EID MUBARAKDear Friend,
As-Salaam-Alaikum.
I hope you and your family enjoyed the blessed month of Ramadan and Eid.
You will be pleased to know that the Muslim Community Center for Human Services continues to advance its mission. Your support and blessings resulted in changing the life of many of our clients through the Al-Shifa Clinic, Domestic Violence program and other medical social services.
We are sorry that you were unable to attend the fund raising event which was held in June, 2009. This year we featured live testimonials from three MCC clients. Ms. Patricia Said had a great tragedy and loss in her family when in January 2008, her two daughters Amina and Sarah were killed by their father -Honor Killing. Since January 2008, she has received free psychiatric services and counseling from MCC. Ms. Faiza Mohammed is a newly arrived refugee from Iraq and was in an accident in which she lost her sister, and became paralyzed. Her husband is still missing. She has three children ages 17, 15 and 10; she has received free medical and social services from MCC. Mr. Jamal Ali is unable to speak English; he has received refugee services from MCC (translation, food, clothing, microwave, vacuum, blankets etc).
You are most probably aware that in 2007, 47 million Americans did not have health insurance coverage and with massive lay-offs in 2008, the number of uninsured must have risen to 50 million. Our free medical clinic is now seeing more patients than ever before and unfortunately, we have to turn down few patients every week. We have served over 1800 patients at Al-Shifa Clinic in 2008 and we are expecting that the number of patients we are seeing will increase in 2009. Many of these patients were not able to receive medical services due to lack of insurance or their inability to pay for private medical care. 
We have completed another successful year for Breast Cancer Education Program. Over 300 women attended the Breast Cancer Awareness and Education Program and we offered free mammograms to 60 women. Hopefully we will reach more women in 2009.
In 2009, we plan to expand Women and Children Clinic to operate every Sunday between 9:00am and 12:00 (noon), while continuing our Saturday’s clinic. In July 2008, we opened the Eye Clinic and we are planning to open a Dental Clinic sometime in 2009.
We offer Comprehensive Social Services including domestic violence services. The number of clients has increased substantially during past two years.
MCC has hired three full time staff to offer the Social Services and Domestic Violence services. Ms. Thompson joined as Program Director for MCC for Human Services in May 2006. Her responsibilities include overseeing Domestic Violence and Counseling Services. She obtained a grant from Department of Justice to train volunteers and she continues to write grants for support services. Ms. Lubna Khurshid is a social worker who obtained Bachelors in Psychology from Government College in Multan, Pakistan and Masters in Social Work from University of Texas at Arlington. Her primary responsibility includes counseling victims of domestic violence and those with parent child issues. Ms. Nuha Almakhzoumi obtained Bachelors of Administration in Management from Clayton University Missouri and a Masters in Administration from London International College. Her main responsibilities include outreach services for breast cancer education, domestic violence education and refugee services.
The salary for the staff and other administrative expenses cost MCC about $140,000 annually. Unfortunately, we have fallen short in collecting our target fund this year. We have collected $50,000 (about $45,000 in unpaid pledges). In order for MCC to continue, serving refugees, the helpless, and the uninsured, and like Patricia, Faiza and Jamal MCC must raise additional $90,000.
Your donation and support will help in offering these services to the needy. Thanks for your generosity and consideration for donating towards a good cause.
“If human dies, then his good deeds stop except for three: a Sadaqah Jariya, a beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him.” (Muslim)
Sincerely Yours
Basheer Ahmed
M Basheer, M.D. Chairman
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