Waterbury Muslim Community Feeds Those in Need During Ramadan

“Helping those in need is one of our pillars of Islam,” said 8-year-old Arisha Islam.

And that’s exactly what Arisha and her family are doing. For the next several weeks, they’ll help feed those in need outside the Masjid Al-Mustafa Mosque in Waterbury.

“I think it’s helpful and nice,” said Arisha.

“Ramadan represents giving, charity. It is a month, one of the most blessed months out of the 12 months of the year,” said Cheshire resident Shafaq Mian. “It is our duty as a community to give as much as we can to our community.”

So the Islamic American Society of Connecticut is giving free meals to anyone in need. The program runs from 6-7 p.m. every day through Ramadan, which is a month when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and reflect to become closer to God.

“When you fast you also have a feeling of what people who don’t have food, the way they feel, the sufferings of all people,” said Sultan Ali with the Masjid Al-Mustafa Mosque.

Every meal donated was bought at a local restaurant in order to help support businesses. The money for the meals comes from the Muslim community.

Anyone in need can drive up. With social distancing guidelines in place, free meals are placed in the trunk of the car. Organizers are hoping to be able to buy 500 meals a day to help those struggling. They want them to know they’ll be there to make sure no one goes hungry.

“We know that many people around the world are facing hardships due to the pandemic. It is our duty as a community to locally support those we can who are in need,” said Mian.

“There is a greater need of having the food on the table for a lot of families. And being the holy month of Ramadan, it is a month of charity for Muslims. So bringing those two together, it serves a great purpose,” said IASC Vice President Naveed Khan.

If you would like to help supply meals for those in need, you can donate to the Islamic American Society of Connecticut.