Islamic Relief & Dartmouth Spring 2007 Katrina Voulunteer Mission New Orleans LA

This film documents the volunteer mission of 42 volunteers from three groups in the State of Louisiana to aid those communities affected by hurricanes Katrina & Rita. Sponsored and guided by the Islamic Relief and Dartmouth’s Tucker Foundation; these volunteers completed magnanimous amounts of relief effort during their two week spring break. These efforts included gutting/sanding houses and Islamic Schools, feeding the poor, playing with the youth of poverty, sorting food at the Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans and of Baton Rouge and so much more.

Taking a Break from the Ordinary

I was very hesitant to make expectations about the trip before I came down here in case they would not be fulfilled. I didn't want to risk being disappointed, but the trip had gone way above and beyond anything that I could have hoped for. I learned so much about the situation and started to really have a desire to do as much as I possibly could for New Orleans.
-Dartmouth College student volunteering with Islamic Relief

Winter and spring breaks for college students are notoriously known for their days of carefree relaxing, winding down after finals, and nightly partying. But instead of the expected recess of lounging and idleness, two groups of Dartmouth students headed down to the Hurricane Katrina-devastated areas of Louisiana to assist Islamic Relief in its relief and recovery projects in the Gulf Coast.

For about two weeks during winter break this past December, 42 Dartmouth College students took the long journey from New Hampshire to Louisiana to do their part in assisting in the aid efforts.
"Working in New Orleans and Baton Rouge has been an extremely enlightening experience for me; I only wish I could do more for people," said Dartmouth student Winnifred Lewis. "All the destroyed houses and the many trailer parks were life-changing sights. Being here allowed me to not only see and appreciate the depths of the problems here, but it also allowed me to feel empowered in that we can change this."

On their first day in New Orleans, the students received a thorough tour of the devastation in the Lower Ninth Ward and other parts of the city. The student volunteers helped Islamic Relief feed the poor and those living in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailer parks, distribute bedroom and kitchen sets to evacuees, sort, provide, and distribute groceries in a warehouse, among other activities.

"I'm glad that we did various projects that forced us to interact with the people we came to help because it was through these that we were able to touch people and be touched by them," said Amara Ugboaja.
Another student added, "I came down here to gain perspective on the meaning of suffering and calamity. There is certainly personal turmoil we endure, but witnessing others' suffering allows us to learn gratitude."

Volunteers have been the backbone of Islamic Relief's relief efforts in the Hurricane Katrina-affected areas. This experience not only provides volunteers the opportunity to help their fellow Americans in need, but also allows them to leave with a better understanding of the needs of others and strengthens their desire to do more to help within their own local communities.

"This trip has given me the opportunity to help for two weeks, but it has also given me the opportunity to learn and acquire the skills to help more in the future. I look forward to it," said Sasha Otero.

Expressing the sentiment of many volunteers after such a unique lifetime experience, Alim Shaikh said, "All the work we've done here has been such an incredible and moving experience, I cannot help but want to come back here in the near future."

From Partnership, the official newsletter of Islamic Relief, Spring 2007

Humanitarian Day Training 2007

Humanitarian Day Training 2007

In preparation for the annual Humanitarian Day during the month of Ramadan representatives from 22 cities have gathered in the LBC to share learn and refresh the basic principles for coordinating a Humanitarian/Social Service event. Founded by the ILM Foundation who possesses a righteously rich history of helping humanity and sponsored by Islamic Relief USA for the past few years.

The ILM Foundation (ILM) established Humanitarian Day (H-Day) as a community Project in the month of Ramadan to serve the homeless and Untie the Muslim community. After a few years, ILM realized the importance of providing more then food and created a coalition of Muslim Organizations. Islamic Relief was among the founding members of that coalition

In Planning for 2005, the leadership from Islamic Relief and the ILM Foundation felt homelessness to be a national crisis that demands a national response. The following year Islamic Relief Campaigned for a National effort expanded to 15 cities serving nearly 20,000 people. H-Day is the largest humanitarian event developed and implemented by Muslims in America during the month of Ramadan

