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Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus donate 15,000 pizza slices to Soup Kitchens
In an extraordinary statement for unity and peace, people of many religions, nationalities and races came together to help the homeless and the hungry. They all joined forces for non-profit eyeBLINK’s “Pizza for the Hungry: A Smile brings Hope.” The program created pizza parties with live music in 13 shelters in 4 states, for one week. The goal was to create a moment of joy and celebration for the shelters’ guests.
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June 27, 2008 (FPRC) -- “This was a noble cause that everyone, regardless of their background, wanted to support,” said Obaid Kadwani, eyeBLINK’s business manager and creator of Pizza for the Hungry. “We didn’t expect to throw pizza parties in 8 cities so quickly as we were only in 1 city last year. We felt that we had to let the momentum carry us. Pizza for the Hungry has always been bigger than any one person and any one group. We had several days where there were simultaneous pizza parties in multiple states.” “Pizza for the Hungry” ran from June 16th – June 20th.
“Pizza for the Hungry” has a very simple concept,” added Obaid. “It encourages everyone, regardless of economic level, to help make one happy moment for a person in need. Domino’s came onboard as the pizza sponsor, and that allowed donors to buy two slices for just $1. It is also a celebration of the best in humanity as people from different religions and nationalities band together to help people.”
Doctor Avraham Henoch sponsored pizzas for 2 NYC shelters. “I feel that I’m participating in healing the community by supporting this project. It is “tikkun olam,” which is Hebrew for making the the world better.”
Nikhil and Dipti Bhalja’s company sponsored pizzas for a Newark, New Jersey shelter, “This program let’s us all stand together,” said Nikhil. “It makes a simple, yet powerful point. Just look at what we can accomplish when we focus on making a change, making a difference, regardless of who we are and what our backgrounds are.”
Two Muslim organizations sponsored the pizzas in Jersey City and in Morristown, NJ. “It’s important to make a positive impact and show that Muslims stand in solidarity with good causes,” said Sameena Najib, head of Local Muslims of NJ, a grassroots organization. “In Islam, we are encouraged to perfom Sadqah, which means doing good deeds or donating money to help those in need. It can be as simple as removing a banana peel from the street to prevent someone from falling. So this project, where joy is brought to thousands of people, fits perfectly.”
Michael Fetcho, Boston Rescue Mission’s Director of community Outreach said that “Pizza for the Hungry” was very important. “For people with broken lives, every act of kindness, friendship and generosity is so important to their recovery process.”
eyeBLINK plans to expand "Pizza for the Hungry" to least 20 states next year. It also plans to involve more youth leaders from colleges and high schools to serve as project leaders in their cities. eyeBLINK has also had requests from many other U.S. cities, and from countries including Australia, England and South Africa, to join "Pizza for the Hungry."
Send an email to Obaid Kadwani of eyeBLINK
9173754987
Keywords:
religions, homeless, pizza
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