Islamic Relief USA to hold Ramadan Pack-Out in Richardson

Islamic Relief USA will hold its annual Ramadan Food Box Pack-Out sessions in four states this year, including Texas.

The events will take place in Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, and Virginia.

The sessions consist of volunteers packing boxes with many nonperishable foods. The packages will be given to people in need in their local communities through food pantries, houses of worship, among other locations. The goal is to create some 5,000 packaged meals at each location. All food will go to residents in the United States.

"During Ramadan, it is essential for Muslims to not only fast from sunrise to sunset,” said Said Durrah, national volunteers manager for IRUSA. “It also is a time to reflect, to think about people in your community with little means, especially with regards to healthy food. The food box pack-out sessions enable local communities to make a positive difference.”

Among the different tasks volunteers could do are putting together and breaking down cardboard boxes, carrying and arranging boxes of food, and sealing packages.

Each of the four pack-out days will have two shifts. Below are additional details about the sessions in each state:

Texas:

Sessions will take place on Saturday, April 21, at 1425 Exchange Dr., Richardson, Texas 75081. The first shift is from 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. and shift two is from 2 to 6:30 p.m.

New Jersey:

Pack-outs will take place on Sunday, April 22, at Islamic Center of Passaic County (ICPC), 152 Derrom Ave., Paterson, NJ 07504. The first shift is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the second shift is from 2 to 6 p.m.

Illinois:

Sessions will take place on Saturday, April 28, at New Royal Distributors, 1544 W Wrightwood Ct., Addison, Ill 60101. Shift one is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The second shift is from 2 to 6 p.m.

Virginia:

Sessions will take place on Saturday, May 5, at 6820 Commercial Dr., Suite F, Springfield, Va. 22151. The first shift is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the second shift is from 2 to 6 p.m.

This year also marks the 25th year of the founding of IRUSA. For more information on the organization or the pack-outs, visit irusa.org.

Islamic Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization. Its mission is to provide

relief and development in a dignified manner regardless of gender, race, or religion, and works to empower individuals in

their communities and give them a voice in the world. Its programs benefit millions of people each year in more than 40

countries around the world, including in the United States.

Islamic Relief USA meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, a national

charity monitoring group affiliated with the Better Business Bureau system. Islamic Relief USA is on the U.S.

government’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity list, and it is also a signatory to the code of conduct of the

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.