Chaya Blog

Al-Shifa Clinic Auction and Dinner

Join Al-Shifa in an event to show your undying love to improving the accessibility of healthcare to the underserved population. Help them start a FREE HEALTH CLINIC for underserved populations in Seattle.

WHAT: Al-Shifa Clinic (non-profit health clinic) Auction and Dinner
WHEN: February 15th, 2008
WHERE: South Campus Center, Room 316
WHY: To make a difference !!

Bring your friends and family to an evening of great food, great company and a great cause. Come see what students are doing RIGHT NOW to make a tangible difference in combating the country's healthcare
inequities. Learn about the Al-Shifa Clinic and its mission of providing health screenings and services to those that need it the most.

Hear keynote speaker Dr. Johnson, Director of New Initiatives at Health Alliance International, speak about her experience working with marginalized populations in both the US and throughout the world. See how her dedication to her work with such communities has taken her from Mozambique to Chile to Haiti and India, amongst many other countries.

Other speakers include Dr. Carey of the Institute for Sufi Studies and Janice Tufte of the Interface Council on Ending Homelessness as well as a video address from Governor Christine Gregoire.

Forget the chocolates and the flowers… this Valentine's Day make an IMPACT!

Friday, February 15, 2008
5:30 - 6:30: silent auction
7:00 – 9:00pm: dinner, live auction and program

South Campus Center Room 316
University of Washington
Free parking provided in S1 parking lot

PLEASE RSVP by: February 9, 2008

Price: $50/person NON-students
         $25/person students

All tickets are tax deductible dinner tickets (receipt will be provided)

To reserve your seat visit the Al-Shifa website at alshifaclinic.org or email Ngoc Thien
Nguyen, Director of Undergraduate & Volunteer Services at nthien3@u.washington.edu or Tipu Khan, Board President and Clinic Director at tipukhan@u.washington.edu.

Peaceful Families Conference 2007- A Success!

Assalaam Alaykum and Greetings,

As Chaya rejoices with members of the community and volunteers on the success of the Peaceful Families Conference held October 27, 2007 at the IMAN Center, we think back and reflect on all that happened:

- We were very lucky to see a diverse set of Muslims attending the conference. We had representation from East African, South Asian, American, Irani, and Arab Muslims at this conference. This beautiful diversity proved to bring a dynamic discussion to our day. We were also blessed to have Muslims representing various sects of the Ummah attending to address the very significant issue of domestic violence in our community. Throughout the day, we were able to serve 70 community members at this conference. This exceeded our goal by 20 people.

- Our service provider panelists were amazing! We had a mix of both Muslim and non-Muslim service providers who spoke about the services they provided and their accessibility for community members. There was a lively discussion that followed the service panel, and as a result the conference time was extended. Because the service panel was the last presentation of the day, the audience reduced to around 25 community members leaving an intimate group of people participating in the discussion and networking with the 8 service providers. In addition, service providers in the audience shared additional resources and information.

- The Islamic Law vs. Washington State Family Law debate created a lot of discussion and opportunities for community members to reflect on the similarities in both sets of decree. The Q&A for both Imam Joban representing his perspective on Islamic Law and Shahzad Qadri Esq. representing his experiences in the legal field proved to be extremely rousing and stimulating.

- Sister Salma Abugideiri presented refreshing perspectives on domestic violence and the Islamic context by speaking on the wisdom of the Holy Quran and through looking at Prophet Muhammed’s (PBUH) experiences in life. A highlight and treat for the audience in her presentations was having the opportunity to view exclusive footage of the soon to be released film that Sister Salma worked on in conjunction with The Faith Trust Institute. (Read more on the The Peaceful Families Project.)

- Lastly, it was a true testament to the togetherness of the community to see so many volunteers serving in child-care, food service and set-up, accommodations, etc. We would like to especially thank Sister Salma who came from Virginia to share her expertise and bring our community together.

We hope that this conference generated as much energy for you as it did for Chaya staff and the Peaceful Families Taskforce. Please look out for updates of future Peaceful Families events and meetings. Come be a part of a community movement!

Special Thanks To:

Abbas Walji- for coordinating site and being so flexible

Abbas Rizvi- for being the liaison between Chaya and IMAN and for facilitating

Jawad Khaki- for your graciousness and Dua’s

Sahar, Sharleen, and Farida for leading and facilitating our conference

To all Chaya Staff

and

To present board members for all of their support!

--Natasha

Peaceful Families Conference

Assalamu Alaikum.

Establishing Healthy Muslim Families

Chaya is pleased to invite the entire Ummah to a long awaited day-long conference addressing healthy Muslim families and ending domestic violence in our community.

