Signature Projects

Dose of Deen (a mentoring program for young youth) is a pilot program and new project initiative geared towards preteens and young teens from the 5th to 8th grade.  We believe in the importance of developing youth through a comprehensive approach to providing faith/character development, knowledge, and opportunities for growth. 

Dose of Deen is designed to create a collaborative approach between mentors, parents, and the youth in order to achieve Tarbiya* and ultimately provide mentees with the tools to reach their highest Islamic, social, and professional potential. 

Select youth groups are matched with a mentor for weekly meet-ups where they partake in a comprehensive and structured developmental curriculum. In addition, mentors provide mid-week check-ins to their mentees, along with periodic trips and community service experiences. Parents are provided with updates about their kids, parenting workshops, and educational materials to help them acquire effective parenting strategies and long-lasting bonds with their children. 

The program aims to cultivate and instill confidence, belonging, and purpose by creating an enriching environment that cements our youth's attachment to Islam, their families, and their community.

A Mentoring Program for Young Youth

Interfaith Dinners, Community Events, and Collaborations

“An opportunity to share the beauty of our message.”

Know Your Neighbor Project

This was built from the need to be able to better share our own narrative as Muslims and to create opportunities for further collaboration with our surrounding communities. Our hope is that more and more of these opportunities lend to the ability of our Muslim community to work even more closely with other faiths and cultures on issues that affect us all.

Interfaith & Community Dinners

Our interfaith and community dinners are an opportunity to share the beauty of our message. It is a time when we can break bread and share stories with the local community and faith leaders. Great food and great company allow for an opportunity to break down walls of misunderstanding, and instead give room for not only lifelong relationships but conversations that can lead to meaningful community collaboration projects. We intend to increase these projects year by year by joining with other community members, leaders, and politicians who share our same vision and mission.

Open Mosques

Our Know Your Muslim Neighbor Project consists of several open mosques throughout NY. Local neighbors, organizations and politicians will be invited to participate in short, educational presentation and guided gallery walks on Islamic topics and themes. These events give our neighbors an opportunity to get to know our rich history and religion and to have an opportunity to ask questions and engage in meaningful discussions. Local police and leaders have a chance to address the community and share their visions on what being a great neighbor could mean in the area. There is also be fun, interactive experiences and refreshments for all to enjoy.

Street Da'wah

This part of our project involves weekends where trained Dawah Leaders, like our collaborating partners, Grassroots Dawah, take to the streets to engage with the local community first hand. They discuss Islam with local passersby and guide youth volunteer groups on how to explain their deen (religion) through modeling and coaching. It is an excellent opportunity for our youth and rising leaders to reaffirm what they learn in Useras by explaining it to others in a guided setting.

People of other faiths and denominations appreciate this opportunity to get answers to burning questions and to meet a ‘Real Muslim’. This program ends up resulting in two to six conversions a weekend. These reverts are then directed to our Revert Reconnect Program, giving them a great opportunity to learn more about their faith and meet with their new Muslim community.

Many Meals is the first citywide food pantry run by an Islamic organization in New York. According to a Feeding America analysis that identified the meals missing from the home of families and individuals struggling with food insecurity, New York City missed 224.8 million meals in 2015. That’s just too much.

MAS believes that every community should have access to healthy and sustainable meals for their families and, to face this challenge, we have set up Many Meals food pantries in Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Queens. These pantries are feeding over 10,000 patrons per year. This is just a drop in the ocean and there is a lot of work to do, but we’re ready to take on the task.

Opportunities to Help

The Many Meals Pantry also provides opportunities for the community to volunteer and help their neighbors in need. Our volunteers help ensure that good food doesn’t go to waste. Whether you have experience in teaching and nutrition, are interested in working with local farmers, or simply want to give back to your community, your passion and time are important resources in the fight against hunger.

339k

Approximately 339,000 NYC children don’t know where their next meal will come from

1.4 Million

An estimated 1.4 million New Yorkers rely on emergency food programs

11.9%

11.9% of New York State Residents are Food Insecure

Our FPA initiatives seek to connect the American Muslim community with society at large through a comprehensive empowerment process that includes public relations, civic engagement, political involvement, interfaith collaboration, coalition building, and media outreach.

MY VOTE, MY VOICE

The My Vote, My Voice campaign is dedicated to empowering the Muslim Community through a strong emphasis on the significance of voting and striving to ensure that every eligible person is registered to vote. Our mission is rooted in the belief that without exercising our right to vote, our voices remain unheard. Through the My Vote, My Voice campaign, we work tirelessly to ensure that our community is well-informed, registered, and engaged in the democratic process.

We recognize that each vote holds the potential to shape policies, elect representatives, and drive positive change. Through our Regular Voter Registration Campaigns, we actively encourage individuals to register to vote, facilitating the democratic process and ensuring that every eligible person has the opportunity to have their say.

Our Centers play a vital role in this endeavor by serving as convenient locations for both voter registration and voting itself. This dual function creates a seamless experience for community members, making it easier for them to participate in the electoral process. By integrating voter registration and voting into our Centers, we foster an environment that promotes civic engagement and encourages active participation in shaping the future of our society.

Together, we strive to make a lasting impact by empowering the Muslim Community, one vote at a time.