What a Relief!

We are sure everyone is gearing up in some way, shape, or form for the upcoming holiday season in the U.S. You can feel it in the air. Whether we celebrate any portion of it, it would be difficult not to see and feel the enormous weight put on families to keep up. Poverty in America is the elephant in the room that isn’t heard until it’s weighty feet moves. Our guest Abed Ayoub, co-founder of the 3rd Pillar Charities has listened to the plight of the undeserved intently, and this year will be another one where they answer the call to serve.  The post “What a Relief Podcast” 77: Third Pillar Shows the World Exactly How The 3rd Pillar of Islam Works appeared first on Islamic Relief USA.

2016 consisted held a great number of challenges for the world over. Political strife and uncertainty seemed to rule the day most of the year. With everything that has happened, natural disasters and emergencies haven’t taken a backseat. IRUSA has been pushing harder than ever to make the right response to this year’s catastrophes. B.C. Dodge & R. Mordant took some time out to talk with IRUSA’s very own Regional Disaster Response Coordinator, Abdullah Shawky, who has been one of many going beyond the call of duty. IRUSA’s Disaster Response Team (DRT) found itself in the eye of storms, wildfires, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes this year. The work is still piling on.  The post “What A Relief Podcast” 76: IRUSA’s DRT team pushes for the right Response appeared first on Islamic Relief USA.

We’re back live from the Interaction Forum of 2017 in Washington, D.C. at the Walter Reed Convention Center, where B.C. and Mordant are spending quality time with game-changers in the relief world! This episode we sit down with Interaction Veteran Kevin Peach, Business Development Coordinator for NRS International, to get a sneak peek into the manufacturing side of relief work.  The post “What A Relief Podcast” 75: Who Makes This Stuff? – Our Live Chat with a Relief Manufacturing Giant appeared first on Islamic Relief USA.

This week, B.C. & Mordant welcome Amanda Qureshi, a digital media professional and diversity activist and Advisory Board Member for the Sisterhood of Salaam-Shalom. In this episode, she talks about her work with this unique national grassroots organization. It was founded in New Jersey by a Jewish woman who decided to take matters into her own hands and bridge the divide between people of the Muslim and Jewish faiths. The post “What A Relief” Podcast 56: A Sisterhood for Peace: Muslim and Jewish Women Building Bridges appeared first on Islamic Relief USA.

This week B.C. Dodge & R. Mordant Mahon welcome Naser Haghamed, CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide. Naser has travelled across 35 countries to help deliver aid where it is needed the most. He shares his insights with our listeners. Naser spends some time explaining just what it is that Islamic Relief aims to do. In doing so, he debunks some common perceptions, such as the duration of time the organization stays in emergency zones. When Islamic Relief deploys for an emergency, be it a natural or manmade disaster, the organization stays much longer than people would expect. After responding to the emergency, the work continues: rebuilding schools, hospitals—starting over. The post “What A Relief” Podcast 54: The Impact and Challenges of International Relief Work appeared first on Islamic Relief USA.

If you have never heard of her, now is the time to get hip and join her over 40,000 subscribers. The description on her page simply states, “I like eating pomegranates and brushing my teeth. But not at the same time of course.” Need we say more? The post Breaking Barriers with Comedy: A Talk with Tazzy Phe appeared first on Islamic Relief USA.

B.C. Dodge & R. Mordant Mahon talk to Scott Cooper and Joe Jenkins from Veterans for American Ideals in this episode of “What a Relief!” — IRUSA’s official podcast. In this episode, B.C. & Mordant welcome two special guests: Scott Cooper and Joe Jenkins from Veterans for American Ideals. They were introduced to the show when IRUSA was featured on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. Their organization was founded upon reflecting on the existing organizations that serve veterans in this country. The question was posed: But what opportunities are there for veterans to advocate for others? This was orginally posted on IRUSA.org

Can you believe it? It’s been one year now since hosts B.C. Dodge and R. Mordant Mahon got this thing started—one year since they interviewed their first guest about his overwhelming experience greeting Syrian refugees on Greece’s shore. In that year, they’ve talked with everyone from IRUSA staff to other NGO leaders to artists, activists and imams.  The post “What A Relief” Podcast 51: Aww! One Year Old! appeared first on Islamic Relief USA.

In this podcast, B.C. & Mordant continue their talk with Jaime Mujahid Fletcher from Islam in Spanish. He shares more detailed insight on how his organization is making strides to bring knowledge about Islam to the Spanish-speaking community. The post “What A Relief” Podcast 50: Islam in Spanish: Empowering an Underserved Community Part II appeared first on Islamic Relief USA.

