Following Hurricane Katrina, I volunteered with the international relief organization, Islamic Relief worldwide, after failing to get through the red-tape of Red Cross to volunteer.

I was blessed with the opportunity to go instead with Islamic Relief's team of volunteers who were working in Biloxi, Mississippi amongst the poorest neighborhood of that city.

While most relief being offered by the federal         government was being provided in the western part of the city, the poorer members of the community where cut off by water, impassible streets & lack of           transportation, telephones or internet access.

Yes internet -- the feds were stupid enough to place the application for assistance on the net, when most of the victims where living in tents with no electricity or      access to computers!

Its an example of the CUBICAL mind going dumb.

I would like to take a moment to say, if you ever want to donate to an Islamic organization & just don't know which one HONESTLY distributes without                discrimination to those in need.

I recommend Islamic Relief. I personally witnessed the work they did for people without regard to race,        religion, age, national origin, etc. They gave more   positive dawaah in the months they helped those people in Mississippi, than any traveling dawah group can give in the same time period! That is because they gave without descriminating & gave with kindness & dignity. Over and over again I heard residents talk in awe that Muslims were helping them when America was killing Muslims. It made their hearts come to love us in a way no speech giving ever can. May Allah reward the organization with all it deserves!