the girls had to keep washing and drying their hands whenever they got chocolate on them so the packs wouldn't get dirty.  

To add to the difficulty, all the girls were fasting and couldn't sample the cookies they were making.  Although they were surrounded by delicious-looking treats and the smell was wafting all around them, they had to continue making and packing the cookies without getting a taste.  "It was really hard for me not to eat the cookies," one member says.  "I kept reaching for the crumbs and almost popping them in my mouth but remembering just in time that I was fasting."

By the time five hours had passed by, the girls were exhausted and the cookies were only half done.  They tried to speed up, but they had less energy and things were getting done slower.  They finally decided to complete the cookies the next day.  Rania would bake 100 more cookies at home during the night after Tarawih prayers and before Fajr.  The rest of the girls would meet up with her and finish packing up those cookies.  

Satisfied with their plan, the girls quickly finished up the cookies they had and got ready to leave.  Their mothers noticed the difference in their appearance and energy levels.  One remarked, laughing, "On the way there, all the girls in the car were talking at once and laughing.  But on the way back, is was very quiet.  No one was talking."  

The girls were tired, but they were happy that they had done something good.  They hoped their efforts would help get money for orphans.  And they hoped the real cookies would taste good because the burnt ones they brought back home with them weren't that great.

On the day of the iftar, the trays of colorful cookie packs looked wonderful.  All the guests were excited to sample the cookies on their iftar plates.  All of the kids excitedly talked with each other about their cookies and everyone thought they were delicious.

The girls were satisfied with their cookie-making venture and are already planning something similar for the future...maybe brownies...

Were you one of the lucky cookie tasters?  Did you enjoy eating the cookies?  If you did, please consider donating to the orphan project and giving enjoyment to an orphan the way the orphan team members worked hard to give enjoyment to you.

~ Nur Kose
President
DE Team

Ramadan Updates

The 99 Orphans Project team hopes everyone is having a great Ramadan!  We've been working on events and fundraising projects this Ramadan and have raised money for lots of orphans, Alhamdulillah. 

During the first week of Ramadan, a group of the 99 Orphan members traveled from Delaware to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to attend an iftar and Tarawih in a Lancaster masjid.  Before leaving Delaware, we rehearsed our presentation a few times so we would be ready to present in front of the Muslim community in Lancaster.  Alhamdulillah, we were able to raise lots of money there.  We want to extend a hearty thank you to the donors in Lancaster who helped us raised money for a total of 9 orphans!  We are also really excited that the Lancaster youth are interested in starting their own orphans project in their community. 

Recently, a few 99 Orphan team members have helped out at a Zakat Foundation presentation in Long Island, New York at the Long Island Muslim Society (LIMS) masjid.  Alhamdulillah, we were able to raise money for 6 orphans in LIMS. 

Our total count now is 67.  With help from donors like you, we have been able to sponsor 67 orphans for a year.  With your continued support, feedback, and donations, insha Allah we will be able to quickly finish our goal of raising money for 99 orphans in 2013!

~ Nur Kose
President
DE Team

Surah Nas

Surah-tun-Nas is the last surah, and it explains how Allah has provided a safe haven from the evil of Satan's sneaking whispers. It tells you how He protects us, and He is the king and God of mankind. After I read the surah's meaning, I felt safe knowing that I have Allah to take refuge in. He offers a safe haven from Satan and his evil whispering, and it's as though the haven has all the necessities to make you feel at home. If there is anything better then being safe and protected, it's being safe and  protected by Allah. This reminds me of the orphans, that don't have the basic necessities of life, and Insha Allah, we'll remember the orphans who are unprotected, and open our hearts. During this Ramadan, let's all do our part to help the orphans.

Help from Local Muslim Restaurants

The 99 Orphan team created our second video during our meeting, and getting ready to welcome Ramadan, we decided it would be a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness about orphan needs for this year.  We composed an email that individuals could send to their close family and friends to support the cause.  Last year during Ramadan ZF was able to achieve the goal of raising money for 100 wells in Africa and insha Allah this Ramadan we'd like to repeat it and complete our mission to get sponsors for 99 orphans in a year.

During one of our previous meetings we had created a brochure that could be handed out to stores to give out, and that's what we did.  After we finished the email template, a group of us went out to different Muslim-owned stores like Rohani, Philly Express, Oasis Cafe, and Country Maid.  We handed out a stack of brochures and gave a short brief about our project.  During the process, we got a generous donation from one of the store owners.

