Islamic Relief

Meet Alhussain Yusuf and Abdullah Shawky, two young men who are part of the Islamic Relief Disaster Response Team. I was able to spend the day with them as they toured Houston metro area neighborhoods affected by the recent spring floods, assessing damage in order to get appropriate relief assistance where it is needed.

The partnership between the Red Cross and the Islamic Relief Team is vital, increasing the reach of both agencies’ volunteers so that needs can be addressed faster. “It’s about service,” Abdullah told me. “I love being part of something bigger, of something that helps so many people.”

As we spoke to residents in the Spring, TX neighborhood that saw up to six feet of water flow into their homes, I was shocked by the devastation, but Abdullah and Alhussain were calm and kind as they spoke to people, giving information about where to get further assistance and asking if there were needs going unmet. A disaster like the Texas Spring Floods is bigger than one agency, and it takes many of us pulling together, and we are so appreciative of the support of the Islamic Relief Team.