Success!

Alhamdulillah, after months of fundraising, hosting various events, and working hard to support our 99 orphans around the world, we have finally reached our goal.  

With the blessings of Ramadan and the generous support of donors like you, we were able to raise the entire $59,400 necessary to sponsor the lives of our 99 orphans around the world for a year.  Every bake sale, movie night, and ice cream social, every meeting, every check and dollar bill dropped into a donation box provided an article of clothing for an orphan, helped educate parentless children, and improved the homes of lonely children.  

As Muslims, we are encouraged to care for orphans, and with your help, we were able to accomplish this for yet another year, alhamdulillah.  And for that, on behalf of the 99 Orphan Team, I would like to say Jazakum Allahu Khairan.

~ Nur Kose

President

99 Orphan Team Talking at Tarawih and Distributing Ice Cream

Assalamualaikum!

Ramadan is quickly coming to an end.  In a few more days, we will not have the same opportunities and blessings that we have now.  Together let's continue to take advantage of the few days and nights we do have left.  

The 99 Orphan team will be talking during Tarawih prayers at Masjid Ibrahim (ISD) after 4 rak'ahs.  You will have the opportunity to help orphans while earning immense rewards for yourself.  As a special treat, we will be serving ice cream for everyone at masjid after 8 rak'ahs and after 20.  

Whether you generally attend Tarawih prayers or not, please bless us with your presence tonight to help our orphans and enjoy some yummy ice cream.

~ Nur Kose

Helping Orphans This Ramadan

Helping Orphans This Ramadan
by Ahmed Rab

The 99 Orphans Project hosted by Zakat Foundation of America is a unique venture to fulfill a basic tenant of our religion- charity while engraining the values of the Sunnah in our Ummah's future- the youth. The project works to raise funds to sponsor 99 orphans to ensure they receive quality food, housing, clothing, and education. The beauty of ZF’s Orphan Sponsorship project is that by providing education in addition to the basic needs of each child, ZF works to empower the children to help take positive steps to self-reliance. The organizers of the 99 Orphans Project are all Muslim American youth who are in middle and high school. They have worked tirelessly to come up with innovative ideas to fundraise. Some of their fundraising ideas include bake sales, movie nights, iftar parties, and game nights. With Zakat Foundation, you can assured that the $600 it takes to sponsor each orphan is used exactly what it is intended for- to provide the essentials and education for an orphan child. The project helps sponsor Orphans throughout the world, including countries such as Syria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Palestine, Kenya, and others. The benefit in participating in our program is that not only are we teaching our youth the importance of compassion, empathy, and community service, we are fulfilling an essential component of our Deen – Sadaqah (charity).
In the Quran it says: They ask you, [O Muhammad], what they should spend. Say, "Whatever you spend of good is [to be] for parents and relatives and orphans and the needy and the traveler. And whatever you do of good - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it." (Surah Baqarah, Ayah 215).  Another portion of the Qur'an says, "Have you seen the one who rejects [the true spirit] of religion? That is he who repels the orphan. And does not advocate for the feeding of the very poor. Woe to you worshipers! Those who pray yet are heedless. Who only pray to be seen [by men]. But neglect even neighbourly needs."  (107:1-7)  Be part of the 99 Orphans Project before this Ramadan ends and ensure your investment for both this world and the hereafter iA.

99 Orphan Fundraiser Iftar Tonight!

Assalamualaikum!

The 99 orphan team members look forward to seeing you today at the ZF Center (1501 Casho Mill Rd. Newark, DE 19711) for iftar.  We will be serving a delicious meal to you and your family, insha allah.
 We hope that you will be able to sponsor an orphan to gain the blessings of Ramadan and make orphans feel cared for this year.

- 99 Orphan Team

Visiting Elkton Masjid

Today, Aarif, Aamir, Furkan, and I visited the Elkton Masjid to tell them about our project. After Jummah prayer, we gave them a brief description of our project, letting them know about our goal to raise enough money to sponsor 99 orphans around the world and how they can help. Everyone was welcoming and they showed interest in our project. This month being Ramadan, we are hoping that they will contribute to our project and continue to show their support in the future.

- Bilal

99 Orphan Members in Valley Forge PA

Yesterday Aarib and went to the Islamic Center of Valley Forge , PA.  There ZF presented community community members presidential wards for their service in 2014 and talked about different projects that ZF volunteers do.  One of the biggest youth projects that ZF does is the 99 orphan project, so we gave a short talk about our project.  The main things Aarib and I  talked about was what our project is and many of the different activities we have done to raise money for orphans so far.

