July 31 2006
A walk to fight poverty
Cash raised by Muslims
By JACK BOLAND, TORONTO SUN
Members of Toronto's Muslim community were out yesterday hoping to raise awareness, cash and a roof for a homeless shelter for new immigrants and refugees.
Abdul Hai Patel, an imam who works with the Ansaar Foundation, said they are looking to build a settlement house or progressive shelter that caters to the needs of new Canadians who come from different religious and cultural backgrounds.
"We have to all deal with this problem, one way or the other," Patel said. "It is our duty as a humanitarian gesture to help people find shelter.
"We can't have people sleeping out on the streets," he said, explaining that the Ansaar Foundation, a charitable organization, provides assistance to all the city's homeless community.
$70,000 LAST YEAR
"Once a month we go out and feed the homeless with different foods like samosa and tandoori chicken," Patel said.
Azhar Qureshi, vice-president of the Ansaar Foundation, said last year's inaugural walk along the Martin Goodman Trail helped raise over $70,000.
"We (the Muslim community) are no different than any other concerned Canadians," said Qureshi, who is willing to help interact with Toronto's homeless.
"We hope one day we won't have to have shelters for people," he said.
Also attending yesterday's walkathon was Toronto Councillor Jane Pitfield and York Region top cop Armand La Barge, who is a co-chairman of the event.
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The Ansaar Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of the homeless in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). This organization was founded by a group of concerned Muslims seeking to address the critical issue of homelessness in Toronto. The Ansaar Foundation provides meals and supplies to those in need from every ethno-cultural and religious background. The Ansaar Foundation has taken on the responsibility on behalf of the local Muslim community to lead efforts to alleviate the suffering.
The Ansaar Foundation is currently working with Toronto City Council to establish a new shelter in the GTA that will provide vital meals, temporary residence, counseling, and rehabilitation services on an ongoing basis for people of all backgrounds.
In addition to a shelter, Ansaar is also planning the establishment of a settlement house for new immigrants and refugees. In support of their cause, the Ansaar Foundation is joining hands with other community leaders and is leading the first ever multi-faith, multicultural walkathon for the homeless on Sunday May 22nd, 2005.
To find out more about this and other initiatives, please visit:
www.ansaarfoundation.org