Yemeni Relief

The Zakat Foundation is going to be hosting a brunch this weekend
 to raise money to help people in Yemen. Yemen is the poorest country
in the Arabian Peninsula, and is now facing one of the worst humanitarian
 crises in the world due to a civil war. Almost 18 million people have
been caught in the midst of this war, and are suffering from malnutrition
and starvation. Every 10 minutes, a Yemeni child dies due to malnutrition.
Please come out and enjoy a scrumptious meal while also contributing
to this cause.
                       
Yemeni Relief Brunch:
12/8/18 @11-2 PM
ZFNC Community Center

Pre Eid Fest (For: May)

 Hello, this is Haleema Sadiya,
  I would like to say the Pre Eid Fest was a great success. We raised a lot of money for orphans, and have past our goal of 99 orphans!!! We will continue on our journey to make the world a better place.
I think its safe to say that this was the most successful fundraiser of the year!!! I think we should continue our work on helping orphans, imagine all those happy smiles when  they realize there finding a home at last, or when they realize people actually care about them and there not a waste of space. So lets keep on working and make people know we care about them!!!

Speech at Chapel Hill Masjid

Salaams,

Yesterday, Team Process went on a quest to show off their money making abilities.  They visited Chapel Hill Masjid where they enjoyed iftar as well as taraweeh led by a blind imam.  It couldn't have been done without the help of the beautifully written speech by one of Team Process' members.
Here is the speech:

Asak,
My name is ___, and I represent the 99 Orphans project.  Our goal is to raise enough funds to sponsor 99 Orphans each year by providing food, shelter, and education.  It costs only $600 to sponsor an orphan each year.  The prophet SA said, "Me and the person who helps look after and provides for an orphan will be like this on the day of judgement." and he held his index and middle finger together like this. (show fingers).  We right now are in the last ten nights of the holy month of Ramadan.  Every good action of ours i multiplied by great amounts during this month.  The Quran mentions two kinds of people, those who help the Orphans and those who neglect them.  In surah, Ad Duha, ayah 6 Allah says, "Did He not find thee an orphan and give thee shelter and care" referring to the Prophet SA who was an orphan himself growing up.  Allah follows this ayah by saying, "Therefore, treat not the Orphans with harshness.".  Tonight, the night of the 27th may be Laila tul Qadr.  The greatest night for us Muslims to witness and a night in which all of our deeds are multiplied by a 1000 months.  To sponsor one orphan is less than 2 dollars a day.  I don't think that there's anyone here that is incapable of helping the life of an oppressed child across the globe by donating less than 2 dollars a day.  And if tonight is in fact Laila tul Qadr, it would be as if you had donated to help and Orphan for a 1000 months.  As if you had sponsored an orphan everyday of your life for 83 years.  An opportunity like this may never come again in our lifetimes.  Don't shy away from a good deed of such value in a time where it matters most.  I'll leave you all with this; the prophet SA said, "Allah will help a person as long as he or she is helping others.".  So help those in need and in return Allah will help and bless you as well.
Jak.

June 13th Eid Festival!

Assalamualaikum!

This is Asiya, a member of the 99 orphans project. I'm here to tell you about a fun event coming up on Wednesday, June 13th.
As we all know, Eid is coming very soon. Just a few more days! Please join us this Wednesday for takeout food, games, and lots of cool Eid related products being sold by different teams. As usual, money raised will go to the orphans.
Please note that the Ramadan 2018 challenge results can still be changed. Keep raising money and sponsoring orphans to have your team in the lead! The due date for results is Wednesday June 13th.

Bring everyone! Family, friends, teachers, and so on. Remember that non-Muslims are more than welcome to come, so they can experience this amazing event!
Also, my team (The ZF Falcons) will be holding our 3rd business fair that day. There will be products such as: yarn balls (home decor), slime, squishies, hijab pins, survival bracelets, etc. Please make sure to buy our stuff! Money goes to orphans!

Hope to see you at the Eid festival,
Asiya

Team OVO

Assalamu’alaikum,

We have started a friendly competition to raise money during Ramadan for 99 orphans, with each age group as
a team. My group, Team OVO has raised money by collecting from friends at iftars and selling Ramadan
merchandise at masjids during taraweeh. We are also selling Ramadan and Eid wristbands, banners, balloons,
and other cool items. If you are interested or would like to know more, please email 99nrahman@gmail.com.
I would like to thank everyone who has donated to our group or bought our items so far. May Allah bless them
with lots of barakah. I wish all the other teams luck in their fundraising, and hope that we can brighten up a lot
of lives this Ramadan.

Announcements:

Zakat Foundation will be hosting a Pre-Eid Fest on June 13 from 4:30 to 7:30 PM. Don’t miss this wonderful
opportunity to get some last-minute Eid shopping done while also helping orphans.

Bake Sale!

