Corp Comm Connects

New Vaughan non-profit seeks to make a wider impact for all communities

'This is the time to help people regardless of anything'

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 8, 2020
Dina Al-Shibeeb

Hina Zahid has long been active in the Muslim community in Vaughan. However, after COVID-19, Zahid wants to expand heartfelt services to other communities.

Alongside two other women, Zahid started the non-profit Muslim Women of Vaughan on July 24.

“This organization is led by Muslim women, but we are here to serve the for all the community regardless of religion and ethnicity,” Zahid, a mother of three girls, said. “We want to work with the city to help cover all the community regardless of any religion,” she reiterated.

While Zahid has previously helped her community, with medicine delivery, for example, or visiting seniors who are “in need of support” or “feeling lonely,” the idea came to fruition because of COVID-19.

“This is the time to help people regardless of anything,” she said.

Zahid is now mulling over to help businesses market themselves to Vaughan customers and beyond.

"Because we need our community and the City to be back on track, I am thinking we go to businesses if they contact us and we go live from Facebook describing a restaurant’s specialty for example,” she said.

In late July, the non-profit threw a successful drive for Eid al-Adha, a Muslim holiday that marks the end of pilgrimage, or hajj, for the millions of Muslims who make the trip to Mecca each year and pray five times a day.

Almost 100 cars attended the drive and they were handed “little goody bags.”

“We also had a clown who gave balloons to the kids. At least people celebrated something instead of staying at home,” she added.

The group is also ready to send perishable items to two local food banks: Vaughan Food Bank and Humanity First.