Day of Dignity 2008

To Whom It May Concern,

During the month of September 2008 (Ramadan), 18 cities across the country will offer Day of Dignity. This is an event that distributes clothing, hygiene products, toys and a hot meal, along with health screening (diabetes, blood pressure and HIV/AIDS testing) to people who are homeless. We need your help.

This event was initiated in Los Angeles CA to give Muslims an opportunity to fulfill their Ramadan obligation to help the needy. The Muslim Community is committed to activities like this to give other Americans the chance to see us working for the good of all people. Each year, volunteer groups are getting better at this event and are bringing in more assistance from area churches, synagogues and community organizations. The cities are Baltimore MD, Boston MA, Chicago IL, Dallas TX, Detroit MI, Elizabeth NJ, Fort Thompson SD, Irvington NJ, Kalamazoo MI, Las Vegas NV, Minneapolis MN, New York NY, Newark NJ, Philadelphia PA, Phoenix AZ, Portland OR, Seattle WA and Washington DC.

Islamic Relief provides support with some product purchase and organizing tools (t-shirts for volunteers, a banner, bags for recipients) and coordinates with media and procedural training. However, this effort is led locally by a group of volunteers. These volunteers are coordinated by The Cultural Cup Food Bank. The event will be held on Sept. 7 with pre-event activities taking place on Sept. 5 and 6.

This letter is to request a donation of in-kind product(s) or cash to support this effort. A list of items needed is attached. We expect to serve nearly 2000 people this year in Phoenix. Local involvement in each event (through financial and volunteer support) is the best way to make the best event – for those serving and those who are being served.

Please join us and support Day of Dignity. We anxiously await your response.

Sincerely,

Zarinah Awad				Clareen Menzies
The Cultural Cup Food Bank Inc.		Islamic Relief
Director 				Domestic Program Manager	
Phoenix, Arizona
602-266-8370

Items needed for Day of Dignity:

Fresh Fruits & Vegetables
New Toys
Daily Bus Passes/ Monthly Bus Passes
Sun Glasses
Alarm Clocks
Wrist Watches
Hats/ Sun Visors
Backpacks
Hygiene Items:

Soap
Shampoo
Deodorant
Toothpaste/ Toothbrushes
Lotion/ Sun Tan Lotion
Shower Shoes/ Flip Flops

Please contact Jessica Berg at 602-223-3413 or jberg@lodestardrc.org for arrangement to have above items picked up or deliver to storage for the Day of Dignity event.

Monetary donations can be mailed to:

Cultural Cup Food Bank / Day of Dignity
P.O. Box 32923
Phoenix, Arizona 85064

May you be rewarded for your generosity.

Thank you,

Fundraising Staff,
Day of Dignity

Islamic Relief’s “Day of Dignity” brings faiths together to serve Phoenix homeless

On September 7, people from all backgrounds will come together for a common cause—helping others.

PHOENIX- Nearly three in ten Americans at some point in their lives have feared not having a place to live, according to a 2007 Gallup Pole.*

Homelessness strikes without regard for race, sex or religious affiliation. On Sept. 7, The Cultural Cup Food Bank, Inc. is teaming up with people from various backgrounds and faiths to host Phoenix’s second annual Day of Dignity. During a full weekend of activities surrounding the event, volunteers will work to bring hope and aid to nearly 2,000 people experiencing homelessness in the valley at the Human Services Campus in Phoenix.

Sponsored by the national Islamic Relief Foundation, Day of Dignity will take place in 19 cities across the country serving more than 25,000 homeless individuals during the Muslim’s holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is a month of giving and compassion, and during this month Muslims fast from dawn until sunset. On Day of Dignity, the Muslim volunteers will go all day without food or water as they hand out lunches to people who experience severe hunger on a regular basis.

Phoenix’s Day of Dignity also includes various groups – such as the Unity Church of Phoenix – who will be coming to the Campus to help create this weekend of live music, karaoke, open-mike poetry, mural making, passing out of “survival kits” and gifts, a health and hygiene fair, wellness checks, social services connections, voter registration, a BBQ, cotton candy, popcorn, snow cones, and more.

“Day of Dignity is a day for volunteers to come together to provide clothing, hygiene items, toys, food, and health screenings to those in need,” said Zarinah Awad, director of the Cultural Cup Food Bank in Phoenix. “It brings people from different faiths and backgrounds together in a common effort to relieve the suffering of those in need. It’s a cause that everyone can agree on.”

The event will take place Sunday, Sept. 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with pre-event activities occurring on Friday at 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Human Services Campus, 1125 W. Jackson, Phoenix, AZ 85007 (Jackson St. and 11th Ave).

Sunday activities for women and children, such as arts and crafts, will be at the Watkins Overflow Shelter. (Contact Lacritia Bacon at 602-262-6899 for Overflow Shelter only).

Participating cities include Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Elizabeth, Fort Thompson, Irvington, Kalamazoo, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle and Washington DC.

About The Culture Cup Food Bank, Inc.

The Cultural Cup Food Bank Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation that specializes in providing food boxes to those in need with dietary restrictions. The organization is located in Phoenix and recently opened the Cultural Cup Free Clinic, which operates the weekends.

* Homelessness in America: Americans’ Perceptions, Attitudes and Knowledge. November 2007. By Gallup, Inc., for the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae).

Media Contacts:

Zarinah Awad, Director
The Cultural Cup Food Bank Inc.
602-570-9549 culturalcupfb@qwestoffice.net

Nancy Gerlach, Administrative Manager
Lodestar Day Resource Center
602-525-4767 ngerlach@drc-az.org

The Cultural Cup Food Bank, Inc.
537 E. Osborn
Phoenix, AZ 85012
http://www.culturalcup.com/