              If you don't know already, my group, Zen, will be hosting a bake sale for orphans. It will take place on June 7th-9th in various mosques around taraweeh time. On June 7th, it'll be at the Raleigh Mosque, on June 8th, it will be at the Cary Mosque, and on June 9th, it'll be at the Apex Mosque. What better way to celebrate Ramadan than with a sweet treat? There will be brownies, vanilla and chocolate cupcakes, and chocolate chip and sugar cookies. Not only can you succumb to your sweet tooth, but you're also helping raise money for orphans around the globe. We, along with the rest of the 99 Orphans team, are raising money for ninety nine orphans to support them and their needs. By purchasing a cookie or two, you're helping the cause. Don't hesitate to come on over and get some baked goods on any, or all, of the days we're hosting our bake sale!

            ~ Afzaa Rahman

ZF Falcons

My team, the ZF Falcons, have been doing fundraisers in different masjids. We have been selling various things, some of which are hijab pins, slime, bracelets, and much more. We have raised a lot of money over the past few fundraisers and it has been really fun to sell those items. We will have another fundraiser on June 2nd at Taraweeh. It will be hosted at Cary Masjid. Please come purchase our goods and support the orphans!

Toy Auction Basket

On June 1st, the Friday night program will take place in which we will be auctioning a toy basket. There will be a variety of fun games and puzzles within the basket such as legos, board games, stuffed animals, and some surprises. Please come participate and support our fundraiser for the orphans. We will also be selling baskets during bake sales on June 7th at the Islamic Association of Raleigh, June 8th at Cary masjid, and on June 9th at Apex masjid. Please come by!

Raffle Baskets

Assalamu alaykum!

On the 7th, 8th, and 9th of June, group Zen will be auctioning baskets at the Raleigh, Cary, and Apex masjids respectively. These baskets will be catered to a variety of interests. There will be a spa basket, filled with items such as lotion and face masks; a tea/coffee basket, with different packets and a mug; and a baking/cooking basket, with frosting, piping bags, a cookbook, and more. The bid for the baskets start around $20, and they are well worth the price, especially since all of it is sadaqah.

On the 13th of June, we will be auctioning a few more baskets, art/ stationery, Marvel, and books.

This Friday, the 1st of June, we will be auctioning a toys/games baskets. All our baskets are fun and hold useful items, and we hope that you will auction for them.

Business Fair

Do you know about our business fair? If you really have no idea about what I'm talking about, then listen up. All the 99 Orphans youth kids split up into teams and are having a little friendly competition for Ramadan to see which group can raise the most money. Each team has to come up with different fundraising events to raise money for the orphans. And whoever puts the most effort into it and gets the most money will get a mystery prize. I'm in the ZF Falcons group. We are doing a few business fairs where we will sell slime, squishies, Eid cards, bracelets and more. Our upcoming one is on June 2nd at Cary masjid during taraweeh, and we also have one on June 13th at the ZF center during our chand fest   . So please come and join us; I guarantee you will be happy you came.  

Productive Ramadan

It’s already the 5’th day of Ramadan! Can you believe it? This holy month is going by so fast,
we need to reap benefit from it before it’s all over. Here are some tips to maximize the benefit
we gain from Ramadan:

1. Plan a Schedule

Ramadan is a blessing, but it has a time limit of 30 days. It is an opportunity not to be missed.
Make sure you schedule all the important acts of ibaadah, like reading Qur’an, praying salah
on time, praying taraweeh, and doing tahajjud. You should also schedule your school/work
activities so that they don’t interfere with your worship.

     2. Qur’an Recitation

Ramadan is the month of Qur’an.  During Ramadan, there is 70 times the reward for all good
deeds. This means that there is 700 good deeds for uttering a single letter during Ramadan.
This should be a huge incentive to take advantage of the gift Allah has given us, and read as
much Qur’an as possible.

    3. Prayers

Do your salah immediately after you hear the adhan. Sometimes, we delay our prayer without
any good reasons, and especially in Ramadan, when we are feeling hungry, thirsty, and tired.
Don’t delay salah just because you are fatigued, always do it on time.

     4. Don’t overeat

Some people stuff themselves at Suhoor and Iftar, to “make up for food missed”. However,
this practice is against the Sunnah. The Prophet (Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:
“The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach; for the son of Adam a
few mouthfuls are sufficient to keep his back straight. If you must fill it, then one-third for
food, one-third for drink, and one-third for air.” (Tirmidhi)

     5. Purification of the Heart and Soul

Ramadan is a time to purify our heart and soul from all evil. For many of us, Ramadan has
become too much of a ritual, not a form of spiritual improvement. We fast from morning to
night, but we forget to smile at others or even use kind words. By the end of Ramadan, we
are supposed to have better character and get rid our bad habits. The Prophet (Sal Allahu
Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “He is doomed who sees the month of Ramadan come and go,
“Jibreel said to me, ‘May he be destroyed, who sees the month of Ramadan come and go
and he has not been forgiven’, and I said ‘Aameen’.”.

I hope that we make the most of Ramadan, and use the golden opportunity to improve our character
and get our du’a accepted.

Food Packages

Ramadan Mubarak!!

