With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
'Humanitarian Day' will reach out to downtown homeless during month of Ramadan
Listen
• 1:03
Umar Hakim and 8 year-old daughter, Aneesah, distributing flyers for Humanitarian Day on August 12th, in downtown Los Angeles.
(
Ruxandra Guidi
)
Ramadan started on July 19th and goes on for an entire month—during which Muslims are expected to fast, think about the world they live in and help others.
Compton native Umar Hakim’s Guyanese mother raised him to be an Episcopalian, but later he converted to Islam. For a dozen years, he’s visited people who live in downtown L.A.’s Skid Row during his religion’s holiest month.
“We don’t need to say anything," says Hakim. "We need to do something by putting our faith into action."
Hakim says Humanitarian Day is the creation of a Muslim-led coalition soon after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Support for LAist comes from
"Ramadan is a month of reading the Qur’an, internalizing its meanings and trying to apply them in the best way possible to our personal lives and social causes, so all that translated into Humanitarian Day.”
That day arrives on Aug. 12, when Towne Street between 4th and 5th Streets in downtown L.A. will be closed to car traffic. Hakim and fellow Muslims plan to line the block with tents, where they’ll make clothing, food, toys, hygiene kits and health screenings available to their homeless neighbors.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The study found recipients spent nearly all the money on basic needs like food and transportation, not drugs or alcohol. -
Kevin Lee's Tokyo Noir has become one of the top spots for craft-inspired cocktails. -
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight. -
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent.
Best of LAist