Alhamdulillah, we are on the 44th orphan and would appreciate your help in finishing the sponsorship.  We are looking forward to a blessed Ramadan filled with generous donations and happy orphans.  Let's make this Ramadan a little bit more meaningful by giving a child a brighter future.  

~Samiyah Ali Khan

Secretary, Head of Gratitude Committee

DE Team

Preparing for Ramadan

Ramadan is coming up in only a few days, insha Allah.  The 99 Orphans team members are really excited for the blessed month and we hope you are, too. 

We hope you will help support the orphans more than ever during Ramadan to get extra special reward in this special month.  Remember that while we will have yummy iftars and cool air-conditioned houses, many orphans will not get to enjoy these blessings. 

The 99 Orphans team is meeting up tomorrow, insha Allah, to discuss Ramadan plans.  With your support insha Allah, we will be able to reach our goal of helping 99 orphans this year. 

~ Nur Kose
President
DE Team

Our Second Official Ice Cream Social is Coming Up!

Here comes an awesome addition to the summer.  The 99 Orphans Project team is announcing our second official ice cream social!!  Those of you who came to our last ice cream social know of all the different ice cream dishes we had, so we hope you're excited to come!

Here are some pictures and videos of our first ice cream social that took place earlier on in the summer. 

Room ready for customers!

Waitresses taking orders from customers

completing orders and making receipts

Taking Orders in the Kitchen

Making Sundaes in the Kitchen

Welcoming customers at the front

Menu in hand, ready to direct customers to tables

Customers Enjoying their Ice Cream

Custom-Ordered Sundae: 5 scoops of vanilla ice cream with all possible toppings, including bananas, kit-kat bars, MnMs, mini marshmallows, nuts (and more) and topped with whipped cream

The ice cream social will be on Monday, June 24th from 5:30 to 7:30pm.  We hope you can make it with your family and friends. We are looking forward to seeing you!

~ Nur Kose
President
DE Team

A Great First Day of the Girls' Sports Camp

Nearly a dozen girls spent a wonderful afternoon at the DE Islamic Foundation for the first day of the ZF girls' sports camp.  The girls enjoyed practicing different soccer drills and techniques, as well as playing an actual game in which the "Bunnies" won with 3 points and the "Dolphins" came in second with 1 point. 

From signing the soccer ball to doing stretches, the girls had lots of fun getting active on a nice, breezy summer day.  "My favorite part was playing soccer with my friends," one girl remarked.  All the girls enjoyed playing on the swings during the breaks. 

The girls' sports camp allows girls to have fun while helping orphans at the same time.  Alhamdulillah, we were able to raise more than $100 for the orphans project from this venture!

Please continue supporting our project with your comments, suggestions, time, and donations.

~ Nur Kose
President
DE Team

P.S. Stay tuned to find out about our upcoming second official ice cream social!  Keep checking our site!

A Great First Day of Boys' Sports Camp

A group of boys had a great time at today at the DE Islamic Foundation for the first day of their sports camp.  The huge green area was spectacular and the teacher, world-champion Brima Kamara, was awesome.  They're eagerly awaiting the next day of the camp!

The best part of the boys' sports camp is that a portion of the registration fees is going to the 99 Orphan project!  The boys are having fun and helping orphans at the same time.  Check out some pictures below:

Don't forget to support the orphans with your generous donations!

~ Nur Kose
President
DE Team 

Sewing Class - First Summer Event to Help the Orphans!

Alhamdulillah, we had our first sewing class today!  Five students registered and attended the class, learning a wonderful and exciting new skill.  All registration fees will be going to the 99 Orphans Project and the members are totally excited that we got $100 from this venture!

We'd like to give a great, hearty thank you to the teachers, students, and everyone else who helped make the first sewing class a success.  Our next and final sewing class will be next Thursday, insha Allah.  Thank you again, and don't forget to help the orphans in any way you can!