Islamic Relief is a tax exempt nonprofit, registered in the State of California (1993) that strives to alleviate suffering, hunger, illiteracy & diseases worldwide regardless of color, race or creed by providing aid in a compassionate and dignified manner, providing rapid relief in the event of human & natural disasters and establishing sustainable local development projects allowing communities to better help themselves. Islamic Relief operates relief and development projects in over 35 countries and provides grants to projects around the United States; Humanitarian is our first national domestic project

ILM Foundation is a 501 c 3 faith-based non-profit organization founded in 1998. ILM means knowledge in Arabic, however, the acronym stands for Intellect, Love and Mercy. Their mission is to “Teach Life Skills to Replace Social Ills”. This Mission is implemented through the following programs: eat Right to Think Right, Go Beyond the G.A.M.E student athlete mentoring, and Partnerships for Humanity. Their list of marquee annual events includes Humanitarian Day, MECA Fest, Islam is a World Movement, and Go Beyond the G.A.M.E sports camp. ILM Foundation, in 2006, opened another chapter in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Number of cities involved increases each year-5 in 2005; 14 in 2006, 22 in 2007. As more cities join us the character of the event emerges. We want this event to be clear and identifiable to the community-at-large so that we can meet Goal #2- Provide an opportunity for the community to observe Muslims in a positive role

*Please see the Humanitarian Day training resources in the Picasa Photo Albums to the right

General Humanitarian Event Tips

Coordinating an event to feed the poor, make children smile or to service humanity in general takes planning and a dedicated team. In basic preparations for a humanitarian event your team must be assembled, assigned task and coordinated with an aim of a fluid success. Fluidity implies choosing the path of least resistance, feigning away from micromanaging but at the same time paying attention to details. The details are the people you are serving, their families, their feelings, their needs and their happiness. The stimulating feeling one gets as they realize some one genuinely cares about them and the condition they are in surpasses perception.

The core teams of volunteers you select to aid in your vision and movement towards helping humanity must be trustworthy, humble, respectful, courteous, patient, kind, and posses the ability to become emotionally detatched when necessary. When helping those in the dust you and your team may witness horrid things, be prepared. This core group of volunteers must be entrusted to delegate specific tasks assigned for them to carry out. To be able to delegate any task effectively you must have a blueprint of what is in your heart. If you want to feed the poor and have fun for the kids what will you give them? How will you procure this? How will they take what you are giving with them? How is this done islamicly and efficiently? How much will this cost? How much does this cost? If you are trying to provide health care, dental services or a combination of humanitarian efforts you must ask yourself similar questions and others like those regarding liability issues.

Each team assigned a task must be given trust. They must accept this trust to be responsible and to do their job the best they can collectively. This trust will give the coordinator of the event flexibility to manage all other delegated tasked with a general management mindset. After giving the teams a detailed goal or end result of what you want and how you want it they are to be entrusted with the task. Once entrusted with the task they are not to be micromanaged for this is counterproductive and facilitates unwanted drama. The coordinator must trust to a certain extent that his teams wit, intellect and ingenuity will suffice for his or her unspoken suggestions. Freely give your ideas and input within your ongoing and spontaneous councils. Do this with a tone of peer suggestion, not the roar of the dominating shot caller. Asserting your position of leadership is to be done with wisdom and only when appropriate and necessary. If you use wisdom and humility as you lead your team and serve the masses you will find it easy to flow with the show already written.








Know that inshALLAH the next one will be even better

Flexibility Ingenuity Resourcefulness Resilience

Flexibility is a necessity. Being able to alter prearranged logistics is vital when all that matters is success in the goal. Being able to have team members that can go with the flow is more then crucial. For the most part the teams that are currently down with me from Dartmouth are doing an exceptional job in this department. Ever since our original housing plans fell through they were able to roll with the transition into their current housing accommodations.

Ingenuity in collaborative efforts is inspiring, motivating and arguable best of all productive. You are as strong as your weakest link until ingenuity suffices for that weak link.

Of course having team leaders and team members who are resourceful allows you to exercise your energy in other areas. What is beautiful is that this also promotes the reduction of stress incurred from micro management issues. This in turn allows you to perform longer, strong and with more tact.

