The Helping Handzzz Founder Nadine Daoud (second from left) donates untouched leftover food collected during Ramadan to Mike, a homeless man in Detroit.
By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — Dearborn resident Nadine Daoud took an idea of donating leftover meals during Ramadan — that started in the basement of her home — and turned it into a 50-person volunteer group, The Helping Handzzz.
Daoud, 22, a third-year pharmacy school student, said she realized so much of the food her family was cooking during Ramadan was going to waste. Ramadan is the holy month where Muslims fast daily from dawn-to-dusk.
“I thought to myself, ‘This is not what Ramadan is about and this food can be helping people in need,’” she said. “We sit here and overcook while there are people starving out in the world. So, I decided to take the first step in my city and threw out a post on my Instagram offering to pick up others’ food and it just blew up.
“It only made sense to do this because 90 percent of that extra food is going to be thrown away or forgotten about in the back of fridges.”
In 2017, Daoud founded the group with the help of her family and six volunteers. Today, she has almost 50 volunteers who help her collect untouched food in the area from 9:30 to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
During any one night, the group picks up food from almost 45 locations, including homes and restaurants. Those who want to donate untouched food can message @TheHelpingHandzzz on Instagram, provide their address and ensure the food is well secured.
A few rules to food donations are no whole chickens that have been taken apart unless the chicken was taken off the bone, no soups, salads only if the dressing is on the side, and informing the group if food is not halal.
“Once we pick up, the volunteers and I meet up and separate the food by meals that are prepared well for homeless people, what can be utilized the next day for the families we prepare dinner for iftar and lastly, the homeless shelters we support,” Daoud said. “This is done to make the process easy and fast, so the food can be quickly refrigerated.”
After food is donated it is examined for safety and taken to the Islamic Institute of Knowledge, homeless shelters in Detroit, the Detroit Rescue Mission and homeless people in Detroit.
Daoud said the group provides almost 500 meals daily and supports almost 30 families to provide iftar dinners before breaking their fast at sunset. Meals are also provided to more than 15 homeless people in Detroit from 11:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. each night.
“Back in 2017, we called around to see who would accept food so late and linked up with the Detroit Rescue Mission,” Daoud said. “Since then we have added more to the list and are in the works of helping multiple people. Families in need are found through people who know them, and those families also help direct us to others in need. We truly extend a hand to anyone who needs help.”
As for the future goals for The Helping Handzzz, Daoud hopes to open a shelter attached to a mosque and continuing to help those in need while getting people off the streets.
She also said the group is working on a long-term program that could run outside of Ramadan.
“I find it mind-blowing how so many are opening up million dollar businesses, adding to their wealth, while there are so many in need without food, water, or a roof over their head,” Daoud said. “We need to get these people the help they need, whether it be a social worker, therapist, rehab center. They are human, and it is our job in humanity to extend that hand to whoever needs it. That is who we, The Helping Handzzz, are.”
Throughout the year, The Helping Handzzz also holds hygiene drives for homeless people, including making kits to be placed at mosques so people in need can get what they need; clothing drives; blanket drives; toy drives for Christmas and Eid holidays, and a Thanksgiving drive to collect food.
Daoud also said the volunteers visit nursing homes to spend time with the elderly and local schools to talk about the importance of community service.
For more information go to the @TheHelpingHandzzz Instagram page.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected])
The Helping Handzzz volunteer Mariam Hachem (left) donates untouched leftover food collected during Ramadan to David, a homeless man in Detroit.