The Need
Over 800,000 immigrant and American born Muslims live in New York City, originating from over 100 countries, and speaking various languages. Many of our community members are immigrants coming from countries where democracy is weak and even peaceful demonstrators risk arrest. Others do not feel comfortable expressing themselves in English and do not know how to articulate their needs and effectively advocate for their rights and interests. Through an informal needs assessment, Muslim Community Network found that because of these cultural and language barriers, youth are left with few examples of effective Muslim leadership and there are virtually no formal leadership development programs targeting Muslim youth in New York City. This is especially alarming given the size of the Muslim youth population of New York, where 1 out of every 10 children in the public schools system is a Muslim.
How MCN Helps
The Muslim Community Network lifts these real and mental barriers by reaching across boundaries of race, ethnicity, gender and class to build safe, supportive and civically engaged communities through four program areas: Youth Leadership Development, Community Education, Civic Engagement, and Cross-Cultural Education. We use inclusive processes and rely on our strong relationships with partners across New York City to reach communities where our services are needed most. To learn more about our mission and vision.
Join Us!
Your tax-deductable contribution will enable us to:
Expand our MY NYC youth leadership programs from 3 sites in 3 New York City boroughs to 2 more sites in all 5 boroughs to reach more youth who will lead us into the future.
Send young Muslims to the State Capitol to meet their elected officials, learn valuable leadership skills, and advocate for issues impacting their communities.
Feed over 150 homeless and low-income individuals a month at our monthly Soup Kitchen, a part of our MCN Serves community service program.
Educate Muslims and their allies on how to vote, support families in the foster care system, effectively advocate for civil rights, and more through our Community Education Programs.…and so much more!