Islamic Relief Canada provides international aid relief & works with a variety of communities to strengthen their resilience to calamities, while providing vital emergency aid when disasters occur.

During the month of April, on the sacred month of Ramadan, which is observed by 1.8 billion Muslims around the world, we are acknowledging the work of the local Muslim community at Humber River Hospital (HRH) and our Foundation.

Today, we’re shining a light on one of Humber River Hospital Foundation’s community partners, Islamic Relief Canada. They are an organization that helps in international aid relief and works with a variety of communities to strengthen their resilience to calamities, while providing vital emergency aid when disasters occur.

They also help the impoverished access basic services, including education, water and sanitation, as well as healthcare. Their mission is to inspire and enable people to respond rapidly to disasters and fight poverty through their Islamic values, expertise and global reach.

Collaborating with Humber River Hospital

Islamic Relief Canada at signage unveiling pictured with Sandra Sualim, Foundation President & CEO and Tarek Elgammal, Foundation Board Member

When they collaborated with the Foundation for last year’s Ramadan fundraising campaign for the Patient Comfort Fund, Sohaib Zuberi, the Central and Western Ontario Regional Manager of Islamic Relief Canada, said the partnership with the Hospital gave them an opportunity to give back to the local community.

“Charity starts at home and this initiative was very powerful in driving the message home that we will never forget the vulnerable people of our community, as well as the frontline workers who have courageously helped the community during these difficult and testing times,” Sohaib said.

In addition, Islamic Relief Canada are looking forward to future collaborations with the Hospital. Sohaib said that Humber River Hospital Foundation’s work with vulnerable populations in Canada aligns with their vision of building a more just world where no one is left behind.

“Together, I hope we can achieve that here at home in Toronto.”

Islamic Relief Canada’s Accomplishments

An Islamic Relief Canada volunteer digging up soil.

Despite the global pandemic, Sohaib said Islamic Relief Canada has successfully provided international support to many groups of people such as the farmers in Palestine, where they helped plant thousands of olive trees.

Meanwhile, on International Women’s Day, they distributed self-care gifts to over 700 women across Canada.

“We strive to harness the generous support of our communities into collective action to bring relief to our brothers and sisters in Canada and abroad,” Sohaib said.

Besides that, Islamic Relief Canada was able to support more rights-holders than ever before, which Sohaib says would not have been possible without the generosity and support of our community.

“We want to acknowledge the importance of a human-rights-based approach to our work,” he said. “The rights-holders we support have a right to access the resources and services we are providing. They aren’t just passive recipients of aid.”

Message to the Humber Community

Now, as we’re in the month of Ramadan, Islamic Relief Canada is excited to welcome back the community at their events and campaigns across Canada. They will be delivering warm meals and food hampers to shelters across the country.

With that being said, Islamic Relief Canada wants to empower their community to be the relief. Sohaib says they are envisioning a Ramadan without hunger, without thirst and without loneliness.

“As individuals, we can volunteer our time to help package warm meals at our local soup kitchen or visit a friend we haven’t seen in a while or donate our Zakat and Sadaqa (charity) to sustain an orphan or support a disaster-struck community,” Sohaib said. “This Ramadan, each of us can be the answer to a prayer, so we invite everyone to give a little of your Ramadan and be the relief.”

For more information on Islamic Relief Canada, please visit their website at www.islamicreliefcanada.org

Our team at Humber River Hospital Foundation wish you and your loved ones a blessed Ramadan.

This month, we are bringing our community together to once again make an impact at Humber River Hospital, this time for the smallest babies and their families in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Please click here to make a donation.

Thank you and Ramadan Mubarak!