For the fourth consecutive year, the Nova Scotia Islamic Society got together on Saturday to prepare warm meals and winter care packages to hand out for their community.
“Today's meal is going to be Turkish lentil soup, rice, and a Middle Eastern inspired chicken,” says Muna Saadi with the society. “It is a life necessity to have a hot meal at least once a day.”
The food is going to the tent encampment at Green Road Park and a women and children's shelter in Dartmouth.
It's part of a charity effort taken on by the Nova Scotia Islamic Community Centre.
“I believe that everyone deserves to be treated equally. I feel like there's a lot of homeless people in Nova Scotia and we wanted to do something to help out,” says Fares Siddiqi with the community centre.
The idea of giving back to the community goes back to 2019. It began with winter care packages but has since expanded to include hot, nutritious meals.
“They're always grateful, always grateful. And we're always grateful to give it to them as well. They always appreciate it,” says Sanad Artimy, who co-founded the Muslim Youth Community.
Those who delivered meals to people living in encampments last year say the concept of helping one’s community is important.
“One of the days that we delivered meals to Grand Parade, our youth were crying because it was so cold while we were serving the soup. They realize that for them, it was just a few hours serving the meals and they were freezing and they valued what they were providing,” Saadi says.
“In Islam, we have a lot of text and evidence which push us towards our community,” adds Imam Atef Asker. “The five pillars of Islam we have one of the main basics of Islam, which is the charity which we should be part of our community.”
That’s something that's happening, one meal at a time.