When: October 27th, 10am-4pm

Where: At the IMAN Center in Kirkland
            515 State Street, Kirkland WA 98033

Program:
-    Quranic Family Models
-    What is Domestic Violence?
-    What does Islam say about Domestic Violence?
-    Panel Discussion with Local Service Providers
-    Comparison of Washington State Family Law and Islamic Law

• A light breakfast and lunch will be served.
• Modest Attire Required: Long pants for Men; Scarves/Hijab for Women
• Childcare Available upon Request

RSVP:
Email natasha@chayaseattle.org
Or call 206 568 7576

This conference will be presented by Salma Abugideiri, co-director of the Peaceful Families Project. Salma is a licensed professional counselor who is certified in marriage and family therapy. She has a private practice in Reston, VA, and works with individuals and families who are dealing with a wide range of problems, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, abuse, and cultural adjustment issues. Ms. Abugideiri has worked extensively with refugees, immigrants, and Muslim & Middle Eastern families. She has sought to improve the Muslim community's access to mental health services. In addition to providing therapy, she enjoys consulting and providing cultural sensitivity trainings. She has co-authored a brief guide for helping professionals entitled "What Islam Says About Domestic Violence", and has written a chapter in "Walking Together: Working with Women from Diverse Religious & Spiritual Traditions."

The conference will also be facilitated by Imam Joban, and various local service providers (including lawyers, shelter advocates, and police staff)

Filmi Chakkar - TASVEER

Tasveer holds its 4th Annual Independent South Asian Film Festival!  This year's festival is FREE and runs from October 3-7 at Broadway Performance Hall. 

Opening the festival will be Salman Ahmed of Junoon fame, Pakistani rock-star, filmmaker and peace activist who's dared to take on politicians and mullahs, and address taboos and hypocrisies.  The films come from various South Asian countries and the issues they address span from sexuality and identity, to faith and war, to comedy and human relationships.  The festival includes post-film discussions with filmmakers,  receptions, and a documentary workshop.  The festival has really grown in the last few years and Chaya extends its heartiest congratulations to Tasveer.  Don't miss it people, it will be great!  Check out the schedule.

Chaya is the proud sponsor of View From a Grain of Sand, showcasing the voices of three Afghan women, each dramatically affected by the different regimes of the last twenty-five years, and The Widow Colony, a film that looks into the lives of the widows of the Sikh men who were killed in the anti-Sikh massacre of November, 1984.

Check back in after the festival for reviews and discussions.  See you there!

Chai Time!

Chai with Chaya - Brunch at the Flying Fish

A delicious brunch featuring unique concoctions by award-winning Chef Christine Keff.  The menu includes vegetarian and vegan options, along with Chai, Coffee and Mimosas.  Come and meet the Chaya Team, learn about Chaya’s work and network with like-minded people in your community.

When:

November 18, 2007, 11:00am—2:00pm

Where:

Flying Fish Restaurant

2234 1st Avenue

(Between Blanchard & Bell Streets)

Tickets: $40

Please RSVP by November 2, 2006.  To RSVP, click here.

Spread the word!!

2007 Auction - The bar is set high

Tickets are $90 each.

To RSVP please complete the Reply Card and send it in per the enclosed instructions.

For more information please contact Sabina at sabina@chayaseattle.org or call 206.568.7576.

---

Our photographer, Jack Storms, told us that the auction last year was GLAMOROUS! Of course, he was right - lush colors,  gorgeous clothes, creative displays, decadent desserts – totally beautiful. A feast for all of our senses.

Yes, it was quite an event. We had a fabulous crowd, wildly generous guests, exciting bidding wars - and a keynote speech that wrenched at my heart and made me reaffirm my commitment to the issue and to Chaya.

We raised over $150,000 - an affirmation of the community support for Chaya and the work it does.

Every dollar went to support Chaya's programs. Last year our Advocates provided a range of services to 105 women, as well as support, information and referrals to 26 family members/friends of survivors. Our services included in-depth personalized advocacy and support, information, legal advocacy, and personalized referrals, help with immigration issues, health issues, housing and relocation, discrimination and more.

Our Community Mobilization team worked on an extensive array of projects focused on providing information, raising awareness and engaging in discussions on the issue of domestic violence, as well as involving our communities in supporting survivors and preventing abuse. Projects we worked on included the Peaceful Families Taskforce, the Women's Health Project, and the Kent Women's Leadership Group, among others.

The need for our services continues to grow. A reports from the Journal of American Medical Womens's Association (2002) revealed that 40.8% of South Asian women surveyed reported they were abused in some form by their male partners. That is an astonishing statistic. Compute that percentage for 100,000 - the number of South Asians living in Washington State (U.S. Census 2000). We have a lot to do.

So the bar is set high. Join us in celebrating and supporting Chaya's work. We had better be glamorous this time around too!

---Aaliyah

2006 10th Anniversary Auction and Dinner

2006 marked the 10th Anniversary of the founding of Chaya, and at a gala auction and dinner event on June 17, 2006 Chaya honored its founders and supporters, past and present, for their commitment to growing and sustaining Chaya over the years.

This was an evening of celebration, fun and festivities. A wonderful opportunity to catch up with all of the wonderful people who came together 10 years ago to lay the foundation of an organization that has become a community mainstay.

Jack Storms of Storms Photographic was kind enough to donate his services to take pictures of the event. Click here to see all the rest of the wonderful images. The images are offered for sale and a portion of the proceeds will go to Chaya. So look for a friend or family member and send them a picture. It's worth a thousand words and clearly worth a few bucks for a great cause....

---Rajan