Volunteer Work Examples During Ramadan
You must be looking forward to the holy month of Ramadan and aspiring to accomplish many charitable deeds. Let us assist you through a list we have prepared of a variety of volunteering ideas that you can participate in during this year's Ramadan. Let this month’s moto be seeking reward, virtue, and righteousness as promised by Allah Almighty to His servants in Surah Ali 'Imran, verse 114 {They believe in Allah and the Last Day, encourage good and forbid evil, and race with one another in doing good. They are truly among the righteous.}.
1. Sadaqa
One of the most prominent acts of charity that everyone considers during the blessed month of Ramadan is giving Sadaqa to help their fellow Muslims meet their needs and provide their food and medicine. Because the great virtue of charity helps society overcome financial hardships, Islam encourages it in many ways, including Allah's saying in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 110: {Establish prayer and pay alms-tax. Whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will certainly find its reward˺ with Allah. Surely Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.}
Therefore, we suggest that every Muslim should give Sadaqa a part of their charitable deeds during the holy month of Ramadan every year.
2. Home Renovation Volunteering Program
Many charitable organizations and development institutions sponsor projects to renovate houses to help low-income families during the month of Ramadan in preparation for the joyous celebration of Eid al-Fitr.
This initiative contributes to planting joy in the hearts of people in need who may not be able to stay warm during winter and gives them the feeling that they deserve to celebrate warm Eid, too. It also alleviates the burden of poverty on those families and relieves them from feeling incapable of providing for their families needs.
Participating in such activities will give you a sense of satisfaction and instill in you the desire to do more acts of kindness when you see the innocent smiles of the children and their parents drowning in happiness when they have a nice place to live in.
3. Preparing Household Essentials
Similar to collecting clothes, some charitable organizations and development institutions gather general household necessities like cooking equipment, electrical appliances, blankets, and fuel. They then distribute these items to needy families so that they can spend the month of Ramadan in comfort.
You can participate in such charitable activities by reaching out to acquaintances and friends and informing them that you are involved in collecting in-kind assistance for people in need. You can let them know that they can donate any household items or other materials they don't need.
Dafa campaign provides families with kerosene heaters, blankets, kerosene vouchers and kids’ waterproof jackets.
4. Mawa’ed Al Rahman
One of the most beautiful volunteer activities you can engage in during the holy month of Ramadan is participating in preparing iftar gatherings meals and distributing food to fasting individuals. Allah Almighty has mentioned the virtue of giving food to those in need in Surah Al-Insan, verse 8: {and give food—despite their desire for it—to the poor, the orphan, and the captive,}
One of the prominent volunteer programs in this regard is the "Mawa'ed al-Rahman" program organized by Tkiyet Um Ali, where volunteers join hands to provide over 4000 iftar meals for fasting individuals at the "Mawa'id al-Rahman" tent located at Tkiyet Um Ali’s headquarters
5. Packing and Distributing Food Parcels
We cannot overlook the importance of providing cooing ingredients to people in need, as this is not only extremely helpful but also falls under the virtue of feeding the fasting person. By contributing to the preparation and distribution of these food parcels, you are helping feed families with several members who may otherwise struggle to break their fast.
Among the leading programs in packing and distributing food parcels to those in need are Tkiyet Um Ali’s volunteer programs (the Food Parcels Distribution Program for Families in need and the Food Parcel Packing Program). These programs are open for everyone to participate in by registering their volunteer request online.
Upon acceptance, volunteers are provided with opportunities to pack food parcels in Tkiyet Um Ali warehouses or distribute them in Amman and beyond within the scope of work with partner organizations, as well as at the homes of families benefiting from Tkiyet Um Ali.
6. Teaching the Quran in Mosques
One of the beautiful ideas you can implement within your residential area is gathering children and youth from your neighborhood in Quran circles at the Mosque, and collaborating on memorizing at least one part (“juz”) of the Quran during the blessed month of Ramadan. You can also schedule times to attend recorded lessons by scholars and sheiks who explain the Quranic verses.
7. Donating to the Sick
The high cost of living may prevent some patients from obtaining the medical attention they need. There is no better time than the blessed month of Ramadan to start this noble initiative. Gather excess medications and medical supplies beyond your needs and those of your family, or even beyond the needs of the entire neighborhood- as long as they are still within their expiration date. Then, take them to a large pharmacy and request that they be given to patients who cannot afford them.
8. Caring for the Local Mosque and the Neighborhood
You and your family, or even the residents of your neighborhood, can prepare a schedule to clean the mosque and prepare it for prayers, arrange the Qurans, set up water cups, and collect trash bins. You can even prepare a bowl of dates to distribute to worshippers after Taraweeh's prayers.
As for the neighborhoods, investing some time with your neighbors to care for the neighborhood will help occupy your time until it's time to break the fast with a noble deed that keeps one away from idle talk and wrongdoing.
9. Sharing Iftar Meals
Another idea you can engage in is cooking an additional small meal for Iftar each day and taking it to a person in need nearby. You can also offer it to one of your neighbors as a kind gesture to foster love and compassion among yourselves; a noble tradition passed down from one generation to another.
One Last Volunteer Idea
There are many volunteering activities one can participate in during the holy month of Ramadan, so we encourage you to prepare enthusiastically for them.
One thing we must never forget is our families in Gaza and our duty to help them overcome the suffering they are experiencing. Therefore, Tkiyet Um Ali has launched the campaign "Gaza Campaign" which focuses on collecting aid and packing food parcels to send to our brothers and sisters in Gaza, helping them escape the famine they are facing.