Tayba Foundation Eid Sponsorships

As-salamu alaykum,

We hope that all is well with you and your families. We at the Tayba Foundation are please to announce that in Ramadan of this year we began working on our Prison Outreach Program (http://www.taybafoundation.org/outreach.php) to serve our incarcerated Muslim brothers and sisters. We will offer religious education as well as skill development training and rehabilitation programs. Our program is open to Muslim and non-Muslim inmates alike. We have a 3 year projected plan to develop the entire curriculum and we began work during Ramadan of this year, 2009. We hope to have monthly donations from various masajid, community centers and individuals to cover the costs of the curriculum development and the distance learning program.

We also have a drive to collect sponsorships to cover the costs of an Eid al-Adha banquet that will be held at Avenal State Prison. Sponsorships of $20 will cover the costs of sending an Eid greeting card (with artwork by a Muslim inmate) to a prisoner and cover the costs associated with that prisoner's participation in the Eid al-Adha. Zabiha meat, which is not provided by the state, (although Jewish inmates receive Kosher meat) will be part of what we provide for the banquet. At Avenal State prison, zabiha meat has not been brought into the prison for at least nine years and thus many prisoners go without eating meat. The last Eid Banquet we sponsored had almost 400 attendees with about 100 of that number being non-Muslims. Here are two quotes from attendees of our last Eid Banquet:

It was a blessing to receive the spiritual food as well as the halal chicken. This environment brings difficulty, so the reality shared by the guests is very much needed. I would like to thank the guests and the Muslims that support our program. – Abdul Mumin Ali

Personally, I enjoyed the entire event, especially the guest speakers and the messages that were shared. Though I am not a Muslim, I enjoy partaking in the festivities. I especially would like to thank the visitors for taking the time to come and share the message with all those that participated. – Owvour

If we get enough sponsorships, we will also be able to sponsor an Eid Banquet for Pleasant Valley State Prison where for Eid al-Fitr all that the Muslims had to celebrate was one cake, cut up in small pieces served on napkins. Previously, their Eid Banquet was sponsored by a Church.

The Eid al-Adha Banquet will take place a few weeks after the Eid date, so we will continue to accept sponsorships after that time. You may donate online (http://taybafoundation.org/support.php) or send your check by mail. Please include a mailing address so that we may send you a tax receipt for your donation. Please note "Eid Banquet" on online donations and checks.

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Tayba Foundation
www.taybafoundation.org
510.754.1217