In this episode, B.C. Dodge & R. Mordant Mahon welcome Jaime Mujahid Fletcher from Islam in Spanish to share his groundbreaking efforts in making Islam accessible to the Spanish-speaking community. The idea was sparked when Mujahid became Muslim and was soon after designated spokesperson for the Spanish-speaking community. Being a new Muslim, he felt as though he wasn’t the most knowledgeable person for the job, but he realized he was the only one who could do it. From there, he discovered the serious lack of Spanish materials, and that a huge demographic was not being served. The post “What A Relief” Podcast 49: Islam in Spanish – Empowering an Underserved Community appeared first on Islamic Relief USA.

In this episode, B.C. & Mordant chat with Taleb Salhab and Saro Nakashian from Education for Employment. The organization started in 2006 in Gaza and now spans eight countries with a mission of creating job opportunities for unemployed youth in the Middle East and North Africa. By providing world-class professional and technical training, they have placed over 10,500 youth in jobs to date. “We measure our success by our job outcomes,” Talib says, citing underemployment as a serious problem in the region. “Underemployment is when people are working jobs that are basically not paying them a living wage,” he explains. “They are not able to earn a living and they are not able to support themselves or their families.” In addition to underemployment, youth are facing a skills mismatch in which the skills they are being taught are not in sync with what the workforce is seeking. Currently, unemployment rates have skyrocketed higher than high school drop out rates. The post “What A Relief” Podcast 48: Addressing MENA’s Youth Employment Crisis appeared first on Islamic Relief USA.

B.C. Dodge & guest co-host Chancey Gannett talk to author Susan Dennard in this episode of “What a Relief!” — IRUSA’s official podcast. Susan Dennard is an author who writes young adult novels that have nothing to do with humanitarian aid. But when she came across an article about Islamic Relief USA last fall, she decided to use her platform as an author to support IRUSA’s work. So she auctioned off a signed book to raise money for charity — and to spread a message that’s close to her heart. The article she read told how people in Louisiana were surprised and their stereotypes were challenged when Muslims from IRUSA’s disaster response team came out to help them in the wake of devastating floods. The post “What A Relief” Podcast 47: In Which We Interview Our First Unicorn appeared first on Islamic Relief USA.

This year on #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back, IRUSA is rallying to help children in need all over the world. And since there are 24 hours in a day, we decided there was no better way to express our enthusiasm than to use all of them. It seemed like the right thing to do. Join the crew from IRUSA's What a Relief! Podcast as B.C. Dodge & R. Mordant Mahon attempt an ill-advised, yet obviously awesome, feat of going #LIVE on the air for 24 hours straight!  Of course, they can't (and shouldn't) do this alone, and will be joined by special guest like: The CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide, Naser Haghamed The CEO of Islamic Relief UK, Imran Madden Imam Suhaib Webb Hoda Hawa from Muslim Public Affairs Council Khalil Ismail ...and many other surprise guests and staff from all over the world!  Mark your calendars and stay tuned for updates with the offical links on how to listen and watch. You won't want to miss this!

This year on #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back, IRUSA is rallying to help children in need all over the world. And since there are 24 hours in a day, we decided there was no better way to express our enthusiasm than to use all of them. It seemed like the right thing to do. Join the crew from IRUSA's What a Relief! Podcast as B.C. Dodge & R. Mordant Mahon attempt an ill-advised, yet obviously awesome, feat of going #LIVE on the air for 24 hours straight!  Of course, they can't (and shouldn't) do this alone, and will be joined by special guest like: The CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide, Naser Haghamed The CEO of Islamic Relief UK, Imran Madden Imam Suhaib Webb Hoda Hawa from Muslim Public Affairs Council Khalil Ismail ...and many other surprise guests and staff from all over the world!  Mark your calendars and stay tuned for updates with the offical links on how to listen and watch. You won't want to miss this!

This year on #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back, IRUSA is rallying to help children in need all over the world. And since there are 24 hours in a day, we decided there was no better way to express our enthusiasm than to use all of them. It seemed like the right thing to do. Join the crew from IRUSA's What a Relief! Podcast as B.C. Dodge & R. Mordant Mahon attempt an ill-advised, yet obviously awesome, feat of going #LIVE on the air for 24 hours straight!  Of course, they can't (and shouldn't) do this alone, and will be joined by special guest like: The CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide, Naser Haghamed The CEO of Islamic Relief UK, Imran Madden Imam Suhaib Webb Hoda Hawa from Muslim Public Affairs Council Khalil Ismail ...and many other surprise guests and staff from all over the world!