Check out the pictures below:

~ Nur Kose
President
DE Team

Lonely Maryam - A Short Story

"Ma!"  My voice echoed off the walls.  "Dad!" I screamed much louder, but it was no use.  They really were gone.  I looked around, and saw it.  What the horrible tornado had done.  It really was a wonder I was alive.  I walked through the alley.  Chunks of the bricks were gone, people were scarce, there was hardly a sound.  I just couldn't believe I was alone forever.  I quickened my steps and started running to my house, or the remains of my house.  I flung the door open...Nothing...everything was gone.  I could barely believe it.  Would I have to raise myself?  What would I eat?  So many questions and nobody to answer them.

I woke up later to find that I had fallen asleep on the floor of the living room.  Was it a dream?  Nope...still nobody.  What if my parents were still alive, like in books?  No, I knew they weren't.  I finally managed to stand.  My legs were numb from me sitting on them.  I walked upstairs.  Parts of some wood splintered my skin, but I didn't care.  I immediately went to my parents' room and dug through the closet.  It's got to be here! I thought.  Tears were blinding me from finding the key to the safe.  I was just so lonely now.  No sisters or brothers.  That made me cry harder.  Salty tears.  Dripping tears.  No key.  I looked for the safe, but without the key, there was no opening it.

I walked around the town.  Nothing was the same.  Usually everyone was happy and playing, but today, there was nothing.

There was some discarded bread on the ground, and that is when I realized I was hungry.  I reached for it just as another hand did.  I looked up.  A small boy about five years old with a dirty face and hands looked back at me.  I just couldn't take it.  Although my stomach growled, I smiled and handed it to him.  He ran away seconds after I handed it to him.  I sighed.  And I thought I had it worse.  He was just five and he was an orphan.  I hoped he could...That's when it struck me.  It was crazy, but I had to.  I could barely care for myself, but at least I wouldn't be so lonely.

"Hey!  Come back!" I yelled at the boy.  I ran and caught up to him.  I stuck out my hand and really slowly, but surely, he gave me his hand.

Imagine if you were in Maryam's or the little boy's shoes.  How would you feel?  Please donate to the 99 Orphans Project so we can help more kids like them!

~ Sabriya Zaman
Writer
Pennsylvania Team

A Gift from Me, a Gift to You

All of us have a gift Allah (SWT) has given us. It's a beautiful thing to discover what your gift is. I enjoy drawing, and I often draw nature. The Prophet Muhammed (SAW) loved nature, and he would go outside and meditate. I have decided to make a book of my artwork to sell and try to raise money for the orphan project. Art lets people stop, think and appreciate. If you have any pictures you would like to add, bring it to our meetings. I'll bring what I have so far. Insha Allah, our book will become thick enough to sell for a decent price, and we'll be able to raise money that way! You never know.  A bit of art can change someone's heart and an orphan's life!


~Hana Hubert
Writer
Gratitude Committee 

Why Should You Help Us?

Are you involved in the 99 Orphans Project?  Our goal is to sponsor 99 Orphans in 2013, and Insha allah, we will. Are you wondering why you should help? Well, there are many reasons. First of all, it's part of our deen to help. We'll get Hasanat/Ajr for what we do.

Then, of course, because it'll help orphans! Whatever you do helps! :) Helping orphans will make you a philanthropist, which means you are a caring and giving person. Abu Hurairah (RA) reported that the Messenger (SAW) said, "The best house among the Muslims is one where an orphan is well treated, and the worst house among the Muslims is one where an orphan is badly treated."

 Now that you know about the 99 Orphans Project and why you should help, here is the next step: get involved! The easiest way to lend a hand is to spread the word. Word-of-mouth is the best way to get information out there for free.

Finally, you can attend our events. Hopefully, we'll achieve our goal, and sponsor 99 orphans, but we can't do it without you!

~ Hana Hubert
Writer, Gratitude Committee
DE Team 

Putting Things in Perspective

Recently, large tornadoes devastated Oklahoma, and twenty six people died. We must remember that kids become orphans by tragic events such as this. We must do all we can to help them. We should be thankful for what we have, Alhamdulliah. Life is short, so make the best of it. When I whine about doing schoolwork when I could be playing with my friends, I think about the people in Oklahoma and orphans around the world. It's better to not have enough time then not to have a house. Sometimes we get caught up in the small things, but there are people with real problems. It makes us appreciate what we have. Insha Allah, one day there will be more orphans being saved than kids becoming orphans.