The blessed month has finally come and I'm sure anyone reading this is either really hungry from fasting or really full from Iftar. Most of us are all blessed to break our fasts with huge feasts every night this Ramadan. However, there are millions of people worldwide who don't know when they will be able to afford their next meal. This month, not only is Zakat Foundation trying to raise enough funds for 99 orphans but also for food packages. Last Ramadan, ZF was able to feed 8 million people through food packages and our goal for this year is 10 million. One food package that costs only $60 will feed one family for a whole week. I believe this is one of the best ways to donate this Ramadan. Inshallah, by the end of this month we can all each put a happy smile on someone's face.

Thank You!

- Huda

Ramadan Fun

Fun in Ramadan!

Assalamualaikum!

My name is Asiya Ahmed and I love helping the orphans and meeting at the ZF center. Our team is planning several fun Ramadan events this year! In Ramadan, we want to help as many orphans as possible, because it's a blessed month and our actions are always accepted.

A couple of days ago, on Sunday, the 99 orphans team divided into different age groups: high school girls, high school boys, elementary/middle school boys & elementary/middle school girls. We came up with different team names. Ours was ZF Falcons. We took turns voting on different ideas for events in Ramadan.

One of my favorites is having a talent show, which I came up with. Our idea is that admission could be $5 and also a $10 fee to sign up. We haven't confirmed yet, though. We're also thinking of a science fair, a bake sale, a lemonade stand, and a business fair.
Hope you can join us this Ramadan to help more orphans than we ever have!

Asiya

Zakat Foundation Center Updates and Current Events

Asalamualaikum, my name is Khizr Kazmi, and I am an often volunteer at the Zakat Foundation Center in North Carolina. Our center is open from 11 AM-1 PM every day of the week  We currently do many events for the youth, and more. We have tutoring on Mondays from 6:30-8 PM, all ages are welcome! On Wednesdays, we have a play session with toddlers. We have puzzles, tic tac toe, and many more games! On Thursdays, we will be having Women's Fitness classes in the morning, stay tuned to the blog for more information. On Sundays, we have Tae-Kwon-Do to teach kids self-defense, and following that, we have our weekly 99 Orphan Meeting. As you read, our center is very busy and we would love if you were a part of keeping it open or being a part of our team.

Thanks
-Khizr Kazmi 
ZF Volunteer
LEGEND

The Importance of Fasting During the month of Ramadan

As we are approaching Ramadan in a few weeks, I would like to talk about the importance of fasting. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is commonly practiced during the Holy month of Ramadan. Many people fast during Ramadan because it gives them an opportunity to cleanse their souls from impurities and sins they have committed in the past. In Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 183, the Quran states that "Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain taqwaa." This means that fasting is beneficial, and you will be rewarded for fasting during Ramadan.

The New Community Center ( kids night )

the new zakat foundation community center looks great and ready for many fun events for us too plan for. Some of the activities have already started and seem to be very good. One weekly activity that i am part of is the kids night day every Wednesday we get the kids too play with puzzles and books. It is a very good time to get little kids together from the community.

EESA RASHID

An Orphan's Pain

An orphan is a child who suffers great loss and sorrow. Their world has come crashing down as their parents are ripped from them in a matter of seconds. They have no family, no love, no home. Every day is filled with pain and a sense of lacking; they feel this constant void in their chest, one that affection used to fill. Not only do they have to deal with emotional strife, hunger and thirst silently peel away their life, one minute at a time. Without care from an adult, these rundown kids can't sustain themselves. They have no money or sustenance, no hope or future, nothing to look for or forward to.

As we look at these kids and hear their stories, its hard to imagine we could ever help them overcome these towering odds. There is one simple thing any parent, teen, or child can do: donate. Every cent makes a change; donate a dollar, spread the word, and save a child.

Zakat Foundation Community Center

What is a community center? A community center is a place where people from a particular community can meet for social, educational, or recreational activities. Zakat Foundation has acquired a building Alhumdulilah where members of the group can meet up, plan events, and even hold events. The community center is very significant because it gives us a chance to have an area devoted to the cause. This is also a safe and controlled environment for kids, teens, and even adults to hold gatherings. The possibilities are endless. We can have movie nights, gaming tournaments, tutoring, story time, and much more. I hope this center brings many more members, opportunity, and fun. We hope to see you there!

Ramadan & Updates

Salam!

Ramadan is less than 3 weeks away, 18 days to be exact. It is at this time where we should prepare ourselves for this blessed month. Usually Ramadan passes pretty quickly and its over before we know it. We should take advantage of all the blessings and rewards that are open to us during these 30 days. I learned something very interesting in a halaqa recently that I thought was worth sharing. Allah gives us three opportunities in this month to erase ALL of our previous sins. The first one is to fast the entire month with pure intentions. We shouldn't be fasting just because all our friends are or because your parents are telling you too. You should fast purely for the sake of pleasing Allah. The second is standing in prayer during the nights of Ramadan, also known as Taraweeh. The last one is to catch the night of Laylatul Qadr in a state of worship and prayer. I believe every single Muslim, either young or old, has the ability to complete at least one of the following deeds, it only will only take a little effort. 

