Country Information
Founded: Tribal nations were established around 2400BCE, European colonization began in 1513
Independence (from British control): 1776
Land Area: 9,631,420 Square Kilometers [note: does not include Alaska or Hawaii] (Slightly larger than Brazil or China)
Climate: Greatly varied: temperate throughout much of the contiguous states; tropical in Florida and Hawaii; semiarid in the great plains arid in “Great Basin” of the southwest; arctic in Alaska
Agricultural Land Usability: 18%
Natural Hazards: tsunamis, volcanoes and earthquake activity along Pacific Basin; hurricanes along Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines; tornadoes in Midwest and southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska (major impediment to development)
Environmental issues: air pollution which results in acid rain, water pollution from pesticides and fertilizers, limited fresh water resources across most of the western US which requires precise and careful water management, desertification in many areas
The People
Population: 300,000,000
Infant Mortality Rate: 6.5 deaths / 1000 births
Life Expectancy: 78 years
Major Diseases: nearly 1million people afflicted with HIV/AIDS
Religions: 53% Protestant, 24% Catholic, 2% Mormon, 2% Muslim, 2% Jewish, 7% others, 10% none
Literacy Rate: 99%
Unemployment rate: 5.5%
Population below the UN-established Poverty Line: 14%
Special Conditions
Refugees from a dozen countries total nearly 100,000 persons.
Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, hundreds of thousands of people became displaced.
The city of New Orleans is still in what is considered a beginning stage of rebuilding as much of the residential districts are still heavily devastated.
Identifying the Need
A great deal of poverty exists in the United States underneath the gilded exteriors of the cities and across the wide open expanses of rural communities. There are isolated areas such as the Native American tribal reservations and the mountain communities across the Appalachian Mountains whom receive little to no attention. Homeless masses in large cities have various outlets for food and shelter; however people such as the Navajo in New Mexico have little to turn to when resources diminish.
How The Zakat Foundation Has Responded
A great deal of our work in the United States is centered in the Chicago area. This is simply because it is the base of our operations and where we have the best access to volunteer.
Please check with our “Get Involved” section on how you can bring ZF work to your area, volunteer and otherwise help us grow through fundraising efforts as well as charitable work across the USA.
Ramadan Programs
For several years we have offered Iftars in the greater Chicago area; most of which concentrate on the Mosques which serve a predominantly low-income community.
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Udhiya/Qurbani Distribution
Each year we distribute meats on Eid al-Adha to low-income communities on Chicago’s south-side. Many of these families are exceptionally grateful for this distribution as freshly cut meat is a commodity that most cannot afford.
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Backpack Distribution
Every child in the world has the right to having the same tools to get the most out of his/her education. Our backpack programs ensure that children of low-income homes do not have to struggle through each school year with less than the needed supplies.
In the United States this distribution has typically been isolated to the Chicago area; however in 2006 we began expanding by sending a large number to be distributed in Charlotte, NC. If your Mosque would like to participate in either the collection or distribution of these backpacks for low-income families; please contact us today.
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Hot Meal distribution
In 2006, The Zakat Foundation began a distribution called “Zakat Carry-Out” which provides hot meals to homeless and poor people in the Chicago area. For several months we instituted this program through Masjid Ihsan on 51st Street. Our plans for 2007 include more distribution to homeless by working with area shelters.
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Individual Zakat Needs
We recognize our high responsibility to try and provide Zakat to deserving Muslims in the United States. Many Muslims have been stricken with hard times, come from a low-income family, have debilitating illnesses or any number of reasons that cause them to be in serious economic need. Zakat is designed to be a support for these individuals and is just as important in the United States to help those who have been cast aside by the government social networks.
We encourage Muslim-Americans to continue donating Zakat so that we can provide more aid to those who deserve it.
For more information on who is deserving of Zakat, please visit our Zakat Center.
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Inmate Education
The Zakat Foundation of America receives requests from inmates on a weekly basis for books and materials. We have been responding to those requests by sending a simple package which can help them learn and maintain tranquility in their hearts and minds. We would like people to donate books to this project, please contact us for details on the kind of books that are needed as well as prison requirements for these books.
We also need people to donate funds to pay for other materials and postage for these kits.
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Imam Education Scholarships
In the atmosphere generated after September 11th, 2001 it became almost impossible for Muslim communities in the USA to bring Imams and Islamic teachers from overseas for their Masajid or Islamic schools. In order to respond to the growing needs of our community, The Zakat Foundation decided to help American students with full scholarships for study to become imams, chaplains or Islamic teachers.
Qualifications to get this aid included that the student must study here in the USA at the Islamic American University or a similarly prestigious institution. We firmly believe that this is essential for the sake of the Muslim-American community as well as the general well being of our nation as a whole. We need well-trained imams, chaplains and Islamic teachers who have a great understanding of religion and convey it to the larger community.
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Navajo Indian Outreach – 2002 and ongoing
The Navajo Nation is one of the most discriminated and abused groups of people in this country. Though they lay claim to a proud heritage, their lands have been taken and the people are in an extremely impoverished condition. Such is the desperation that many within the Navajo have turned to alcohol and drugs. Zakat Foundation saw an incredible need and rushed to provide aid.
The immediate response was great as the Navajo people welcomed our work and appreciated the efforts of The Zakat Foundation. We provided food and clothing as well as educational supplies
Native Americans have a much higher rate of poverty than the rest of the nation with over 25% of them at the edge of complete famine. The Navajo will say, “I grew up knowing it is wrong to have more than you need. It means that you are not taking care of your people.” The average income for many of these people in the Navajo Nation lands within New Mexico is only $7,000.
A plan is in the works to help the Navajo rebuild their homes. Many live in shacks and remain exposed to the harsh winter cold and blistering summer heat.
Please help us save these people, among the first nation tribes of America.
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Hurricane Katrina relief – Emergency Response – 2005
The Zakat Foundation of America reacts to emergency needs in this country. Through the perilous storm, the vicious side of nature tore a scar into the gulf coast of the United States. Katrina devastated cities and hearts in 2005, and Zakat Foundation was there to help the rebuilding process.
Within a few hours of the team being assembled in Baton Rouge, our team was hard at work unloading the much-needed supplies to Islamic centers and local churches which were all operating as shelters for the displaced residents of New Orleans. We were able to provide new clothing, clean water, food, eating utensils, blankets and even toys to provide comfort to the children of the storm. Though our physical presence only lasted a few weeks, ZF continued to send aid and support through the Islamic Center of Baton Rouge.
In December of 2005, ZF sought to once again head a group into the still devastated area of New Orleans and provide food to those most in need. We were able to distribute over 200 food packages, each of which sufficient to provide for a family for at least a week’s meals. Since this distribution was in the middle of the holiday season, we also handed out candy treats for the children in the poor communities. We were greeted with many smiles and it brought joy to us to provide for these people whom so much of America had already forgotten.
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