~ Hana Hubert
Writer, Gratitude Committee
DE Team 

Thank You for Your Help During Our Ice Cream Social

Every one of the members of the 99 Orphans Project Team agrees that today was very tiring. Each of the 20+ members had an important job to do and, thus, everyone was busy working from 4-8:30pm. 
Alhamdulillah, we raised $453 from the ice cream social.  Because we worked so hard to acquire this money, we can truly appreciate every penny of this amount. 

Although I could write a long article about all the ice cream dishes we had, how many customers attended, what kind of aprons the cooks were wearing, and other details that you might be interested in knowing, I'll save that for another post.  Right now, less than an hour after the ice cream social ended, I want to dedicate this post to thanking everyone who helped make the evening a success.

First of all, I want to thank the customers who came to today's event.  Thank you for supporting us and helping us help orphans and patiently putting up with our mishaps.  May Allah reward you for spending your time and money today.

I also want to thank the wonderful adults who helped out.  Sister Rizwana, who offered great smoothie recipes and support.  Sister Reshma, who went to the store before it started when we realized we were short on supplies, who made great suggestions for our menu, and supported and encouraged us from the start.  Sister Murvet, who gave a lot of valuable advice and tirelessly worked in the kitchen the entire time.  Sister Nayma, who gave much valuable advice and worked the entire time, as well.  Br. Murat, who saved the day by bringing supplies we needed when we ran out of ice cream!  We appreciate your help a lot!

And last, but definitely, definitely not least, thank you to all the wonderful members who put in all their effort in preparation for today's event and during the ice cream social.  Today has probably taken more work from every member than ever before in our 99 Orphans Project. 

The members who cleaned up, set up, and decorated the center for the social, spending extra time after our Friday meeting to continue and then coming extra early today to finish up.  The colorful atmosphere of the center today was because of them.

The waitresses, who painstakingly took down orders and passed out the dishes to the customers.  They had no practice except for a brief rehearsal and overview half an hour before the event.  Mostly between the ages of 9 and 11, these girls worked hard, patiently submitting the orders and calmly when receiving complaints. 

The welcoming duty members who welcomed customers at the front.  The members who directed customers to their tables.  The receipt makers were at work the entire time, hurrying to accurately add up prices and type up and print receipts.  The chefs in the kitchen were on their feet the entire time, as well, hurrying to fill in orders, trying to patiently handle returned dishes, and keeping calm when the ice cream began to run out.

I hope all the members will continue to work hard for the rest of the year to help orphans all around the world.  I know you guys will all agree that all the hard work was worth it because we are able to help orphans!

~ Nur Kose
President
DE Team

Ice Cream Social Today!

Alhamdulillah, we were able to tell lots of people at the ISD Fest yesterday about our project.  And today is totally exciting for all the members.  It's the day of our very first ice cream social!  We've been planning this for weeks, ever since it became a spark of an idea at the very beginning.  We hope you'll come and join our special day to support us and support the orphans.

Everyone just loves ice cream...well most people anyway.  And we're planning to have lots of exciting ice cream sundaes and other dishes.  It's pretty certain that you'll find a meal to suit you.  You'll have a menu full of fun-sounding names like Oreo Extreme and Chocolate Dream and Rainbow Marshmallow Victory.  It will be just like a regular ice cream restaurant, with waiters and waitresses and paper menus...  Actually, it will be much better because all the money, including tips (hint hint), will be helping the orphans sponsored in the 99 Orphans Project through the Zakat Foundation of America.

So, what are you waiting for?  Come to our ice cream social (any time from 5-7pm), bring your family and friends, and enjoy eating delicious sundaes while helping the suffering orphans in the world. 

Get a glimpse of what to expect below!

The members spent much of their time cleaning up the ZF Center, setting up the restaurant tables and decorating the rooms.  Show your support by attending the ice cream social today!

The members have worked hard, practicing different ice cream sundaes and other dishes.  These include chocolate sundaes, fruit sundaes, ice cream pudding, ice cream soda floats, and more!

Give in to your desire to eat ice cream and come to the ZF DE Community Center (21 Prestbury Square Newark, DE 19713) any time from 5-7pm.  Don't forget to bring your family and friends with you!!

If you have any questions or comments, email delaware@zakat.org or call 302-533-2334.

We hope to see you there!