As a member of the 99 orphan team, I am super excited to continue planning and taking part in events that will lead to raising more money for our orphans. We have already raised enough money for 45 orphans and we are close in finishing our 46th. We are extremely close to being halfway with our goal. Inshallah this Ramadan we will raise much more money for our goal of sponsoring 99 orphans this year. Thanks so much to all of those who donated! Hopefully our group and what we do is an inspiration to everyone to do something big or small to give back to your community. Even a small donation of a dollar is immensely appreciated.

As you might already know, Zakat Foundation has officially opened a community center in NC!! If you haven't checked it out yet, you definitely should. Today's actually exactly one month from when we first opened it. Fatima and I are going to be teaching our 3rd weekly self defense class tomorrow at the center. There are also math tutoring, business sessions and many more helpful and fun activities at the center. Keep your eyes out the next few months for many more fun activities. 

These are some things that are coming up in the following weeks:

• May 17, 2017:  Ramadan Food Package Fundraiser Iftar at Tandoor Restaurant.  Buy your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/zakat-foundation-of-america-ramadan-food-package-fundraiser-tickets-45194111805 or come to the Center to pick up your ticket.  Fun Ramadan craft activities will take place 7-8pm.  

• Monthly Friday Ramadan halaqas & potlucks.  Email nayma@zakat.org to sign up.

• Art Classes in Ramadan.  Stay tuned for more details. 

• 99 Orphan Meeting this Sunday April 29 6:30-8:00pm
• Weekly Slime Sessions. More details will be shared soon

Thank You and Early Ramadan Mubarak!

- Huda

Orphan Awareness

           Although it may seem astonishing, the number of people who aren't aware about the orphans in their community is quite substantial. You're probably wondering if you're included in this large group of people, and you won't be by the time you finish reading this. Let's start off with the number of orphans in our state. How many kids do you think live in North Carolina that are waiting for foster care? 500? 800? 1,000? It's quite the grand total of around 11,000 children. And that's just in one state alone! How about in the whole United States? There are around 107,900 children in the U.S. in need of foster care. If you think that's a lot, there are about 153 million orphans worldwide. That's a big number, isn't it?
           After reading this, you're probably doing one, or both, of these two things: wondering how you can help the orphans in your community, or thinking of a way to make the world a better place for orphans. You can help your community by being a part of 99 orphans, a group dedicated to helping the lives of 99 orphans around the world every year. Whether it's by supporting us or being a member of our team, everything counts! Even sharing this post with others is an act of support for both our team and orphans. So what are you waiting for? Spread the word today!

~Afzaa Rahman, 99 Orphans member

The Power of a Impact

 When donations are given it comes with a message of "I hope this will help them" or "What the Zakat Foundation is doing is a remarkable job!!" No matter what the size of donation is, your generosity is opened to many people and helping Zakat Foundation further its delegation of caring for the impotent orphans. When it comes to the community who stands behind Zakat Foundation works together through a donation and helping the orphans- the impact is too large because we are thoroughly bringing and working a difference.

Movies at the ZF Center

Assalamu Alaikum,

The Zakat Foundation Center was created to help bring the community together through engaging and entertaining events.  Recently we have had many events come about at the new center ranging from Tutoring to Youth activities and even Business classes which the youth and adults of the community have become a part of.  Furkan and I decided to add another fun event to the list and created a Movie Night at the ZF Center on the last Saturday of every month.  Everyone needs a breather at least once a month and what better way to take some time off then to come together at the new center and watch a movie with your friends for ONLY 1 DOLLAR.  This Saturday, April 28th, we will be watching Jumanji and snacks will also be provided. If you're between the ages of 11-18 and want to watch a movie with us this Saturday night, please sign up at https://goo.gl/forms/IwE2zap2KFNZYDVt1.

We hope to see all of you there!

Zain

    Making The World A Better Place

                       By: Haleema Sadiya

This is what we do at the 99 orphans team. We make the world 

a better place especially for those in need. We cook meals, we have 

fundraisers, we tutor. We go out of our way everyday to think and 

care for those in need, those who are less fortunate than us, those

 who look up to us and smile and think  “Ah another person who came

 to support our cause”. Some people think that when we help people we

 think this: “Ah now since I’m here I’ll get volunteer hours which will look

 good on my college application. After all that's the only reason why I’m

 here”. But that's not what we actually think. We think that from the moment

 we walk out of the door with the noble cause in our mind, determination in

 our hearts and willing to go the extra miles to help humans in need, the 

world will be a better place than when we walked in. This is what we do 

at the 99 Orphans team, and we hope you will too.

We can make a difference

   
     
       Family is a gift from God. Imagine your family was taken away from you. That is how orphans feel. If you were to lose your family it would make a big impact on your life, a person of any age would feel this way. Though we can't bring their family back, we can donate to make their lives a little more bearable. Help us, help the orphans!    

Respect to Everyone

AssalamuAlaikum. My name is Towfiq Aziz. In our 99 Orphan Team, one of our themes is to give respect and dignity to others. Something most of us know is to respect our elders. But unfortunately today a lot of people don't respect their kids. Kids should get respect as well and so should parents. Not just the parents, but all elders, and everybody who lives. It is our 30 Human Rights.Everyone knows we as kids learn more from our elders by what they do, rather what they say.  Everybody has their struggles. So my humble request to everyone, please show respect and treat everyone with dignity. AssalamuAlaikum.

