Hundreds of L.A. Muslims to Serve Homeless on Skid Row
in Honor of Ramadan’s Focus on Fasting, Praying & Giving

(Los Angeles – 7/9/15) — This weekend, hundreds of Muslims will come together for the 16th annual Humanitarian Day (HDAY) to provide a day of service and support for thousands of homeless and at-risk individuals in Downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row, Long Beach, Pasadena, Santa Ana, Riverside and Oakland. The main event will take on Sunday, July 12 at 10 a.m. on Skid Row 4th Street and Towne Avenue, organized by more than 500 volunteers and is expected to serve about 1,000 people with food, clothing and hygiene kits, and free medical services.

Honored at the annual City Hall Interfaith Iftar earlier this month for its positive contributions to the City of Los Angeles, HDAY is the single largest annual tradition of Muslim-led community service in the country. It takes place during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from food and water during daylight hours, and increase their prayers and charitable efforts and service to those in need regardless of their faith.

Over the last 16 years, the ILM (Intellect-Love-Mercy) Foundation and the Coalition to Preserve Human Dignity (CPHD) have served more than 70,000 homeless and at-risk people in more than 25 cities around the country — and it all started with Skid Row, ground zero for America’s homeless epidemic. Homelessness has increased 12% in Los Angeles County in just two years, according to the Los Angeles Times, to more than 44,000 people.

“As a part of the Los Angeles Muslim community, we considered ourselves as American stakeholders and good will ambassadors,” says Umar Hakim, Executive Director of the ILM Foundation and lead organizer of HDAY. “During Ramadan and L.A.’s Muslim Heritage Month, HDAY gives us the opportunity to provide much-needed services to the most needy in our cities and to also reflect our faith through our actions.”

At the main event on Skid Row on Sunday, July 12th from 9am-1pm on Sunday, hundreds of volunteers are expected to serve about 1,000 homeless and at-risk individuals with:

  • fresh meals
  • hygiene kits, clothing and towels
  • backpacks and school supplies
  • free medical screenings by UMMA Clinic physicians
  • free dental services by Dental Care for Children

Visit www.humanitarianday.com to learn more about the ILM Foundation and see a list of 25+ U.S. and international sites where Humanitarian Day will take place.

PRESS AVAILABILITY: Event organizers and volunteers of all ages will kick-off with a rally at 9 a.m. on Town Ave between 4th and 5th Streets, Downtown Los Angeles. They will also be available for individual press interviews throughout the day.

The Coalition to Preserve Human Dignity is a network of volunteers and organizations who share resources for domestic and international humanitarian projects. The ILM Foundation’s mission is to teach life skills to economically underprivileged youth and adults so that social ills are replaced with opportunities for intellectual and economic empowerment.