-Furkan

Cupcake Wars Event Tomorrow

After weeks of preparing and waiting anxiously for this exciting event, it's finally almost here!  Tomorrow, insha Allah, we will get the chance to witness contestants show off their baking skills in a fun-filled competition.

If you have ever wished to be a part of the Cupcake Wars TV show, tomorrow is your chance to get a glimpse of what it is like!  Join us and help us support orphans this year.

2015 Governor's Community Service Award

On Tuesday, April 21st, the 99 Orphans Team won the Governor's Award. We won as a group award for the many hours and dedication we put in for raising money for orphans around the world. Along with 99 Orphans, the Rescue Rangers also won an award from Zakat Foundation for all the work they put in.

Planning 99orphans Iftar

Today at out meeting, we started to plan for an iftar to raise funds for orphans. so far we just listed the places where to get the food, how we are gonna organize it and roles for each member on the team. the iftar will be on june 25th. the iftar is a formal dinner, invite only.

American Bake Sale

Alhamdullillah our American bake sale last month was a huge success. We were able to raise enough money for about half the cost of sponsoring an orphan. I was in charge of setting up,cleaning up and taking out the garbage, as well as selling ice cream sundaes. Hopefully our upcoming Pakistan bake sale will be a greater success.

My Experiences in the 99 Orphan Group

Assalamualaikum, my name is Aarib Syed and I have been a part of the 99 orphan project for about 3 years now and I have enjoyed many things here. I have helped in many activities such as bake sales, videogame parties, and movie nights. I joined the 99 orphan project because I want to help children around the world and also raise awareness. 

Video Game Party Success

Alhamdulillah the video game party was a great success. We had raised 100 dollars that all went to the 99 orphans to help raise money for an orphan. We all had played many games that we all enjoyed. We played fifa 15 and had a 2 v 2 tournament. We played super smash bros and Mario cart. They had also played naruto ultimate ninja storm 3 on the xbox 360. Most people participated in the Fifa tournament but still played other games while they waited for their turns. Overall we all had a great time and raise a lot of money.
-Aarib 

Leading the Events Committee

I enjoy being part of the events committee. Planing events is something I like to do. Even though it's fun, it's a difficult job to do. Figuring out jobs for everyone in the team is a struggle. It's important to give everyone jobs that they're good at. Bake sales are some of our most important events because there is so much work to do. I hope that the skills that I learn in the events committee will help me in the future. 

Preparing for Bake Sale

Today we set up for our American Bake sale scheduled for tomorrow. The money we raise will be going to American foster children and Syrian orphans. All of our tables and chairs are set up and InshaAllah we will have the food ready to sell tomorrow. We hope that people will come and support our cause as well as enjoy delicious food.

Video Game Party Tournament

Assalamualaikum,

The boys hosted a video game party on Saturday, March 21. We had FIFA 15 for the PS4 and X-box 360 and Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros for the Wii. There was a 2 v 2 tournament for Fifa 15 and championship game was Furkan and Zaid vs Bilal and Saif. Bilal and Saif won 4-1 in the championship and were crowned champions.

Mother Daughter Tea Party Details

Assalamualikum,

         Insh'Allah there will be a mother-daughter tea party on Sunday from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. There will be lots of food and activities to do. The food will consist of finger sandwiches, mozzarella sticks, mini pizzas, chocolate- covered strawberries, Oreo truffles, brownies, and coconut macaroons. Also of course there will be tea provided for the mothers and other drinks for the daughters.
           Included in the tea party will be a fashion show. You can show off your bright and colorful clothes you wore and get dressed up as well! So don't miss out on this great event we will be hosting!


      
 

Mother Daughter Tea Party

Assalamualikum,

Inshallah there will be a mother-daughter tea party event taking place on Sunday, March 22. The event will be held from 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm. There will be games, socializing, dress-up, and even a fashion show including both mothers and daughters. Food will be served including a variety of sandwiches, teas, and finger foods that will keep your hands full. The event will be hosted at the new ZF center. Come enjoy a day away from home as you catch-up with friends and get to better know you daughter(s).

Governor's Award for 99 Orphan Members

 Assalamualikum,

The 99 Orphan Team recently got invited into the Governor's Award Ceremony for our work not only overseas but also for what we do in the community. The date is to be on 4/21/15 when we will go to accept the award.We took our group picture on the 15th of March. The Governor's Award is a prestigious award given to those who recognize problems in their community and fix them. I will be accompanying Furkan, Aarif, Zaid, Bilal, Suehale, Samiya and Rania.