Resilience is the mental, emotional and physical pain tolerance needed to survive generally but specifically if you come to volunteer in the dirty south. Gulf Coast territories in neglected hoods and ghettos possess pain, rage, suffering depression and more. I personally place traumatic events at the back of the brain to keep going so that I don’t find myself bogged down in disillusionment. A couple of days ago when I took two of the teams to the largest FEMA Trailer sites called the Renaissance Village my teams had to witness a bloody fight amidst armed guards. A few days later after a hard days work one of the teams sleeping in a newly renovated apartment that hasn’t been used since Katrina had to deal with serious plumbing issues. Plumbing issues so bad that they had to flee the flow of septic water which soiled their sleeping quarters and sleeping bags at 2:00 in the mourning. To be able to go back to work the next mourning and gut houses with any kind of work ethic is the essence of resilience.

Contingency Plans to suffice often do more then that

Contingency Plans to suffice are not just clutch but more then nice. Two days ago I received three teams of volunteers from Dartmouth College in the City of New Orleans. Long before their arrival I promised to secure their housing and feed them. During their orientation it was confirmed that my initial housing plans fell through. At this time I was hoping and praying that a door would open up to house the volunteers within my means. I was able to secure housing for all the women in a three-story house upon my first request. On my next appeal for housing for the men I was blessed with hope. One of the foremen for the gutting and remodeling missions offered his house that was in the midst of repairs, with no walls carpet or lights. Electricity was running and the plumbing installed that day. Some of the volunteers were actually excited to rough it and camp in the back yard because the interior was full of dust and fiberglass from insulation. Their team leaders decided against the idea and the two teams of men decided to camp next to the majid in the yard were the orientation was held earlier that day.

Day one was a near failure if not a complete one when scrutinized under my methodology for volunteer hosting. Basic principles like providing the best food, shelter etc. The best is not always available for you to supply or provide and that's were the trial begins. A trial for the volunteers in respect to their resilience, a trial of faith and patientience for me no doubt. The next day they worked hard gutting a house and a masjid in Metairie. The next night they were scheduled to volunteer at the largest FEMA trailer site in LA which happens to be in Baton Rouge. They were accommodated in my home and the local masjid of which they found superior to the previous accommodations in the cool dirty hood of New Orleans. This gave them more confidence in me as their host and director which in turns make it easier to accomplish the humanitarian work scheduled with minimal drama.

What was clutch is half way through this post I received a return call from a previous inquiry that confirmed brand new apartments to be provided for the teams at more then reasonable cost for the next 9 days, ALLAH fulfilling my intention to house them and feed them the best I could

Praise be to ALLAH lord of all the worlds

Volunteers

Volunteers

Volunteers for various causes come with all types of intention and expectation. As a volunteer I remember a sense of not knowing exactly what to expect. Volunteers that I have spent time with my humanitarian missions and those on mission of their own all have a sense of sacrifice, whether its time money or physical efforts. On this merit alone volunteer are to be treated with their full rights and more. Volunteers from out of town should be fed the best housed the best and treated like an honored guest should. Local volunteers should be tended in best fashion as well, open to any reciprocity that may present itself for their efforts.

Categories of volunteers off the top of my head

Volunteers who commit for an indefinite amount of time
Volunteer interns who commit for a large amount of time
Volunteers who come for more then a week from out of town
Volunteers who come for less then a week from out of town
Volunteers who locally volunteer regularly
Volunteers who locally volunteer occasionally
Volunteers who locally or from out of town volunteer randomly and unexpectantly

Contrary to a critical number of volunteer’s intentions to rough it in the worst conditions, volunteers themselves should seek the best living conditions as possible. They should seek the best shelter they can, eat the best food they can keep as much positive company as possible. If you come to a disaster site to help those seriously affect by destruction and calamity and you are sleeping in the same conditions, eating in the same conditions ect. You will get burned out, you will get burned out! The overwhelming energy drain will consume you physically, mentally and spiritually. Indefinite volunteers and Intern Volunteers when following this methodology of almost pampering themselves amidst chaos must themselves leave the ground zero of the disaster site for regular time off to take a full recharge at least once a season.

A volunteer alumni should be compiled for a number of reasons like keep an ongoing communication for future event’s, updates and newsletters, to be able to send sincere thank you messages etc.