Islamic Society distributes Thanksgiving meals

PANAMA CITY — The annual tradition of packing up Thanksgiving meals to hand out to other people felt especially poignant to Arin Ahmad in the wake of Hurricane Michael.

Arin, 15, was one of the middle and high school students at the Bay County Islamic Society (BCIS) on Monday preparing holiday meals to hand out to those in need. BCIS is partnering with other local organizations to distribute the food.

“We’re just gathering a bunch of food to help some families in need that don’t have anything for Thanksgiving,” said Arin. “We’re just trying to help them so they can stay together as a family and not have to worry about food on their plate.”

BCIS youth prepare the meals every year. The children said they were happy to help the less fortunate, particularly after the hurricane.

“It feels good to give back,” said Raneen Ahmad, 12. “We can give to other people.”

BCIS youth director Basheer Abdeen said the children came together to make and pack more than 300 meals for people who otherwise wouldn’t have a Thanksgiving meal. The food, which included bread and canned goods, was collected by the community.

“Our youth has learned a lot of lessons from Hurricane Michael. Today, as well, they will have an opportunity to learn about giving back, working together, helping others, overcoming obstacles,” Abdeen said. “We found ourselves in the service of others. It’s important to teach the youth these important lessons about giving back to the community.”

Jana Hudaihed, 13, said she wanted to help out.

“A lot of people are going through hard times,” said Jana. “I just want people to know you’re there for them and they’re not alone. Anyone that needs anything, they can always come and ask. We’re more than happy to help them.”

BCIS’s mosque sustained major damage from Hurricane Michael.