“When the Ismaili community calls, I answer,” said Andy Stoker, the senior minister at the First United Methodist Church stated when asked about the opportunity to participate in volunteer initiatives with the Ismaili community in Dallas.
Currently, 842 million people all around the world face hunger every day, including thousands in Texas. I-CERV (Ismaili Community Engaged in Responsible Volunteering) under the auspices of the Aga Khan Council for the Central United States and Feeding Children Everywhere partnered to contribute to the resolution of this problem at the local level on the I-CERV Day of Service.
 
“So we kept an ambitious goal of preparing 100,000 healthy meal packs in one day because we believed in the compassion of our community, and of our friends and colleagues in the giving of their time for this cause,” said Salim Rahimi, the Aga Khan Council’s Honorary Secretary.
 
On Sunday, September 10, more than 500 members from the Ismaili community, churches, and organizations came together at Dallas Headquarters Jamatkhana to pack these healthy meals for local children and families in need. 
 
According to project team member, Neelam Virani, this event has been a goal for a long time. “A few years ago, there was an event similar to this is Richardson,” she recalls. “The team decided to do something like that because we were so inspired.”
 
According to North Texas Food Bank, 1 in 6 people and 1 in 4 children are food-insecure in North Texas, which is a painful fact to know. And with the recent hurricane in the Southwest which added more suffering in its aftermath, food becomes an even more of an urgent need. Volunteers were eager to contribute to providing some relief through contributing food supplies. 
 
Encouraging the volunteers was Rachel Wilson, a representative of Feeding Children Everywhere, an organization that partnered with the Aga Khan Council to organize the event. Her enthusiasm rippled through the room and everyone worked along to the upbeat music.
 
"We sometimes get caught up in thinking there's a lot of prosperity," Carrollton Mayor Kevin Falconer said. "One of the things when you're in government, especially local government, you do realize that even though we have a very prosperous area, there is still a great need." Mayor Falconer, along with officials from Plano and Carrollton, participated in the volunteer effort. 
 
The event was open to the public, and various service groups arrived in hopes of contributing. The First United Methodist Church, which has a close relationship with the Dallas-area Ismaili community, had many members join the effort, immediately after morning services.
 
“When the Ismaili community calls, I answer,” said Andy Stoker, the senior minister at the First United Methodist Church. “Anytime that we have service projects, either in our congregation or in the Ismaili community, we like to align our church members. We love this community because it aligns with our social principles,” he continued, “and if we can find ways to be compassionate with one another, then suddenly theological barriers drop, and we can see each other as people of service.”
 
“Events like these can have a great global message. Inshallah,” Andy Stoker added, looking at some Jamati members to make sure he was pronouncing the word correctly. “We hope that what we are doing here, on this small scale, has this ripple effect that transforms into being united around the common cause of humanity!”
 
Jonathan Ross, a member of the Emanuel Synagogue, felt the energy in the room as he packed meals with his friends. “I just moved here two weeks ago. If this is the Carrollton community, then I am so grateful,” Jonathan said. “This shows what it takes to come together to provide for a common good.” 
 
The National Junior Honor Society from Renner Middle School found out about the event through their President, Zameer Jiwani, who, as a Boy Scout and I-CERV member, values service in the community. The students were led by Gwen Baumann, Renner’s journalism teacher who “believes service unites people.” Referring to the recent natural disasters that affected South Texas, Gwen remarked, “ Whether you have spiritual beliefs or your goals are just secular, the idea of service to others should be engrained in all of us from our youth.”