Arab-Americans in Orlando Come Together for Day of Dignity
SOURCE: ORLANDO SENTINEL
BY: BIANCA PADRO OCASIO
Yasmin Fakhro sits behind a wall of shoes in plastic boxes with her 68-year-old father-in-law, Mohamad Khoja, and her two small children.
Six months ago, the family of Syrian refugees fled their home through Turkey and settled in Orlando. Saturday was their first opportunity to give back and volunteer at the Coalition for the Homeless for the annual Day of Dignity.
The event, sponsored by the Arab American Community Center of Florida and Islamic Relief USA, draws hundreds of Orlando’s low-income residents, many of them homeless, to receive donated clothing, free medical and employment consultations, hygiene products, books and school kits.
“This is the time to volunteer. We don’t want to wait for another [Hurricane] Irma to come to get together,” said Tarik Kabbaj, an AACC board member.
This year, 20 cities across the country participated in the event, said Naeem Muhammad, the U.S. programs manager for Islamic Relief USA.
He said the event is as important for immigrants and people in the Arab-American community who volunteer because it connects them to their own neighborhoods.
“Often times, they’re connected to populations outside the U.S., but there are people in our own communities who have needs,” Muhammad said. “We have enough resources here that we can look after people in other countries and right here.”
Naz Gandikal, who practices osteopathic medicine at Florida Hospital, said she heard about the event from her brother-in-law. This is her first year volunteering at Day of Dignity.
“Everyone’s been really happy and grateful for our help,” she said. She measured blood pressure and wrote numbers down for guests on a piece of paper. Gandikal said a case manager would refer them to additional medical services they can access.
Sofia Zighighi, 11, organized a stack of books on a table. One of her favorite moments was a man’s cheerful reaction when he spotted a paperback copy of Twilight.
“It’s been so great to see the smiles on people’s faces,” she said.
The AACC offers a number of humanitarian services throughout the year, many of them geared toward refugees, said Neal Abid, the organization’s executive director.
“We believe in the work that we do,” he said. Whether or not their community is in the news, he said, their work never stopped.
For others, like Naji Alsahab who is an Iraqi refugee, volunteering gives him a chance to interact with people who feel they want to lead positive lives.
“It’s a great feeling to give back,” said Alsahab, who has lived in Orlando for five years. “I hope I can be an inspiration to a lot of people.”
Kabbaj, who is originally from Morocco, said he was proud to be Arab-American — but he wants his voice to be heard equally.
“We want our voice also to be heard,” he said, “but we want our voice to be heard as the Orlando community or Orange County community, not as foreigners.”