Award Ceremony

Assalamu'alaikum.

The Award Ceremony commemorating outstanding volunteers was very
motivating, with many 99 Orphans volunteers sharing stories and ayahs/surahs
from the Quran, and special guests like a Cary Council member and a
representative from Governor Roy Cooper’s administration speaking.
The speeches were all very inspiring to me. The most stirring one I heard
was Cary Council member Ken George’s speech about volunteerism, and
his time living in the Dominican Republic to help people there. I was also
inspired by all the dedicated volunteers who received the Presidential Award
to volunteer more often and become more passionate about helping people
in need. The amount of time and effort they put into helping others to earn
that was amazing. Great job to every single member of the 99 Orphans team.
Even a tiny contribution makes a lot of difference to the orphans around the
world. Keep up the awesome work!

You don't have to be an adult to help

Assalamualaikum!

My name is Asiya Ahmed and as a member of the 99 orphans team, I love helping out, whether it's a minor role or a major role. I can do so many things to help an orphan, even if I'm only 10 years old. Remember, you don't need to be married with children to donate. You probably have loose change on you - and even if you don't, you can ask your parents if you can borrow money.
But every penny counts. When you have a $10 bill and you use it to buy something that's $4.99, you're going to get change back. If you don't know what to do with it, donate to the orphans! If you keep doing this you'll have 100 pennies - or a dollar - enough money to buy cheap socks at a store. See, even your smallest acts can help an orphan through this chilly season.
So whether you're an adult, a teenager, or a kid, you can make a young child who is suffering feel a little happier. All you need is encouragement and a couple of pennies.

Asiya

The Spring Fest

The Spring fest was the funnest event so in the year of 2018. We had things like food, drinks, and many activities for us children. We had things like playing on the Xbox, making cool toys called squishes, and decorating cupcakes. The food was great too! There were things like noodles, chicken tenders and some great homemade smoothies! And Lastly we help the orphans by using 1 dollar tickets to use the stations or buy the delectable food. All of the proceeds would go towards helping the orphans that we are trying to sponsor. The Prophet(PBUH)said "The best house among the Muslims is a house in which there is an orphan who is treated well. And the worst house among the Muslims is a house in which there is an orphan who is treated badly."

Zakat: An Islamic Perspective on Giving

Assalamu Alaikum,

We are very excited to have a new facility in the Triangle. This new facility will help us organize more events and fundraisers for the community and will help us reach our goal in the future.

As we are approaching Ramadan, I would like to talk about the importance of Zakat. Zakat refers to the purification of a muslim's wealth and soul. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, which means that it is mandatory for muslims to follow. In Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 274, the Quran states "Those who give to charity night and day, secretly and publicly, receive their recompense from their Lord; they will have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve." This means that Allah will repay our efforts of Zakat by protecting those who do Zakat. 

One of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (SWS): "Do not withhold your money, (for if you did so) Allah would withold His blessings from you."

Lemonade Stand - by: Eesa R.

Service to Others

While there are many great hadiths about helping others, I would like to share a quote from a Muslim who died only two years ago, Muhammad Ali:

"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth."

You can pray and fast as much as you want, but helping others is also a form of worship. If you live your whole life in a selfish bubble, then there is barely a point to it at all. We all like to have fun, acquire money, enjoy material things, and participate in other human activities, but no one should occupy this earth without "paying rent" by helping their fellow human beings who may not be as fortunate. 

How do we begin to create a life of service that will give our lives meaning and touch the lives of the ones in need? The first step is to turn our good thoughts and intentions into actions, and then the rest will follow. 

Spring Fest

The spring fest was a blast and was lots of fun. It was a very successful gathering and we made lots of money to help the orphans. All of the stands were great and all the people that came had loads of fun. The stand that I was part of wasn't as successful as we thought it would be. We thought that doing the things that we like to do would attract others to come to the stand. But next time we should be more considerate on what others like and not just the things that we like. Next time we will focus on something that all ages would like and come to.

Helping others

Assalamualaikum My name is Haleema Sadiya. What is helping others? Is it donating money for an orphan? Is it hosting a fundraiser for the needy? In my opinion it is doing what you can for another person without asking for anything in return. This is what we do at the 99 orphans team. We do fundraisers, ask for donations, cook meals, but we never ask for anything in return. The smile on the persons face or the fact that we helped another person is enough reward for us. So take my advice and help others and you will get a reward without asking for it.

Orphans in NC by Hasan Khan

If a person sees a small, thin child on the side of the street, they might think "Oh my god! There is a poor hungry child on the side of the street!", or "eh, that child is not my problem", and then they will just walk right on.This is wrong! These orphans need our attention, especially the attention of those who are fortunate enough to have the basic necessities. According to newsobsever.com, there are more than 10,000 orphans in North Carolina. This is the same state that we are living in right now, and many people here consider orphans to be a minor issue.  This means that our duty is not done, and we have to continue to help these children in every way possible. Some ways to help these children, are to raise funds for orphans, and/or distribute food and clothing to the area that these kids are living in. We can also adopt some of the orphans, or build orphanages for these poor young children.

