Never has the imperative to Love Thy Neighbour been more urgent than it is today. We may be over the worst of Covid-19, but we now face a poverty emergency – with more people pushed into hunger and destitution than ever before.
This will be our second Ramadan in the midst of a global crisis. Last year, demand for food aid at Sufra increased by 400% and we had to rapidly expand our services to support those most in need. With your help, we provided 1725 food parcels and 8448 meals to anyone unable to feed themselves or their children – including providing hot meals for the homeless.
But our work is only just beginning. Extreme poverty is expected to double in the wake of the pandemic as more businesses collapse and the furlough scheme winds down.
This means twice as many people in northwest London struggling to afford food, pay the bills or keep a roof over their heads – half of them children. Migrants (like those we support in our Refugee Resettlement Program) have been, and will continue to be, the worst affected.
This Ramadan, we are calling on our supporters to help us raise £60,000 to support local residents in urgent need of food.
Please support our ‘Love Thy Neighbour’ Appeal. Your donations will ensure we can provide emergency food and other essentials to local families for as long as they need it.
“He is not a believer whose stomach is filled while the neighbour to his side goes hungry.” Prophet Mohammed (saw)
Hassan’s Story
Hassan is a Syrian refugee who fled the atrocities of the war with his wife and 3 young children. Hassan found himself trying to navigate a new life in the UK.
Hassan got a job working in the hospitality sector but when the pandemic hit his zero-hour contract was terminated leaving him with no money to pay his rent, let alone buy food for his family.
Hassan approached Sufra to access the Food Bank and was registered on the Refugee Resettlement Programme. We assisted him in applying for Universal Credit and provided him with an interpreter for his appointments at the job centre.
Unfortunately, Hassan’s Universal Credit did not cover all his household expenses. Hassan was left with the horrendous choice of paying his rent to keep a roof over his family’s head or watching his children go to bed hungry.
Sufra has supported Hassan and his family with ongoing food parcels so neither he, nor his family go hungry. We are also supporting Hassan to become self-sufficient; decreasing his energy bills, finding cheaper accommodation and supporting him to upskill in order to find work again.
“We were forced to leave Syria with dreams of a new life but having to watch your children go hungry is heart-breaking. Sufra is helping us with more than just food and we can now hope for a better future.” Hassan, Sufra guest
Your generous donations will help families like Hassan’s.
Every penny you donate during this spiritual month will directly fund our Food Bank and Community Kitchen Delivery Service.
- £25 provides a food parcel to a family of four for a week
- £50 provides food, toiletries, sanitary and baby products for a week
- £100 delivers a daily hot, nutritious meal to a homeless person for an entire month
- £200 can provide aid to a refugee family for a month
This Ramadan, let’s work together to love our neighbours by ensuring they have the food and essentials they need to get through this crisis.
Zakat al-Mal and Zakat al-Fitr
Sufra NW London is able distribute Zakat al-Mal, Zakat al-Fitr and Fidya on behalf of observant Muslims to needy individuals and families living in North-West London.
You can find our Zakat and Fidya Policy here.
All zakat funds are restricted to providing emergency aid (including food, clothing and hostel accommodation). No zakat funds are used for the general running costs of the organisation.
All fidya and kaffarah funds are 100% restricted to food.
To pay Zakat al-Mal (2.5% of annual savings) use this link.
To pay Zakat al-Fitr, Fidya or Kaffarah (£5/person) use this link.
Take Part in our Ramadan Giving Calendar
This Ramadan you can support Sufra combat food poverty with our Ramadan Giving Calendar.
It’s super easy, we have created a Ramadan Giving Calendar, which has a list of essential items we need. Each day of Ramadan, you will place one of those items (or more) in a box, and at the end of the month, families will have a box full of items to donate to our guests!
Download the Ramadan Giving Calendar here!
