70 volunteers unite at Nueces Mosque to prepare 20,000 meals for food bank

Islamic Relief U.S.A. preps 20k meals for food bank

Volunteers from all faiths and backgrounds gathered at Austin’s Nueces Mosque on Sunday to pack 20,000 meals for the Central Texas Food Bank.

AUSTIN, Texas - The Nueces Mosque in Downtown Austin was packed full of volunteers Sunday, who all had one goal in mind.

What we know:

70 volunteers came together on Sunday to make the 20,000 meals a reality. All of whom came from different backgrounds and demographics. 

"Today we’re actually trying to pack 20,000 meals," said Tayseer Abubakar, a volunteer engagement specialist for Islamic Relief USA. The non-profit is dedicated towards combating poverty and providing aid for those in most need across the country. This weekend, the group had their sights set on Central Texas.

For over four hours, those volunteers were hard at work making sure meal bags were prepped and ready to be shipped out as soon as possible.

"Today we're in Austin, the weekend before I was in San Antonio, the two weekends before I was in New Orleans," said Abubakar. 

"We have all people of all different demographics. We have men, women, you know, non-Muslim, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, whatever the case may be. We want to make sure that we're inclusive. We're including everyone so they can help and feed these families who really need this help." 

Dig deeper:

Abubakar described the process of packing these many meals.

"The first station is putting the rice, beans, seven spices, and carrots. These are all dry foods, putting it into a meal bag. And then the second station, they're weighing it out to make sure that there's enough ingredients to hit that nutritious value. And then, the third station is to seal the bags."

Once sealed, the meal bags are then given to the Central Texas Food Bank for distribution, who ensures they end up in the right hands. 

What's next:

"There isn't really a specific, it's anyone who comes into these food banks. It's anyone that needs these foods, right? And we kind of let the food bank, you know, take up that endeavor, and give the meals to whoever comes by their doorsteps," says Abubakar. 

Sunday’s drive was just one of many events held by Islamic Relief USA across the country. The non-profit says all are invited to volunteer with the organization, and more info can be found by visiting their website.