May 1 marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims around the world, and as usual, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Women’s Association of Airdrie (AMWAA) is celebrating the occasion by donating to the Airdrie Food Bank.
The Airdrie group collected a total of 585 pounds of perishable foods for the food bank during Ramadan. The AMWAA’s support of the food bank is now a four-year-standing tradition.
While most people know fasting is a big part of Ramadan, donating and giving to those less fortunate also plays a big role.
“Ramadan helps us self-reflect and obviously during the year we offer to charity. But Ramadan offers us an opportunity to be a little bit more willing to give,” said AMWAA member Sairah Khan, during a presentation of the donation to the food bank on April 28.
As a community, the ladies association organizes the collection and delivery of the food bank donation every year.
Khan said the group gives back to local charitable organizations to show their appreciation of living in the community.
“We all come together as a group and try to collect during Ramadan and obviously Eid is coming up so it's a joyful occasion and it's a gift to Airdrie,” she said.
The final day of Ramadan is known as Eid, transitioning to the next month in the Islamic calendar, Shawwal.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is observed by approximately 1.6 billion people worldwide and marks an important pillar of Islam.
Throughout the holy month, Khan explained that all healthy adult Muslims are expected to fast from sunrise to sunset, practice good deeds, emphasize prayer, and read and practice what the holy Qur'an teaches them.
“One of the teachings is to give back to charity as much as possible,” Khan said.
The holy month takes place according to the lunar calendar, changing the start year to year.
Normally, the end is commemorated through prayer and preparing a feast with family and friends, but the past few years have looked a little bit different due to the COVID-19 pandemic and government restrictions on gatherings.
“The last two years, we haven't been able to get together for Eid and this is the first year,” Khan said. “We will be getting together and offering our Eid prayer, which is going to be amazing after [not being able to do it for] a couple of years.”
Khan said they will celebrate Eid by going to the mosque to offer prayers and then gathering with their family and friends afterwards. She said a local prayer to celebrate Eid will be held at 10 a.m. on May 2 at the Airdrie Town and Country Centre. She added this will mark the first time the Eid prayers have been held in Airdrie, as locals used to make the trek to Calgary for them.
“In that as well, we always remember anyone that is sick or by themselves,” she said. “So we try to offer charity on that day, specifically in order for everyone to come together and celebrate with us.”
Lori McRitchie, executive director of the Airdrie Food Bank, said the yearly donation from AMWAA reinforces the partnership they have in the community.
“We were just delighted that the Ahmadiyya Muslim women invited us to break the fast with them and to share and learn about Ramadan,” McRitchie said. “It just means that we will continue to work together with our neighbours to help each other, and that's a great thing.”
The need for the food bank is higher than it’s ever been, McRitchie added. The organization saw a 66 per cent increase in the number of people that required its service this March compared to March 2021.
With food prices also on the rise, McRitchie said support from the community is needed more than ever. The food bank hasn’t had to reduce the amount of food given out, but they are mindful of where the food is coming from.
“We're purchasing about 20 per cent more food than we did last year at this time because our community donations are down,” McRitchie said. “Food, funds – they're all vital to us being able to meet the need.”
A few things have impacted the increased demand, including the rise of the cost of living and inflation, McRitchie added.
Some food bank clients shared they had to sell their cars because they couldn't afford to pay insurance and some had to make decisions between paying utility bills and food bills, she noted.
“We're glad we're able to be here to be that buffer so people don't have to make that choice,” she said. “We want kids to be fed, we want families to have what they need, and because of the support of our community, we're able to do that.”
McRitchie thinks demand will increase even more before things get better, and the food bank is preparing to help out more people over the coming months. Preparing for that influx means adding more hamper times and being open for additional hours to ensure there is enough food to feed people.
For more information or to donate to the food bank, go to airdriefoodbank.com
