From participating in the American Cancer Society’s walk for breast cancer to volunteering at the Richmond Folk Festival, I-CERV volunteers from the Northeast gathered on October 15 to engage in acts of community service. The ethic of service to others has remained a long-standing pillar of the Ismaili faith. Participating in voluntary activities is one of the ways that members of the Ismaili community uphold this value.
The “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk” was held at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in New York. Organized to spread awareness about breast cancer and increase funding for research, the walk was attended by 50 Ismaili volunteers between the ages of 6 to 50 years old.
Many of the youth volunteers participated in the event in honor of close family and friends who had been impacted by breast cancer. “I participated in the walk because I thought it would be a good opportunity to get involved with the non-Ismaili community, and it was raising awareness for a good cause,” said Natasha Khetani, age 15. “Personally, my aunt had breast cancer and fought through it, so it means a lot to me that I go out there and support the other people who are experiencing what my aunt or I had experienced in the past.”
Other individuals expressed that the walk’s lasting impacts inspired them to continue engaging in similar acts of service. “Participating in the Breast cancer walk gave me a chance to witness first-hand how much this means to so many people. I saw people holding up pictures of their loved ones that they lost to breast cancer, mini memorials on the sides with families grieving … [and] so many people depicting the color pink in different ways. It made me realize how much of a big deal this is, and motivated me to take part in future walks,” said Alisha Barday, age 16.
Peenaz Devani, who serves as an I-CERV board member and helped coordinate the Jamat’s participation in this event, explained the importance of volunteering in communities at large. “External community service is just as important as service in our congregation. It is important that the Ismaili community donates their time to community service in order to help humanity at large,” said Peenaz.
That same weekend, Richmond I-CERV volunteers assisted at the Richmond Folk Festival, an event dedicated the celebrating the roots and diversity of American culture through music, storytelling, dancing, and food. I-CERV volunteers served in a variety of capacities, including working as safety escorts, volunteering at beverage stations, and helping culinary artists and chefs to prepare food.
Mahira Ali, who helped organize the Jamat’s contribution to the Richmond Folk Festival, elaborated on the importance of community service in connection to the Ismaili faith. “We are always taught that our purpose in this life is to leave this world better than when we entered it, and I strongly feel that there’s no better way to leave your silent mark than through service,” she said.
