“teach a Man to Fish”

“Whenever“I give him new information, he implementsim it. If I give him an address to a place, he doesn’t ask me for a ride. He goes on his own,” Kareem says. Kareem believes that it’s better to be consistent in providing support to clients than to do a lot at first at the cost of burning oneself out. “A lot of times people help new immigrants b but then disappear after some time. That’s w when clients lose their trust,” Kareem adds. As new refugees that arrived in the cold of winter, the Nadirs were given flu shots to ensure they don’t fall sick. Unfortunately, there was a complication when the flu shot was being administered to Zain which led to a small blood clot and a great deal of pain. He was made to believe by some of his acquaintances that his arm would never be functional again. Kareem reassured Zain that just because he is having medicines for his problem, it doesn’t mean there is something majorly wrong with his arm. “Zain and his wife’s biggest challenge is lack of emotional support,” Kareem says. A few weeks later, Zain had to rush his wife to the hospital because she miscarried her baby. Due to language barrier, they were not able to understand what the doctor was saying to them. “I was really pleased that he called me when he needed help because no one else was there for them,” Kareem recalls. “Of all the people they knew, they called me.” After interpreting their conversation with the hd doctor, Kareem spokek to Zain’si wifeif andd comforted her. She was so moved by his support that she called him afterwards to thank him. “That to me is priceless,” Kareem stresses. Kareem says he doesn’t need them to thank him but is glad that they appreciate his efforts. Though the Nadirs had a rocky start on their new journey in Canada, they are slowly learning their way around and starting to feel more like home. These are real stories where our volunteers have an impact on members of our community helping them progress in their lives. InshaAllah next week we will bring you another story. Please join us to have a purpose in your life to make a difference in the lives of your brothers and sisters by coming to our events and registering as a volunteer or donating to your organization, the Muslim Food Bank and Community Services Society (usually referred to as Muslim Food Bank) at www.muslimfoodbank.com/donate. Our email is contact @muslimfoodbank.com and telephone number is 1-866-824-2525.