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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION HONORING RAMADAN FUNDRAISING EFFORTS FOR VIATOR HOUSE OF HOSPITALITY AND BETHANY HOUSE OF HOSPITALITY
WHEREAS, Viator House of Hospitality and Bethany House of Hospitality are two organizations that provide housing and support services to young immigrant men and women that seek asylum in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the missions of these organizations are to provide unaccompanied young men and women with an alternative to detention centers. In creating a supportive living environment, they provide the means necessary for these young people to attend school, improve language skills, grow spiritually and emotionally, receive medical attention, and work while they await court proceedings; and
WHEREAS, between 2014 and 2017 over 200,000 unaccompanied children from countries including Bangladesh, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Guatemala, Venezuela, and Syria entered the United States; and
WHEREAS, services helping these communities are vitally important in the 15th District and across Cook County; and
WHEREAS, the last two years, in the last two years, Muslims from the northwest suburbs and those from across the Chicagoland area along with their neighbors of others faiths have dedicated their fundraising efforts to help these important organizations during Ramadan, a month of fasting, reflection, and giving; and
WHEREAS, last year a group of 150 donors raised close to $40,000 for Viator House of Hospitality and Bethany House of Hospitality, two safehouses for young immigrants seeking asylum; and
WHEREAS, this year the group came together calling this effort, Your Support Matters to Unaccompanied Young Men, Women, and Kids; and
WHEREAS, over a dozen Islamic and interfaith organizations and about 200 Muslims and their friends from diverse religious and secular backgrounds came together to raise close to $85,000 during the 2020 Ramadan month’s fundraiser; and
WHEREAS, the organizers stated that with the global COVID pandemic, not only are our migrant youth being impacted here in the U.S., but they are also concerned about their families back home in developing countries, where many live in poverty and health care systems are fragile; and
WHEREAS, the following individuals have been leaders in this tremendous effort: Anisha Ismail Patel, who has spearheaded this effort since 2019, Farah Abid, of South Barrington, IL, Farah Noor Cheema, of Oak Brook, IL, Ikbal Koseli, of Arlington Heights, IL, Liz Shrenk, of Arlington Heights, IL, Naazish YarKhan, of Glendale Heights, IL, Nikita Desai, of South Barrington, IL, Rasha Ali, of Des Plaines, IL, Sameena Shamsuddin, of Inverness, IL, Samira Qureshi, of Vernon Hills, IL, Sara Ahmed, of South Barrington, IL; and
WHEREAS, Cook County’s strength is in its diverse leaders helping their communities and welcoming new neighbors and this effort shows the very best in our community; and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Cook County Board of Commissioners do hereby honor these individuals who participated in the Ramadan fundraiser to benefit the impactful work of Bethany House and Viator House of Hospitality.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the beneficiary organizations and individuals involved.
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