Poverty in NC

Imagine a starving child, on the side of the road, begging for food, shivering due to the frigid temperature. You may think this is the story of someone in a third world country, but it is actually happening right here in North Carolina. This is the reality for thousands of children and their parents in the state. According to raleighrescue.org, here in Wake County, there are approximately 3,000 students that have experienced homelessness, and about 1 in every 30 kids in Wake County will experience homelessness. Each night, there are about 15,000 people living on the streets in North Carolina, a place where you would expect homelessness to not be an issue. There are many ways in which we can help to eradicate this issue that nobody should have to deal with. We can raise awareness about this issue by spreading the word to our friends and family and also by blogging about it on the internet to reach an even wider audience. Many people are in the dark about how many people are suffering from homelessness in a place like North Carolina, where they expect everyone to be living normal lives. By raising our voices, we can educate others and get more people to join the cause and help solve this issue. Another thing we can do is donate money to or volunteer for groups that specialize in helping homeless people. I hope this has inspired you to donate some of your time towards a worthy cause that needs all the help it can get.

Squishy table!

Salam! My name is Meryem. On March 18 we had a spring fest. My friends, and I had a table, where we taught people how to make their own squishes! But before the event, we had to prepare for it.We made a huge poster, we spent a lot of time on it. I cut out 50 shapes, 25 donuts, and 25 circles. We got different colors of paints, and other supplies, such as bowls, and gloves. When we arrived there, we set up our table and made it look nice. We had a box for the tickets we got. Every squishy, was 5 tickets. So many people came and they all had so much fun. Our table was super busy throughout the whole event! We all enjoyed it so much, and I was so happy that we were able to raise $225 for the orphans!

Spring Fest: 🍹Smoothie Table 🍹

Alhamdullilah last Sunday the 99 Orphan team had a successful Spring Fest at Apex Masjid which pooled in over Five Thousand dollars. One of the booths, The Smoothie table, was a hit and raised almost $300 (which is half of how much it takes to sponsor an orphan 😊) and sold approximately 150 cups of two flavors: Magnificent Mango and Triple Berry. Everyone on the team worked together and made fresh smoothies-to-order for our customers. We want to thank all of you for taking the time out of your day to come to support our cause and our effort.

Thanks,
Smoothie Table Team
Tawfiq, Aadil, Maaz, Abyan, Hasan and Nihal

The History of Henna

The History of Henna

          As you might already know, our 99 orphans team held a spring fest not too long ago. We had many stations, of which included a henna table. We have all seen henna on someone's hand (or on your own) at some point and thought, wow that's pretty! But have we ever wondered about the history behind this beautiful tradition? Well, there's actually a pretty interesting story behind the origin of this art.

          Henna (also known as Mehndi) is a plant which grows in the tropical climates of Africa, northern Australia, and southern Asia. Since it contains a pigment that causes its staining quality, it's used for dying hair and body art designs.

          The art of henna designs go back to 5000 years ago in Pakistan, India, Africa, and the Southeast, but there's records of it even going back to 9000 years ago! It all started when people found out about the cooling properties of this plant that would cool the body when it was applied. Because of this, in hot places, people smeared it all over themselves to keep cool. Then, instead of just spreading it on themselves, they'd make it into intricate, beautiful designs, which soon became to have more meaningfulness.

         Henna is traditionally used for special occasions like holidays, birthdays and weddings in Africa, Pakistan, India, and the Middle East. It was also proven to have some medical benefits, too. Henna is considered an herb, and has long been known to have healing qualities. In ancient times it has been used for headaches, stomach pains, burns (including sunburns), open wounds, as a fever reducer, athlete's foot and even the prevention of hair loss. It is also a sunblock and has been used on the noses of animals to prevent them from getting sunburnt.

Now that you know about the story of henna, spread it around and share this with someone else!

 

Hunger

1. Can you imagine how it feels when your stomach is growling and you don’t have anything to eat? Fasting in Ramadan is supposed to make us sympathize with those who are suffering from hunger every day, and make us want to alleviate their pain. That is the life of 22.6% of children in North Carolina, who live in households with “food insecurity”. This is the term for households experiencing limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods. That’s almost 1 in every 4 kids in our state starving. This is simply unacceptable and must change. According to statistics, North Carolina is the 8th hungriest state in the US. Instead of taking our blessings for granted, we should reflect on what we are doing to help our fellow countrymen and women. In the Quran (76:8-9), Allah says “The righteous are those who feed the poor, the orphan, and the captive for the love of God, saying “We feed you for the sake of God alone, we seek from you neither reward nor thanks.”Even if we can’t dedicate a lot of time and energy to helping these unfortunate people out, we can at least donate a little food or money to them for the sake of Allah. As Mother Teresa said, “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”
2. Reminder: Please come to the 99 Orphans Spring Fest tomorrow, and spread the word to your friends and family. It will be at Apex Mosque from 3-6 PM. 

