Naazish YarKhan, Founder RAP

Glendale Heights: naazishyarkhan@gmail.com

Refugee Assistance Programs finds its roots in a cold winter's day, six years ago, when a young Muslim mother saw sandal-clad African women, in thin cotton clothing, dropping their children to school. Moved to do more than simply feel sorry for them or just fold some money into their palms, Naazish YarKhan began mobilizing the greater Chicago community to get involved towards assisting the refugees to become self-reliant. This was the kernel of Refugee Assistance Programs, which today partners with ICNA Relief, amongst other organizations.

Over the years, RAP has collaborated with several organizations to build bridges towards bringing self-sufficiency to the refugee community. These include Community Outreach and School District 41, Refugee and Immigrant Network and Services, Mohd. Webb Foundation, Glen Ellyn Children's Resource Center, ICNA Relief, Islamic Foundation Mosque, Muslim Society Inc., Helping Hands/ Love Christian Clearing House and OWLS.

Naazish YarKhan/ RAP have been featured in Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, Azizah magazine and other local media. What fuels her work? "In Islam, being your brother's keeper - either by donating funds or time - isn't a choice. It's a God-given responsibility. Secondly, I am very aware of how life can change in an instant. How would I want my children and myself to be treated, if life dealt us such a harsh blow. It could. Afterall, God doesn't love my family more than he loves any refugee family. It could be us facing tremendous hardships next."

Naazish YarKhan is a prolific writer, editor, NPR commentator and founder of Writers Studio, where she works with students on college essays and writing skills. She blogs for Huffington Post and has a column in the Oman Observer. In 2009, she was on PBS' Chicago Tonight, a speaker at the InterFaith Youth Core and a panelist at the International Human Rights Center, DePaul University. She is an Advisory Board member of Poetry Pals. She has been honored with the inaugural MWA "Inspiring Woman" Award. She has two children ages 7 and 12.

In 2009, RAP received the Excellence in Community Service Award from the Council of Islamic Organizations, Chicago.

Thamreen Siddiqui

Lincolnwood - Thamreen thamreen1@yahoo.com
773.744.7433 (c)

Thamreen Siddiqui has a Masters in Social Work and previous experience managing social services for CIOGC. She has also worked extensively with refugees as a staffer with Catholic Charities.

Sabina Qadir

Naperville - Sabinaqadir@hotmail.com

Sabina Qadir, a mother of two and a lawyer by education, has been incredibly active in the Muslim and Non-Muslim Community in various roles. She has been involved with fundraising for RAP, as Senior Lead Coordinator.

Her efforts include chairing the ICN Girls Club for ages 8-12, serving as Director of Community Service on the MWA Board, organizing a plethora of community service events for IMAN, UMMA and MWA and creating a staple program related to Islam at her children's school - Avery Coonely.

AT Avery Coonley besides doing Islam/ Eid presentations for the past 10 years at Avery Coonely in her children's classes, she began organizing Eid lunches for the staff, towards which all the Muslim parents at the school contributed. That combined with an educational "Show and Tell" component for the teachers, has grown to become a staple at the school. She has been invited back by staff to present beyond Eid, during Social Studies. Sabina has organized annual food and Eid gift drives for UMMA, MWA and IMAN, for the needy. As Board Member and Director of Social Services at MWA she, most recently, organized 6 community service events in 6 weeks around and during Ramadan 2009.

Aliya Husain

Aliya Husain, PTA Chair of Islamic Foundation Full-Time School, has been actively involved with RAP from its inception. Senior Lead Coordinator with RAP, her consistent support of this work served as a catalyst in the creation of RAP, the organization. She has been the RAP liason with Islamic Foundation School and has organized Eid grocery drives and Eid gift drives for four years in a row, meeting the needs of over 100 refugee families each year. She has coordinated the Kitchen Kit drive for RAP, delivering over 100 kitchen kits over the years.

As Islamic Foundation Full-Time-School PTA chair, Aliya Husain has co-ordinated many community service activities. Besides being actively involved with her local mosques, she is also a writer on Islam in America and the American Muslim experience. Her debut novel is soon to be published. Aliya Husain is a graduate student and resides in the western suburbs of Chicago.