Q: When did you start volunteering with this charity?
A: I remember hearing about the Brighton Homeless Project at our local mosque back in 2010. Shabek (Ali) was looking for volunteers and I immediately signed up.
Q: What is your role in the Homeless Project?
A: I work as a steward with other volunteers on the seafront where Deen Relief sets up tables for food, hot drinks and clothes distribution on Sunday afternoons below the Peace Statue. I help by making sure every homeless person is able to collect something whether it’s freshly made home-cooked food, a hot cup of tea or winter clothes and sleeping bags if they need it. Sometimes we even give out toiletries such as soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other practical items that they may require.
Q: How many of you work in this project and what kind of people get involved?
A: On average, there are 15 volunteers but we also get many students from both Brighton University and the University of Sussex who offer their time. The volunteers are diverse in age, nationality and belief systems but we all work as an integrated team with a common goal. Many of the volunteers work in the medical field as nurses or doctors and in social and community work.
Q: Is there anything else you do for the project?
A:Yes, because all of our items are generously donated either by businesses or individuals in the local community, in the early afternoon on Sundays, we usually we go in a small team collecting all these things. Then we set up the tables later on at the seafront.
Q: Is the Homeless Project a regular event?
A:Yes, Alhamdulillah, the Deen Relief team are out on the seafront every Sunday afternoon at 6pm so the homeless people know when they can expect to see us. It was only during the Covid lockdown that we had to temporarily suspend our activities. However, during lockdown, Deen Relief volunteers diverted their attention to focussing on providing food daily to those working on the front line with the NHS.
Q: It’s been ten years since you first joined the Deen Relief team. What motivates you to carry on?
A:It gives me great satisfaction knowing I’ve done something for someone however small it might be. This project gives the homeless people something to look forward to every week. Without it, they probably would have nowhere else to go for help. We welcome any homeless person irrespective of their story. Not only that, but I work with a great team where we are all dedicated to a great cause – serving Allah through serving humanity.
Q: Have things changed over the last ten years since this project started?
A:Yes, definitely! In the beginning, with all the negative media that Muslims have been subjected to, I think some people were a bit wary at first. But over time, we’ve become a familiar presence on the seafront and now homeless people are more than happy to stop by and pick up the items they need.
Q: What about your future with Deen Relief?
A:I’m more than happy to stay on and help out when and where I can. It’s so humbling to be involved with the people I volunteer with and those we are there to help. The Homeless Project is an example of real grassroots work and I feel that in this team, we connect, learn and hopefully will continue to make a small change to those who need it.