Making a Flyer

Assalamualaikum,

This week for the 99 Orphans team I made a flyer for our video game party. It took me some time but I gained valuable experience in advertising, and improved my technical ability using Microsoft Publisher. Hopefully my flyer will reach at least one or two people and will make our video game party a successful event. We are aiming to get enough money to support half an orphan and have fun while we are at it. Please come on March 21st and support our cause.

Mother-Daughter Tea Party

We will be hosting a Mother- Daughter Tea Party on Sunday, March 22 at the new ZF Center. The time is from 3:00 p.m. till 6:00 p.m. It is an all girls event with a lot of fun events. The tickets are $10 per mom and $5 per daughter. We will be having a fashion show, lots of delicious food and many games for moms and daughters. So all moms and daughters cancel all your plans for SUnday and come enjoy a lovely evening with your beautiful daughters.

Video Game Party

Assalamualaikum,

We will be having a video game party at Zakat Foundation on March 21 from 1:30 to 7:30. Some consoles available at the party will include PS4, Xbox 360, and the Wii U. We will also have games such as FIFA 15, Naruto, and Smash Bros. Everyone is guaranteed to have a great time. Admission will be $10 and pizza will be provided.

Bengali Bake Sale for Orphanage in Bangladesh

Our second bake sale was a success, alhamdulillah.  The 99 orphan team and Bengali families of Delaware worked hard to provide an amazing dinner to our guests and we had lots of additional fun games and activities for everyone to enjoy. 

Bengali Display

99 orphan member handing out menus

Names written in Bengali

99 Orphan member serving Bengali dessert

the photo booth with Bengali clothing was a hit

the carrom board tournaments were lots of fun

Lots of guests enjoyed dressing up in the photo booth

Alhamdulillah, we raised more than $2,700 at the bake sale, even more than we raised in January's Indian bake sale!  We look forward to witnessing what we can accomplish in our next events with the help of generous donors like you.

- Nur Kose
President

99 Orphans Team at ZF 4th Annual Award Ceremony

Alhamdulillah, the 99 Orphan team had a great time at ZF's fourth annual award ceremony at DelTech.  Our team members presented briefly about our project, had an awesome auction, and even got a few more orphans sponsored!  It was definitely a memorable experience for us all.  Here are some pictures of the 99 Orphan team members from the event:

Our coral theme was a hit :)

99 Orphan team members sporting their new ties

Enjoying the pizza and snacks before the ceremony began

99 Orphan Table

Our chocolate bar basket sold for $350 during our auction!

Our pashmina sets sold for $25 each. 

99 Orphan team talking about our project

Movie Night: Captain America, Popcorn, and One Orphan Sponsored!

Alhamdulillah, our movie event on Saturday was a great success.  Everyone enjoyed watching Captain America and the Winter Soldier (Captain America 2) while eating yummy, crunchy, buttery popcorn popped and served by 99 Orphan team members at the ZF Center.  Over twenty attendees were there to watch the movie and we raised $100 from the movie ticket proceeds.  Generous donors gave additional donations in honor of our event that totaled up to $500, allowing us to complete our eighth orphan!  Here are some pictures from the event:

We have a few exciting events coming up during the next few weeks, insha Allah.  Stay tuned to find out more!

- Nur
President

99 Orphan January Updates

Alhamdulillah, the 99 Orphan team has been progressing well during the past few weeks.  During our 2015 launch meeting, we discussed the members' roles and potential ideas for the next few months.  We will be sharing this information soon, insha Allah.

So far, we have been able to raise money for a few orphans this year, alhamdulillah.  Our Lancaster youth group already raised $500 for this year's campaign and we are looking forward to seeing more from them during the next few months.

Our Indian bake sale was a great success, as well.  With the efforts of the Indian families of Delaware and the many others who came to support our cause, we were able to raise $1350 from the event.  The 99 Orphan team is extremely grateful to everyone who helped make the event a success.

Here are some pictures from the event:

99 Orphan team members making thank-you flowers and cards for donors

Indian Flag poster made by 99 Orphan Team Member

99 Orphan team members serving food

You can see more pictures from the event at the photo gallery here.

~ Nur Kose
President

99 Orphans Project Beginning 2015 Year!

The 99 Orphans team is warming up for another exciting year of fun events and projects to raise money for our 99 orphans over the next few months.  We are looking forward to continue getting your support as we enter another year of helping orphans.

We will be meeting this week, insha Allah, to discuss our plans for the project this year and determine the member's renewed roles.  We will also be planning our first event of the year: a bake sale for Indian orphans this Thursday!

Stay tuned to find out our other exciting plans for the year.

~Nur Kose
President