Help the orphans

       Losing one’s birth family and being placed in an orphanage, regardless of the age it occurs, it is a traumatic experience. Can you imagine being an orphan? Helpless and alone. Well, there are thousands of orphans who don't have anything. Barely clothed children from all over the world suffer every day. If we can help these orphans just the slightest bit that might make all the difference. Help the orphans today! And, maybe you will make the difference, maybe you can make an orphan smile, and brighten up his/her world.

                                                          Thank you

Henna Table ~ Spring Fest on March 18!!

Looking for something fun and exciting to do on the weekend? The Spring Fest is almost here! From drinking delicious smoothies to getting your henna done, this is the perfect opportunity for you to have fun with your family and friends.

Come to the Apex Mosque from 3-6 this Sunday to get any of the following beautiful designs:

They cost only 5 tickets!!

By purchasing tickets online early you will get 15 tickets for the price of 10. What are you waiting for? The deadline for early tickets has been extended all the way to this Friday, so hurry up and buy your tickets now! I'm looking forward to seeing you at the henna table this Sunday!!
Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spring-fair-to-benefit-orphans-tickets-42749631298

Homeless people in North Carolina: Who Are They and How Many Are There?

AssalamuAlaikum. My name is Towfiq Aziz and I'm going to be talking about homelessness in and around North Carolina, who they are and how many there are. Many homeless people start out with jobs and stable residences,but then social and economic factors intervene, causing a rapid change in their living situation. according to last year, there were 884 homeless people in Wake County and even more homeless veterans in NC, a rise from 2016-2017 888 to 931 veterans.Data from 2014 in NC, According to the NCCEH data, "Children make up 22% of North Carolina’s homeless population and another 13% are their parents. Single men make up nearly half of the homeless population (47%) while single women are 17%. Statewide, veterans are 10% of the homeless population." In Wake County, there are 1,170 homeless people, which is 0.12% of the population in that county. While Durham County has 758 homeless people which is 0.26% of the population in that county. And Orange County has 108 homeless people which is 0.08% of the population in that county. We need to figure out how to help them. I hope and pray that this has inspired you to at least make Dua and donate some money to homeless people in and around NC, or anywhere! Allah (SWT) is going to help us if we try InshaAllah. AssalamuAlaikum.

The Government Isn't Doing Enough to Help These Syrian Refugee Orphans

These days in the news there is a lot of press and attention gravitating towards lots of war-torn Middle Eastern countries like Syria. We see pictures of kids with dirty and ripped clothes, families with nothing to eat but scraps and leftovers, and houses destroyed by the war. Many of these families know that they don't have a future in the country, so they flee and try to seek refuge in other countries, some countries are happy to home them and take care of them but many also shy away from the opportunity to save these peoples lives. This is not the case for kids who have lost both their parents in the war, they are lonely, homeless, and starving. America has taken in 17,000 refugee families but of those 17,000 families, only one has been an unaccompanied minor. This is a very big problem. The government makes it seem like people aren't ready or are scared to house a refugee from a middle eastern country but is absolutely false. Countless Americans from all over the country reached out to the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service begging if they could adopt or foster an orphan in need of a family from Syria. Although the US has an Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program which started after the Vietnam War, they have only accepted 13,000 minors since then and only take in 200 minors a year. This program has lots of potential because they fully support the kids they educate them and help them understand the culture, but is this really the best we can do. In conclusion all though we have the ability to fully support these refugee orphans we don't. We are waiting on people in the government who see the pictures and videos of these kids and families suffering and aren't using their full potential or ability to help the kids.

Come get a smoothie at the Spring Fest!

Do you want a delicious, ice cold smoothie? 

Assalamualaikum, I am Nasi Rahman. If you do want a smoothie while playing games and spending time with your friends and family then come on down to the Spring Fest. For the smoothie table we will have two smoothie flavors, the Magnificent Mango and the Triangle Triple Berry Smoothie. We will give out a a free smoothie to the first 3 customers, so come quick to get our refreshing smoothie for free. We wil be selling our smoothie in quantaties of 8oz. If you come out and buy a smoothie it is a win-win. You get to enjoy a smoothie and all the money raised is donated to the orphans. Thank you and I hope to see YOU at our smoothie table! For more information: Spring Fest Information

Hunger in NC

Hunger in NC

Kids everywhere suffer from a lack of food. In North Carolina, almost 1 in 4 children starve. NC is one of the top ten states with the highest percentages of citizens experiencing food shortages, with over 1,764,000 suffering. Greensboro, HighPoint, and Winston-Salem have the highest levels of food insecurities in the US. However, fortunate citizens fight to lower these numbers and about 160,000 people receive emergency food assistance. But even these families don't know when their next meal will be or where it'll be from. Food pantries struggle to gain enough food to support families and often have to turn hungry people away. More than a million people have to choose between paying for food or paying for living expenses like health care, medicine, heat, or homes. These people who struggle day in and day out aren't strangers either. An estimated 22% of them used to serve in the military and about 6% are currently serving. They are protecting us and in return we let them starve. Before we take advantage of how blessed we are, we should take a moment to step back and observe the horrible conditions our neighbors and friends are subjected to. How hard would it be to spare some money or food? Any small amount of help may seem insignificant to us but for them, it could be the difference between life and death.

