From the very start, Safe Hands Foundation had one vision:
A HISTORY OF SERVICE
“Inspired by our Islamic faith and guided by our values, we envision a caring world where communities are empowered, social obligations are fulfilled, and people respond as one to the suffering of others.”
In line with Islamic teachings on the value of every human life, we provide this assistance to whoever needs it most, regardless of gender, religion, or race. We work to transform and save lives of people in crisis both across the USA and internationally.
While our beginnings were in disaster and emergency relief – providing for those who have suffered and lost everything in droughts, earthquakes, floods or conflict – alongside this immediate assistance, Safe Hands Foundation has always aimed to relieve poverty and suffering in the long-term too.
In addition to disaster relief, we carry out sustainable development work to provide winter aid, water, food, shelter, healthcare, education in the long-term. We also work to support orphans and children, help people into employment and build livelihoods to support their families, and protect vulnerable communities from future disasters, preventing the loss of lives and property.
Safe Hands Foundation also advocates towards building a more just and equitable society. Inspired by our faith, we campaign against a range of issues including the increasing impact of climate change, gender-based violence, and war and conflict worldwide.
As we look to the future, we are always eager to learn, develop and improve our work, to serve those most in need. We aim to do this all in line with our key values, taken from our Islamic faith: compassion, justice, custodianship, sincerity, and excellence.
OUR PATH TO HUMANITARIAN SERVICE
Safe Hands Foundation – 1993 to 2020:
1993
- Safe Hands Foundation incorporates in Los Angeles
- War breaks out in Bosnia; American Muslims move to act
- Safe Hands Foundation makes its first public appearance at a youth conference in Orange County, CA
1994
- Los Angeles staff and volunteers visit at least 10 mosques thirty times in Ramadan, raising $3,000 for Bosnian war relief
- Volunteers stuff 3,000 mailers by hand
- Safe Hands Foundation launches its first emergency campaign in response to the Chechnya conflict
1995
- Oklahoma City bombing leaves 168 dead and hundreds injured; Safe Hands Foundation sends $5,000 for relief
- First fundraising dinner held in Yorba Linda, CA, raises $300,000 for Chechnya humanitarian aid
1996
- Safe Hands Foundation grows to include five employees
- Safe Hands Foundation donors share meat for the Eid al-Adha holiday around the globe, from Somalia to Pakistan
- Staff visit local programs being supported in Bosnia
1997
- Donors join together to send relief to Iraq war survivors
- Safe Hands Foundation staff share Qurbani meat in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan
- Orphans continue to be sponsored worldwide; one Sudanese orphan, Mariam, no longer had to sell peanuts to go to school after being sponsored
1998
- Safe Hands Foundation celebrates its 5-year anniversary and plans for future growth
- A 6.1 magnitude earthquake strikes Afghanistan; Safe Hands Foundation prioritizes sending relief
- Safe Hands Foundation supports the needs of school children in Kashmir
1999
- Kosovo crisis begins in March
- Safe Hands Foundation workers travel to Albania in April to help set up a camp for Kosovo refugees
- At home, Safe Hands Foundation looks ahead to development trends of the coming 21st century
2000
- Water wells are built and supported in parts of Africa, such as Mali
- Safe Hands Foundation provides humanitarian aid to survivors of war in Chechnya
- Safe Hands Foundation staff visit the town of Ingushetia in Russia
2001
- After 9/11, Safe Hands Foundation organizes blood drives and distributes food to rescue workers in New York City
- Safe Hands Foundation launches a campaign for humanitarian aid in Afghanistan
2002
- Safe Hands Foundation’s “Humanitarian Day” is held for the first time, becoming a United States-wide annual tradition now known as “Day of Dignity”
- Safe Hands Foundation spends $6.6 million on programs that help those in need around the world
2003
- Safe Hands Foundation begins sponsoring orphans
- US donors sponsor 513 orphans by January alone
- After a major earthquake strikes Iran in December, a relief campaign begins
2004
- Safe Hands Foundation receives its first 4-star rating from Charity Navigator
- Global “Children in Need” campaign launches and continues until today
- A devastating tsunami hits Indonesia and neighbors; Safe Hands Foundation donors send aid to help homes, health clinics, schools, and livelihood needs
2005
- Safe Hands Foundation cares for Hurricane Katrina survivors and provides a new building for a destroyed health care facility
- Pakistan is rocked by a massive earthquake; Safe Hands Foundation sends large-scale relief
- Safe Hands Foundation expands, opening offices in Texas and New Jersey
2006
- Safe Hands Foundation donors send humanitarian aid after famine spreads across Africa and violence erupts in Lebanon
- Development projects grow to include water initiatives in Mali and health initiatives in Afghanistan
2007
- Bangladesh is devastated by a cyclone; Safe Hands Foundation donors send immediate relief
- Safe Hands Foundation expands existing development projects, such as focusing on education in Mali
2008
- Safe Hands Foundation donors now provide relief in more than 20 countries
