The Muslim Community Services of St. Louis (MCSL) is a non-profit organization that brings together medical professionals and volunteers to coordinate community service projects in the area. Two years ago, Missouri Baptist social worker Eilers first volunteered for the day of service after learning from a Muslim doctor there. The day of service has been an important way for members of the Jewish and Muslim communities to strengthen ties, said Sophie Malik, a longtime organizer and volunteer. During Jewish and Muslim Community Service Day, Daar-ul-Islam volunteers created unstitched blankets for Baptist chemotherapy bags in Missouri.
Volunteers also prepared a meal for families and patient staff at Evelyn's House, a BJC palliative care center on the West County campus of Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Bahar Bastani, a professor of medicine specializing in nephrology and kidney transplants at Santa Alma Bijedic, helped her 2-year-old son, Adem, cut a blanket during the Jewish and Muslim Community Service Day. Now in its eighth year, the Jewish and Muslim Community Service Day has become a Christmas tradition for many of its hundreds of volunteers. This is due to an apparent increase in Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and political rhetoric that attacks minority groups. Some 13 Jewish and Muslim Community Service Day volunteers prepared a meal for patients' families and staff and also offered to play with them. It is important to recognize that Muslims play an essential role in defending the interests of the United States in the armed forces and have fought in major American cities.
The annual barbecue at Jefferson Barracks is just one example of how members of the Muslim community are providing special services to other communities or organizations in St. Louis, Missouri. The Muslim Community Services of St. Louis is an example of how people from different backgrounds can come together to help those in need. By providing services such as unstitched blankets for chemotherapy bags, meals for families and patient staff, and playing with children, MCSL is making a positive impact on the lives of those around them. The organization is also helping to bridge the gap between different religious communities by providing an opportunity for Jews and Muslims to work together towards a common goal.
This type of collaboration can help to create understanding between different cultures and religions. The Muslim Community Services of St. Louis is an example of how people from different backgrounds can come together to make a difference in their community. By providing services such as unstitched blankets for chemotherapy bags, meals for families and patient staff, and playing with children, MCSL is helping to strengthen ties between Jews and Muslims while making a positive impact on those around them.
