please if you can, kindly contribute.
Ramadan Appeal for Muslim Women, Children and Families
Assalaam alaikum:
I pray that this reaches you in good health and the highest state of peace this blessed Ramadan Season. My name is Robina Niaz and I am the founder and Executive Director of Turning Point for Women and Families. In the spirit of Ramadan when our community remembers the most vulnerable and in need, I am reaching out to enlist your help through Zaka’t or a general contribution for Muslim women and families torn apart by violence and abuse in their homes.
Domestic violence is an epidemic that transcends culture and religion and is stigmatized and under-reported in all communities. However, for the Muslim community, this issue is compounded with the hostile political climate created in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Things such as racial profiling, hate crimes and forced detentions have permeated the Muslim community; and in turn many members have become fearful of accessing services from mainstream or non-Muslim organizations. Our services play a vital role in responding to the needs of our under-resourced community. Turning Point focuses on domestic violence and addresses the needs of Muslim women/families affected by it regardless of race, ethnicity, immigration status, and class. Our services are culturally sensitive, spiritually grounded, confidential, and free.
Last year’s successful Ramadan Appeal helped us raise substantial funds through generous donations from both Muslims and non-Muslims. These funds enabled us to strengthen our programs and services and allowed us to continue providing crisis intervention, counseling, referrals for legal and immigration services, referrals to shelters, non-perishable food supplies, warm clothing, holiday gifts, transportation expenses and emergency cash assistance.
Since then, demand for our services has grown tremendously. To date, we have served over 150 women and during the last one year received an average of 60-65 calls per month. This is three times more than the previous year. We provided 30-35 counseling sessions a month and gave out information about our services through outreach to 6000-7000 people. This summer we launched a Youth Video Project which enabled teenaged girls and young women to learn the art of video making as a tool of expressing themselves creatively. A video created by the Youth Group will be shown at our 3rd annual Ramadan Iftar on September 14, 2008. Additionally, we continued to provide safe and nurturing spaces for young Muslim women to come together, find support, build self-esteem, and acquire leadership skills. As a result girls who were once introverted have become empowered to talk about critical issues that affect their daily lives such as peer, familial and societal pressure, ethnic, religious and gender discrimination.
Our youth members and volunteers also conduct numerous outreach activities and trainings throughout the year. We have provided Domestic Violence trainings to volunteers, community members, and organizations working with Muslim populations in New York City. During 2007-08, we organized several educational and cultural events such as a Women’s History Month event “Celebrating Muslim Women”, a screening of the first documentary on domestic violence in Muslim families: “Garments for One Another: Ending Domestic Violence in Muslim Families”, and our second annual “Mother-Daughter Picnic.” We have also instituted a social work internship program that strives to create opportunities for Muslims going into social work/counseling field.
One teenaged member of our Youth Video Project states: “My experience at the YVTP was nothing short of wonderful. It was a great learning experience, and I really loved the bonding between the other girls and myself. Everyone was very amiable, and enthusiastic about the classes and the project. The program was a confidence booster, because I felt accepted and valued. … It feels empowering to be able to connect to other young Muslim women who are going through a lot of the things you are going through as well.”
During our last fiscal year we were able to hire a full time social worker for the first time! We also hired part-time staff to assist with development and bookkeeping. As a result, we were able to manage our resources more effectively and improve the quality of services provided to Muslim women and families. In April 2008 we also hired one of our active volunteers as a Youth Leader. She coordinated the Video Project, runs the weekly youth group meetings, organizes volunteers, receives phone calls and does client intakes. Of course, we would not have been able to make such strides without the generosity of donors like yourself who believe in the importance of providing these services to our community. We consider ourselves fortunate to have earned your trust and ask for your continued support of our work serving Muslim women, girls and families.
In just over three years, we have made a dramatic impact within the Muslim and larger communities. And so this year, we ask for your support as we seek to strengthen our organizational capabilities, strengthen our infrastructure, and acquire a bigger space to accommodate the growing need for our services.
Thank you in advance for your consideration and support to help Muslim women, girls and families facing violence. Please send your tax-exempt contribution today through our website Turning Point for Women and Families | Home or mail a check to:
Turning Point for Women and Families
PO Box 670086
Flushing, NY 11367
For more information about our services, please visit our website (Turning Point for Women and Families | Home), send us an email at [email protected], or call us at (718) 883-9400. May Allah be with you and your family always, inshallah. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Ramadan Mubarak.
Robina Niaz
Executive Director