State Del. Aruna Miller joins volunteers at the Montgomery County Muslim Foundation picnic. Photo Contributed
Many residents aren’t aware of the scope of the problem of hunger in Montgomery County. However, the Montgomery County Muslim Foundation (MCMF) understands and confronts the challenge of the hunger of the less fortunate by its food collections of non-perishable goods for Manna.
Mark Foraker, director of development and communications for Manna Food, said, “We are proud to have the Montgomery County Muslim Foundation as partners in ending hunger in Montgomery County. Their efforts collected more than 19,000 pounds of food that will help address hunger in our community.” MCMF food collections were located at 12 local Giant Food Stores. They provided volunteers to collect the food all day Saturday and Sunday for two weekends.
On May 3, MCMF held its annual community cookout at Black Hill Regional Park with several hundred people attending. As the culminating event for MCMF’s 2015 Food Drive, this gathering was designed to thank the volunteers whose work were essential to the food drive and all of MCMF’s work throughout the year. Volunteers were awarded a certificate of appreciation from MCMF for their efforts in helping families across Montgomery County.
A number of public officials attended the picnic including state Del. Aruna Miller of District 15; Montgomery County Councilmembers Nancy Floreen, Roger Berliner and Sydney Katz; Montgomery County Council President George Leventhal; the Rev. Mansfield “Kasey” Kaseman, interfaith liaison with the Montgomery County Office of Community Partnership; and many other community leaders who acknowledged the importance of the work being done by MCMF and how it is making a difference in the county. Leventhal said, “MCMF exemplifies the Muslim principles of Zakat (charity ) and Sadaqa (good deeds that please God). I deeply appreciate MCMF’s participation in Montgomery County’s vigorous charitable enterprise.”
Kaseman praised the work of the MCMF: “On behalf of our county executive, I commend the Montgomery County Muslim Foundation for all you are doing everyday that makes our county a better place for everyone to call home. I have been bragging about you because of your reputation for raising and delivering food where it is most needed. Yesterday at a National Conference on Peace and Justice in Washington an advocate for the hungry in Baltimore spoke. I was proud to quickly respond saying, the Montgomery County Muslim Foundation was coordinating a food drive among the Islamic Centers and Mosques of Montgomery County, and they always deliver more food than any other faith tradition.”
The Montgomery County Muslim Foundation (MCMF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that strives to encourage and promote the resident Muslim community’s involvement in community service projects that assist the county's needy regardless of faith, race, gender and seeks to work alongside like-minded volunteers and partner organizations. To learn more about this organization, go to www.mcmfmd.org. or call 301-760-7447.