Foster Kids in North Carolina: Who are they? How many are there?

AssalamuAlaikum, my name is Towfiq Aziz. Today I'm going to talk about foster kids in NC, who are they, and how many there are. So first of all, who are foster kids? They are kids between the age of  2 months old babies to 21 year old grown adults. They are kids who have been abused, neglected, medically neglected, incarcerated, abandoned, truancy, whose parents have died, voluntarily placed, juvenile offender, or are runaways. How many are there though in North Carolina? There are over 11,000 foster kids just in NC. In Wake County there are almost 700 foster kids, for absolute numbers, it is 687 foster kids. What are ways to help? Well, there are lots of ways, but the main way is by making Dua. Alhamdulillah, we have been blessed with great living circumstances with our family. There are also other ways like adopting a foster kid or donating money to them. InshaAllah, this has inspired all of us to at least make Dua. Don't forget to share this and spread the word, AssalamuAlaikum.

The 99 Orphans program is one of the greatest programs that I have had the pleasure to be involved in. Since I have joined this team last fall, I have been able to positively impact my community in so many different ways. I was able to help out in the game/ family night fundraisers we held, help make food to raise money for different kids, and overall develop crucial leadership skills that can help me in my everyday life. From the day I went to the Award ceremony last season and watched all these kids coming up and describing their experiences, I knew I wanted to get involved in this program in some way, shape, or form. At that Awards ceremony, the impact this foundation had on the surrounding community became apparent, as even kids who this program was created for talked about the great opportunities this program gave them.

Sincerely,
Ali Ahmed

Why I Joined the 99 Orphans Team

AssalamuAlaikum. My name is Towfiq Aziz and I am a new member of the 99 Orphan Team. I joined because I was inspired by 3 things. First, the trophy ceremony back in 2017. I feel like it would be an honor to help the needy. Secondly, I always ask myself, "What if I was the orphan in this situation? How would I feel if I had no parents and no money to help myself?". Finally, my last inspiration was from the Quran. From Juz number 30, Surah number 89, Surah Al-Fajr, verse 17 and 18. Allah (SWT) says (17)"No! But you do not honor the orphan,"(18)"And do not encourage one another to feed the needy." I feel like if I don't help, there will surely be a punishment since I know the current situation. That goes for anyone else who knows the current  situation too. You can help too if you are not already by donating even a dollar, even a penny to the needy! We all can help by making a simple Dua to help the needy! I hope I inspired somebody by reading this. AssalamuAlaikum.

Giving Back

Giving Back
By Nadya Mehasanewala

Everyday, millions of lives are lost
But it's the family and friends that pay the cost
Especially the children of those who are gone
Have to suffer the pain from dusk till dawn

But at night is the time where conditions are the worst
And they have to bear the feeling of hunger and thirst
While we're in our homes, safe and sound
We don't stop and think about those around

What this world is becoming is quite insane
Where everywhere we look, there is hunger and pain
But we can change this world by giving back
To those with experiences that luckily we lack

Donating $2 helps an orphan for a day
Keeping poverty and hunger for that orphan away
It's the little things we do that make a big change
Causing people's lives to rearrange

So donate to help an orphan out
And see what giving back is all about

How I'm Helping Out the Team

Assalam Alaikum,
My name is Asiya Ahmed and I am a member of the 99 orphans team. My sister's friend told her about the team and on the first meeting she went to, I decided to come along. At first I had no idea what the purpose or meaning of this program was, or what events they were planning. When they went around the room asking for ideas of a money-raising event, my friends had suggestions like a "bake sale" or a "lemonade stand". I had nothing, though, so we moved on. Soon I started brainstorming, and learned that even if the ideas aren't my own, I can still help out by helping, for example at the ice cream social: I helped clean up, I helped by buying food (:-p), I helped my friends chop strawberries - and even though we could be sitting and watching TV or playing games with friends every Sunday, I think it's great that we are all gathered here, getting volunteering hours and helping out.

What is 99 Orphans All About!

Salaams, my name is Zain and this is my second year working with the 99 orphans program. I enjoy helping make a positive impact on the community around me, so when I heard about this team and their mission, I couldn't say no. It is statistically evident that in North Carolina, specifically Wake County, the number of orphans and foster children continue to grow at a steady pace. To help make an impact in this area, we as a team conducted numerous clothing drives in order to collect all types of clothing for foster children in Wake County. For the orphans, our team conducted numerous charitable events including tea parties and and iftaars in the past. In 2017 we were able to reach our goal of 99 sponsoring 99 orphans and we hope to accomplish the same in 2018. To get things going, our team decided to host a 99 orphans spring fest through which we would be able to gain funds to support orphans across the globe. The event would attract many muslims in the community through the great variety of food as well as the many different activities for the children. I'm very excited for the event and I believe this will help us raise enough funds for a handful of orphans. Can't wait to see all of you guys there!