~ Nur Kose
President
DE Team

What the Orphans Feel

Dear EVERYONE,

We, the orphans, don't have parents. We want to spend time with our parents, but we can't. Also we are hungry, thirsty, upset, and tired.  We are not just homeless, but we are also kids who don't get to have love from our own parents. I hope you will help us by donating to the 99 Orphans Project.  Remember that you will get rewarded! :)


                                                                            Your friends,

                                                                            The orphans

~ Merve Kekik 
Writer, Gratitude Committee
DE Team

Project Updates from DE Team

Yesterday evening, the DE orphans team had our fifth official meeting.  Together, we discussed and planned our very important upcoming events, hoping to have support from many donors, insha Allah! 

On May 18th, the Islamic Society of Delaware is hosting a summer fest with games, rides, food, pony riding, and the 99 Orphans booth!  The 99 Orphans members will be setting up at the Zakat Foundation table among the other booths and stalls that will be opening on the day of the fest.  Come any time during the day to donate to our project, learn more about the orphans, or just to talk with us and find out what we have done so far.

One May 19th, we will be having an ice cream social, a restaurant-style family day in which you will have the opportunity to come to the ZF DE center any time from 5-7pm and order your favorite ice cream sundaes and other ice cream related dishes.  All the money raised, including tips :), will go to help orphans sponsored in the 99 Orphans project through the Zakat Foundation of America.

We hope to see you on Saturday (18th) and Sunday (19th)!!  Don't forget to tell others about us, too!

~ Nur Kose
President
DE Team

What are Orphans?

Some people don't think about orphans who don't have a family and also have nobody to show them love. They are usually hungry, upset, thirsty, homeless, tired, and lonely. Their parents aren't there for them. That means no fun time with family, no reading, and just no time for family members to love each other. Do you get what orphans are?

                                                                         

YOU CAN HELP NOW FOR THESE POOR ORPHANS!

 Donate at ZF Center or see other options on the DONATE page.

 ~ Merve Kekik

Writer, Gratitude Committee

DE Team

Our First Bake Sale - A Great Success

Yesterday, the DE 99 Orphans team hosted our very first bake sale at the Zakat Foundation DE Community Center.  Alhamdulillah, it was a great success.  Many generous donors attended the event, bought food and supported us with their presence and donations. :)

It was great to see such a great amount of participation from the youth members who had spent a long time preparing for the bake sale way before the day of the event.  During the bake sale, too, the members pitched in to make it a success.  Members Reem, Zeynep, Samiyah, and Rania spent much of their time at the food tables and the gratitude committee members took turns standing at the money table to thank customers and hand out thank-you cards and flowers to the donors.

Some of the boys remained in the front office to sign in people who entered the center and they pitched in to set up the tables and clean up at the end of the sale.  A number of members also helped make name tags for the other members and gather food utensils for customers.

The students of the spring writing workshop at the center which ended on Tuesday spent much of their time selling the books they made during their class.  Alhamdulillah, this effort gained the orphans project $55.

The attendees of the event thoroughly enjoyed the delicious food, great company, and fun experience.  Many customers remarked that the thank-you cards and flowers were very pretty and were grateful to receive these thank-yous for their donations.

Overall, we raised over $2,000 from the bake sale thanks to all those who participated in making the event a success.  The DE Team sends our thanks to all those who helped out: to those who cooked, helped organize, and bought food.  A very special thank you to the generous uncle who donated $1,000 for the orphans.

~ Nur Kose
President
DE Team

Bake Sale Day!

Nearly two hours until our first bake sale, our first official event, and all the members are anxiously waiting and preparing.  For weeks, all the members have pitched in to organize and prepare for the bake sale. 

The events committee members worked to manage the food and the jobs of each member during the bake sale, forming numerous lists and spreadsheets and calling up people to request people to cook.  The gratitude committee members have worked equally hard, making many flowers and cards to give out as thank-yous to the donors at the bake sale.  The advertising committee members have contacted people in Delaware to attend our event.  The research committee members have searched online resources to find out more information about orphans around the world.

The bake sale today will have lots of exciting foods, insha Allah, in addition to football player paper crafts and new books made by students in the ZF Spring Writing Workshop.

If you don't live in Delaware and won't be able to attend the bake sale, don't worry.  We'll have live updates from the bake sale on Facebook, so keep checking to see what's going on!

We're all very excited for the bake sale and can't wait for it to get started.  See you at the ZF Center!

~ Nur Iffet Kose
President
DE Team

Yum!!! Bake Sale!