- New Safe Hands Foundation national headquarters are established near Washington, DC, in Northern Virginia
2009
- Emergency spreads in Palestine; Safe Hands Foundation sends aid for medicine, food, and clothes
- Safe Hands Foundation continues to support orphans worldwide, expanding programs in India and Afghanistan
2010
- Safe Hands Foundation hosts its first Capitol Hill iftar dinner
- Massive flooding submerges large portions of Pakistan; Safe Hands Foundation sends aid that assists hundreds of thousands over the next two years
2011
- Safe Hands Foundation trains Disaster Management Team (DMT); its first action is to help Alabama tornado survivors
- Safe Hands Foundation aids Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Syria after political unrest spreads
- Drought and famine strike East Africa; donors provide food, water, and medical care
- Safe Hands Foundation CEO speaks before the United Nations
2012
- Safe Hands Foundation gives $36.5 million of emergency relief, food, water, and development aid
- Ramadan food packages help feed 318,731 people in 23 countries
- Qurbani/Udhiyah meat is shared with over 430,000 people in 26 countries
- The White House invites Safe Hands Foundation to its annual iftar dinner
2013
- Safe Hands Foundation extends humanitarian aid after Typhoon Haiyan hits the Philippines
- There are 40,000 donors and 800 volunteers that now support Safe Hands Foundation each year
- Safe Hands Foundation staff grows to 89 employees; relief is provided in over 30 countries
- More than 10,000 orphans sponsored
2014
- Safe Hands Foundation signs a memorandum with the American Red Cross, becoming its first Muslim partner
- Inner-City Muslim Action Network, supported by Safe Hands Foundation, is named Chicago’s Best Affordable Healthcare
2015
- Donors now provide humanitarian aid in more than 50 countries, and help over 100,000 Americans right here at home
- Safe Hands Foundation co-sponsors the World Bank’s first summit on religion and sustainable development
- Staff attend UN summit on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
2016
- Safe Hands Foundation responds to eight US emergencies, including delivering water to residents of Flint, MI, for six months
- Safe Hands Foundation focuses on housing and women’s empowerment at two UN summits
- Donors share Ramadan food with almost 400,000 recipients and Eid meat with over one million people worldwide
2017
- Safe Hands Foundation hosts InterAction Forum, where members of leading relief agencies came together to show support for relief efforts
- Safe Hands Foundation staffs a shelter for Hurricane Harvey survivors in Texas
- DMT responds to eight national emergencies
2018
- The American Red Cross awards Safe Hands Foundation’s DMT a $500,000 grant to implement long-term hurricane recovery in Texas
- For the 12th time, Safe Hands Foundation earns a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator
- Safe Hands Foundation celebrates 25 years of working together for a better world
2019
- Safe Hands Foundation partners to pack over 375,000 meals as part of a nationwide commemoration on the anniversary of 9/11
- Safe Hands Foundation is an honored guest at the opening one of the largest food banks in the nation, located in Delaware
- Poverty to Profit is launched, providing a livelihood micro-finance program dedicated to helping break the chains of poverty
2020
- Safe Hands Foundation commits more than $5 million to help those affected by the unprecedented global pandemic, coronavirus
- Safe Hands Foundation was one of the first humanitarian agencies to respond to Ethiopian refugees in Sudan and internally displaced people (IDPs) across Ethiopia affected by the outbreak of conflict in Tigray
2021
- In response to COVID-19, Safe Hands Foundation launches Hot Meals Monday, providing hot, nutritious meals to vulnerable individuals in cities across the US
- Following escalated violence during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr 2021, Safe Hands Foundation launches an emergency campaign in Palestine
- In July 2021, Safe Hands Foundation responds to intense flooding in Sudan
- Safe Hands Foundation mobilized over $5 million in funds across 8 African countries towards famine prevention interventions
- Volunteers of Safe Hands Foundation packed over 1.4 million meals for vulnerable families
2022
- Safe Hands Foundation committed $10 million to support the advancement of health, education, and livelihood for vulnerable populations across Afghanistan
- Safe Hands Foundation helped feed 2.2 million individuals during Ramadan and Qurbani
2023
- Safe Hands Foundation introduces its Zakat Policy to provide guidance on the collection, handling, programming, and disbursement of Zakat funds in accordance with Islamic Law.
- Safe Hands Foundation signs a three-year strategic organizational agreement with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to support its ambition to become the first Muslim national refugee resettlement agency in the US.
- Following October 7, Safe Hands Foundation partners redirect funds from ongoing projects to support critical needs in Gaza, including food, water, fuel, medicine, medical supplies, and other essentials.
2024
- Safe Hands Foundation launches an emergency response in Lebanon providing immediate food aid, essential non-food items, and healthcare access to affected families.
- Safe Hands Foundation introduces the Food Truck Program, rolling out the first truck to provide hot nutritious meals in Chicago, Detroit, and New York, targeting food insecurity.