Francis Fund Recipient: Masjidullah

When Gaye Nailah Johns was working for the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging one particularly cold winter about 15 years ago, she was struck by how little food one of her clients had. Even the woman’s cat had more to eat, she recalled recently.

But after she tried without success to persuade her supervisor to provide some food for the woman, she turned to Muhammad Abdul-Aleem, the imam of Masjidullah Inc., an Islamic non-profit organization that runs a mosque and a school in West Oak Lane. To her relief, he did not hesitate. Of course, he said, they would find a way to provide food for the elderly woman.

And so was born the emergency food cupboard run by the Masjidullah organization. At first, the organization focused on senior citizens in the Northwest section of Philadelphia, but it expanded over the years. It currently provides nourishing meals once a month to approximately 70 families and older people throughout the city and in parts of Montgomery County.

Thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Francis Fund, the fundraising program honoring Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia by providing financial help to local nonprofits, there will be more food available to more people in need.

“There’s a lot of people in the city who are hurting,” said Johns.

Imam Abdul-Aleem said the decision to help was easy because the Koran advocates feeding the poor.

While the program currently operates once a month, the food cupboard will be able to operate once a week and provide food to more people, thanks to the Francis Fund donation. The organization also hopes to buy a commercial-grade refrigerator for storage, and to start an after-school and summer food program for local children in need, according to Imam Roberto Rashid.

Imam Rashid said the pope’s vision of inclusiveness and helping the poor is in line with what the food pantry does. “It’s in keeping with Pope Francis’ mission,” he said.

Wajeehah Mujahid-Rashed, a former oncology nurse who heads Masjidullah’s Health and Human Service Committee, said volunteers are intent on providing a nutritious supply of high-quality food, opting to avoid canned food with high sodium in favor of fresh meat or fish. A typical dinner delivered might include chicken, pasta, mixed vegetables, fruit and bottled water, she said.

Rashed and Johns said they serve all ages, from young people to senior citizens. Johns said that one of their clients is an 87-year-old woman in North Philadelphia who, in turn, helps the homeless in her neighborhood.

Imam Abdul-Aleem said that the positive work of his organization helps counteract the negative misconceptions of Muslims as terrorists.

“We can’t control what done by Muslims in other parts of the world,” said Imam Abdul-Aleem. But “if you do good deeds, people will know you” and understand the goodness of the vast majority of the Muslim people.

Imam Rashid said that the organization is incredibly grateful for the Francis Fund award in part because it highlights the good being done by the Muslim community. “That’s why this award is so humbling,” he said. “I believe that God is blessing us.”