Come to our bake sale tomorrow! :)

On Tuesday, April 30 (6:30-8:30pm) there is going to be a bake sale. Yum!! The location is the Zakat Foundation DE Community Center: 21 Prestbury Square Newark, DE.

There won't just be brownies, cakes, cupcakes and other desserts. There will also be chicken, pastries, bread, biryani, and many more exciting meals!

All the money raised in this bake sale will be for orphans sponsored in the 99 Orphans project through Zakat Foundation of America. There are a lot of reasons why we are doing this.

• First, there are an estimated 210 million orphans worldwide.
• Second of all, orphans that are not taken care of resort to crime.  Nearly 70% of unsponsored orphans become criminals.
• 3rd thing is that each day 38,493 orphans become 18 and never get a family.
• And much more!!

You can now see why these kids need our help!
It's just $360 for just one orphan so come on over, have some fun, and make a difference in orphans' lives.  And don't forget that you'll also get to meet the members of the DE 99 Orphans Team at the bake sale!

~ Merve
Writer, Gratitude Committee
DE Team 

Introduction Video

Assalamualaikum!

Watch our introduction video to learn more about our project and get inspired to donate! 

Why Should We Help Orphans

There are many reasons why we should all lend a hand to help orphans.We should help them because these people have no one.  They are often the most vulnerable to being brought up in lives of crime, sold off into slavery, or turned in soldiers.  These are babies, toddlers, and teenagers who for whatever reason are alone in this world.

Orphans, with no one connected to them by blood, or law, they move through their lives at the mercy of those presently in charge of them.  So everyone should at least try helping an orphan by donating money.  You are also getting good deeds. Not just that but you are helping so many people in this world!!!

~ Reahaam Almoraisi
Writer, Advertising Committee
DE Team

5 Orphans and Counting!

Our treasurer recently announced to our group that we have $1800 (5 orphans), with a recent donation from AKWA (American Kotku Women Association) who sponsored one orphan!  We've been extremely grateful for the donations coming in from generous donors who care about the orphans around the world.

With our second official meeting behind us, we are looking forward to our upcoming bake sale and are making many preparations for the important day.  Events coordinator Reem has been calling up people who will cook and bake for the event and has listed the jobs of each member during the bake sale.  The gratitude committee members are working on cool thank-you gifts for all those who buy something from our bake sale.  Our technical officer Rumi is working on a flyer which will be posted soon, insha Allah.  Keep your April 30th free!

Don't forget that some of the members are creating the script for a rap video that will come up soon!

The communications officers are still working on finding a place for our May 18th family picnic, but we hope to make our reservations soon, insha Allah.

You might also have noticed that we have a brand new domain name for the site!  Visit www.99orphans.org from now on.

Last but definitely not least comes the most exciting news of the week.  We got pictures, names, and details of 20 of the orphans we will be sponsoring insha Allah.  The technical officer and treasurer will soon arrange for you to see the pictures of the orphans, too!

Don't forget to check out all the features of our website, including the Members page, Buy page, and Donate page!

~ Nur Kose
President
DE Team 

A Great Beginning

Alhamdulillah, the 99 Orphans Project has seen a great beginning.  From the beginning of April, youth signed up to become members of the project, eagerly choosing roles and looking forward to raising money for orphans. 

On Friday, April 12th, the members had our first official meeting in which we discussed our goals for the project, got accustomed to our roles, and planned ideas to raise money.  There was a lot of collaboration and excitement as the 20+ members exchanged ideas and conversed about the potential of the project.

During the meeting, one of the important decisions we made was to raise money for 9 orphans in Syria and 10 orphans in each of the nine other countries ZF sponsors orphans. 

Over the week, we have accomplished a lot, alhamdulillah, starting an online email group to communicate easily and efficiently, creating this website, contacting various parks in Delaware to host our planned May 18th family picnic, writing out ideas for future events, preparing for the upcoming bake sale on April 30th, organizing our data in Google spreadsheets, and raising over $800 in less than a week!

All the members eagerly await our second official meeting tomorrow at the ZF DE Center, insha Allah.  I'm really excited to discuss with the other members what they've done over the week and what plans we have for the future.  Stay tuned to find out what new awesome updates we'll have after tomorrow's meeting, insha Allah!

~ Nur Kose
President