Hurricane Helene made landfall on September 26 on Florida's Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane, leaving a path of destruction over 500 miles long. More than 150 people have been killed across six states including South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. Florida, the Carolinas, and Tennessee specifically have sustained major infrastructure damage and roads and bridges remain closed days after the storm. Currently, around 2.1 million people are without power.

IRUSA’s Disaster Management Team (DMT) is working to deploy staff and volunteers to perform muck outs of damaged homes to remove anything contaminated during the hurricane including furniture, drywall, etc., to prevent mold. 

Racial inequity, homelessness, poverty, and the effects of climate change are just a few issues Americans face on a daily basis. And now, inflation is on the rise as food and gas prices are soaring, exacerbating an already difficult circumstance for families across the country.

As Islam teaches us, charity starts at home, and that’s why Islamic Relief USA is dedicated to supporting work across the US that provides families with the tools to succeed.

Take a look at a few of our programs below. 

In 2024, IRUSA provided support to more than 15 different community groups across the country, serving 50,000 people* with programs ranging from accessibility for the deafdeaf Muslims to family success planning; environmental education to eviction prevention; mental health support to mentorship programs for high-risk youth; unity programs to work through community problems; and even an aeronautics camp to inspire underrepresented youth interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to safety support for survivors of domestic violence.

IRUSA has been responding to emergencies across the country for more than a decade. Since 2011, our Disaster Management Team (DMT) has responded to more than 50 disasters. When Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas in July 2024, IRUSA responded immediately – supplying food, water, and emergency flood buckets to families in need. 

A few of our long-term disaster responses also include constructing “flood shelves” in 100 homes in the wake of Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico, and supporting communities across North Carolina in response to repeated devastation from Atlantic storms – namely hurricanes Mathew, Florence, and Dorian.

Day of Dignity, a day of service, is an opportunity for IRUSA volunteers to provide essential services to communities in need through interventions such as serving hot nutritious meals, providing essential items such as clothing and hygiene kits, and offering haircuts to those unable to afford them. In 2024, IRUSA is expected to host 25 Day of Dignity events across the country, proposedly serving 60,000* people.

IRUSA is working to alleviate food insecurity in major urban cities across the country. With your support, we’re able to reach vulnerable groups and communities whose food and nutrition security have been adversely affected by poverty. In 2024, IRUSA worked with six partners across the country to provide food to 146,000 people*.

IRUSA strives to increase access to food and support those struggling not only during the school year, but the summer as well. That’s why we’re a proud supporter of the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program, a program dedicated to combat food insecurity by providing safe spaces for children in need to receive meals during their break. In 2024, IRUSA worked with nine partners to provide over 50,000 people with healthy, balanced meals*.

IRUSA’s refugee resettlement program strives to help newly-arrived refugees navigate and integrate into their new community within their first 90 days in the country. The goal is to help each family overcome their hardships and become self-sufficient. Since the beginning of the program, IRUSA has worked with six partners to help resettle nearly 600 newly-arrived refugees. In 2024, the goal is to help resettle over 800 refugees across four states.

Every Thanksgiving, millions of families across the country gather around their tables and enjoy a delicious turkey meal. For many families, however, the cost of participating in the joy of the holiday is unfortunately too high. That’s why every November, IRUSA hosts turkey distributions in cities across the country. In 2024, IRUSA worked with 60 partners to distribute turkey to 80,000 people*.

When you make the decision to help fundraise for the effort, you go beyond just thoughts and prayers. This increased IMPACT is priceless, because it means we’re able to meet more needs of those who are waiting for us to lend a helping hand.

And if you're reading this message, it's because you want to go beyond the call the duty. For you, it's not enough to just keep those children in your thoughts and prayer.  You want to double your impact by helping to sponsor these emergency efforts and helping deliver aid to those affected by creating a fundraising page. Get started by creating your page today!

We’re so glad you came. Just scroll to the top of the page and click "become a fundraiser" to setup your page and start promoting to your network via e-mail, social media, and your preferred messaging app. Even with a goal as small as $50, you can provide urgent food aid for families.