MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — For a decade, students with Murfreesboro Muslim Youth (MMY) have been helping the homeless, feeding the needy, and spreading love in the community through interfaith activities.

To celebrate and honor the nonprofit’s impact on Middle Tennessee, Community Action of Rutherford County will host an appreciation dinner and fundraiser from 6–8:30 p.m. on Friday, July 11, at The Warehouse, 730 Middle Tennessee Blvd., Suite 14.

“Murfreesboro Muslim Youth has been a driving force behind community service, dedicating over 30,000 hours to various initiatives. They have served 50,000 meals and supported hundreds of youth in nurturing their passion for giving back,” said Dawn Rhodes, cofounder of Community Action of Rutherford County. “We want to say thank you for the incredible work they’ve been doing in the community.”

The event will feature a catered meal by The Alley on Main restaurant, a raffle, and a program highlighting MMY’s mission and ways the community can help the nonprofit continue serving those in need.

Proceeds from the event will benefit MMY’s mission to connect, develop, grow, learn from, and educate youth of all ages through working together and serving the community.

MMY was founded in 2015 by local pharmacist and father Abdou Kattih, amid Islamophobic backlash. In February that year, three college students in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, were killed by their neighbor in what prosecutors called a hate crime against Muslims.

“To prevent this, we have to stop hate,” Kattih said. “It’s something we all have to stand against.”

Kattih recognized that fear could push people to retreat — and believed service was the antidote. He envisioned a youth-led nonprofit where teenagers and young adults would create community service programs focused on helping the homeless and feeding the needy.

“It was amazing to see how this small group blossomed into a force for good,” Rhodes said.

One of the first major undertakings for MMY was “30 Days of Giving” during the holy month of Ramadan in 2015. That year, youth volunteers assembled more than 100 food boxes and distributed warm meals to people experiencing food insecurity. That was just the beginning.

In October, MMY partnered with Murfreesboro Cold Patrol, a Christian-based nonprofit homeless outreach, to host the Love Your Neighbor Picnic, an interfaith potluck that welcomed around 250 people.

In addition to feeding thousands of meals to those in need over the past 10 years, MMY has helped more than 60 refugee families build stable lives, provided English language classes to immigrants and refugees, and created volunteer opportunities that teach leadership skills to youth.

“Murfreesboro Muslim Youth has given back so much to others, and we want to give back to them,” Rhodes said. “We hope you’ll help us honor and support this amazing group of youth.”

• Tickets to the celebration dinner/program are $45 ea. $85 for two, $175 for half-table (4-seats), and $345 for table of eight.
• To purchase tickets, visit http://bit.ly/3I3RBdH.
• To learn more about MMY, visit https://www.murfreesboromuslimyouth.org/.