Source/Credit: Los Angeles Islam Examiner
By Imran Jattala | March 8, 2012
Riverside, California: Rise for Peace Foundation volunteers launch general welfare operations in Inland Empire in the first week of March.
The recently launched charitable organization inaugurated its operations this week by serving its first whopping 300-plus meals to the homeless and hungry individuals in the city of Riverside in California.
The meals were served on Monday and Wednesday at the emergency shelter operated by Path of Life Ministries of Riverside.
According to the organizers of Rise for Peace Foundation, the endeavor is “set up with the sole objective of promoting peace by working to end hunger everywhere.”
To start, the organizers had hoped to feed 150 homeless people once a week by the end of March 2012 but they have already achieved that goal on Wednesday, March 7, during their inauguration week.
The organization brought in nine volunteers to serve the dinners at the emergency shelter on Hulen Place in Riverside.
Speaking about the operations of the Foundation, the chairperson of Rise for Peace, Mrs. Amtul Kareem said this is a fulfillment of her life-long dream and she pledges to continue her combat against hunger in America for as long as she will be able to.
When the Foundation first started to organize, says Mrs. Kareem, they were not prepared for the “sad reality - the immense needs that exists in local surroundings - right here in the US.”
Dr. Waseem A. Sayed, executive director and one of the founding members of the Foundation, says that discussions to start the work began in early 2011 and finally got underway last month.
“Charity begins at home,” says Dr. Sayed. “We plan to now continue this activity and as we get the hang of things our 2012 plan calls for us to increase the frequency.”
“We will continue step by step till we will be in a position to serve food for the hungry on an ongoing three times a day basis,” Dr Sayed added.
Dr. Sayed, who is a scientist by training, has been involved in community service for many years and having done community work in Bolivia in 1987, and built a charitable medical clinic in Guatemala in 1991 under the auspices of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Dr. Sayed brings valuable skills to the Foundation.
Rise for Peace Foundation has brought together several community minded individuals to carry forward their fight against hunger.
Asim Ansari, an experienced businessman from Inland Empire with a strong background in marketing and legal matters, will serve the foundation as its secretary and treasurer.
Jameel Mohamed, a chef and restaurateur by profession, joined the Foundation as operations manager and was admired for the food his team prepared for the first batch of meals he served.
Inez Fraijo, overseeing manager at Path of Life shelter, praised the food and service saying everyone ‘loved the food’ and many came for second servings.
Path of Life Ministries, according the organization’s website, is serving the city of Riverside since 1998 and has become “a premier non-profit service agency committed to serving the greater Riverside homeless, challenged youth and family population.”
For updates visit Rise for Peace Foundation website at http://www.rfpf.org/
Follow Imran Jattala on Twitter: @IJattala
Read original post here: Rise for Peace: Working to combat hunger in Inland Empire and beyond
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