Founded in 1993, Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) is part of one of the largest Islamic NGOs in the world with offices and affiliates in dozens of countries, including the United Kingdom, South Africa, Germany, and Pakistan. The organization’s headquarters are in Alexandria, Virginia, and it has regional offices in California, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, and Illinois.
Since its inception, IRUSA has provided a range of humanitarian services to vulnerable populations worldwide. However, in line with Islamic teachings that suggest “charity starts at home,” the nonprofit operates a variety of programming designed to support American families in need.
Below is a look at IRUSA’s charity and advocacy work in the US.
Hot meals program
Food distribution is one of the many ways in which IRUSA supports vulnerable and low-income families in the US. Over the years, it has partnered with national and community organizations to deliver hot meals to families, provide summer food service to students facing food insecurity, and donate turkeys for Thanksgiving. It also operates Ramadan and Qurbani food programs to support American-Muslim families. IRUSA served more than 115,000 pounds of meat to approximately 86,000 people through its Qurbani program in 2021.
IRUSA launched the Hot Meals Monday program in 2021 as part of comprehensive COVID-19 relief efforts. With the goal of alleviating food insecurity in major cities, IRUSA and its donors have raised more than $140,000 since starting the program, delivering meals at various locations in New York City and at the Islamic Center of Detroit. In 2021, the organization also donated 11,616 turkeys and more than 1.38 million pounds of food as part of the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program.
Day of Dignity
IRUSA launched Humanitarian Day, now known as Day of Dignity, in 2002 to encourage supporters to lead or participate in critical humanitarian programs in their respective communities. Day of Dignity events can take place at any time during their year and involve various acts of kindness, whether it’s serving hot and healthy meals, distributing clothing and hygiene kits, or providing free medical services.
Among other Day of Dignity events nationwide, IRUSA partners hosted a pair of events in Washington, D.C. prior to the 2023-24 school year to pass out school supplies to students. It also recently held similar events in Michigan, New Jersey, Denver, Maryland, and Ohio. The organization partnered with Citypak Project to distribute High Sierra backpacks with reflectors and anti-theft loops.
“Our focus is to help as many people as we can with no barriers based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, identity or beliefs,” explained Citypak Project founder Ron Kaplan. “We need to bring people together to help those less fortunate, so we are grateful to Islamic Relief USA for their humanitarian efforts and their generous partnership.”
Disaster response
Disaster response is another critical component of IRUSA’s humanitarian work worldwide. Since its inception, it has funded or been on the ground for relief efforts during the Chechnya conflict, as well as during wars or following natural disasters in Iraq, Afghanistan, Indonesia, and Pakistan, among other countries. It also responds to disasters in the US.
The organization supported survivors of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina and, in 2011, launched its domestic Disaster Response Team (DRT) to help survivors of the tornado in Alabama. The DRT responded to eight national emergencies in 2017 and received a $500,000 grant from the American Red Cross the following year to support relief efforts in Texas after Hurricane Harvey. IRUSA also committed in excess of $5 million to support people during the first year of the pandemic.
More recently in 2022, IRUSA responded to several domestic emergencies, including the water crisis in Jackson, Missouri, as well as Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico and Hurricane Ian in Florida.
Afghan Adjustment Act advocacy
The IRUSA’s most pressing concern from an advocacy standpoint is the passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act. A bipartisan act with principal support from Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the bill would allow Afghans who arrived in the US via humanitarian parole following the fall of Kabul in August 2001 to more easily apply for permanent citizen status. More than 76,000 Afghans came to the US around this time, but fewer than 10 percent have become citizens or received Special Immigrant Visas due to processing delays and an affirmative asylum backlog of more than 400,000 cases.
The IRUSA believes it is imperative that Congress pass the Afghan Adjustment Act, not only to provide permanent protections for those who risked their lives during the evacuation of Kabul but also to avoid wasting time and resources on an already overworked immigration system.
How to help
There are several ways to support IRUSA’s domestic programs and relief efforts. Interested donors can provide a hot meal for one of their fellow Americans through a $10 donation or start a fund-raiser to generate additional funding for the Hot Meals program. You can also volunteer with or donate to its DRT; a $100 donation is enough to ensure families have sufficient resources for temporary shelter.
Supporters can also contact their state senators and representatives and encourage them to support the Afghan Adjustment Act. IRUSA also has an online petition for passage of the act with more than 16,000 supporters as of March 12.