Zaman Helps Kids Go Back-To-School

By Laura Fawaz, TMO

Backpacks dropped off with Zaman volunteers. Photo by Laura Fawaz

Dearborn, MI–Zaman International has is a non-profit organization with various branches, all serving those in need.  One particular initiative is the Backpack Drive they just held.

Zaman’s branches includes Plots For Tots, Do Good. Be Good. LaunchGood Campaign, Bayt Al-Zahra, and their annual Walk4Humanity walk that just took place last weekend.  The backpack drive has been implemented for the past five years.  This was originally a part of their Annual Ramadan Community Iftar Dinner since it was right before school, and was a way to involve the kids of the community.  They would fill the backpacks with school supplies for other kids their own age, according to Monica Boomer, the event organizer.

First year this was done in concert with dinner event.  Though this year, it was held as a separate donation event in partnership with various local mosques and via Facebook. 

Many local mosques such as IONA, the Islamic organization of North America, provided volunteers, school supplies, as well as financial donations.  Other donors included individual families that put 10 backpacks together, and/or donated a few hundred dollars.  With this, they were able to fill a total of 234 backpacks for students in Southeast Wayne County.  This was being held after Eid l-Fitr, and going until August 20th.  Though after many requests and popular demand, it was extended to the following Friday, and packed the following Tuesday. 

Zaman’s hopes and plans for the coming years are to expand to the PTA in the Dearborn School District, and to other less funded schools in cities such as Detroit and Hamtramck.  They also have hopes to double to 500 backpack filled.  According to Boomer, this way they can help not only their current list of clients, but for others in need too.  “In the future I’d like to also see the things teachers need like tissues and cleaning products, especially since they usual offer their students extra credit for bringing such things in.  We don’t want our kids to miss out on that,” concluded Boomer.

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