This past Saturday marked the return of the “Day of Dignity,” a national event sponsored by Islamic Relief USA. Here in Philadelphia, this year’s participating event was hosted by the Pennsylvania chapters of both Islamic Relief USA and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, as well as the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. This year was not the first time these organizations had come together to participate in Day of Dignity; they had collaborated on this event for several years now. But this year was the first that I had ever heard of this event. Naturally, as a Unitarian Universalist with a Muslim upbringing, there was no way I was letting this experience pass me by.
When I arrived at 10:45 on Saturday morning to help with setup I was stunned by the size of the operation. The parking lot we were using for this year’s event had been taken over by numerous tented stations, filled with boxes upon boxes of food and supplies. A U-Haul truck was parked just outside the lot holding even more supplies. Dozens of individuals were already hard at work, many of which I assume had been there since the crack of dawn. Leading the setup was Monika Nagpal from Islamic Relief USA, who seemed to have an endless amount of energy as she darted from station to station, making sure every volunteer was doing something productive.
I was put to work immediately, making snack packs for the volunteers, each consisting of a banana, a granola bar, and a bag of pretzels. I could tell the day was going to be an intense one. Next to me also working on these bags was a mother and her children, who had all brought along friends to help with the day’s activities. As I looked around, I noticed just how many families seemed to have come together to show kindness and respect to their neighbors. One volunteer, a junior in college, had traveled here from New York on his sister’s request. He had lovingly dedicated his Saturday to reaching out to people he had never met, and may never again see. Witnessing his dedication was an incredibly powerful moment- he truly wanted to be there. As we finished up making the volunteer snack bags, we both went off in search of our next task.
Eventually, the number of volunteers overcame the number of tasks that remained. Those of us who were waiting to be assigned to our volunteer duties once the distribution began stood to the side and got to know one another a bit more. I met two more “first-timers” who had heard about the purpose of today and were eager to participate. We discovered that we all had a strong affinity for Axis of Evil, a standup comedy tour that featured Middle Eastern comedians. The conversation shifted to our professional lives, and eventually we began to share stories about our friends and family who had battled, or were currently battling, with cancer. The ease with which we were all able to connect with one another was a clear reflection of our compassionate personalities. There was a sense of appreciation for our shared experience and our desire to help our brothers and sisters whom the world had forced into challenging circumstances.
I was put on “security.” The basis for my selection? I was a friendly-looking but intimidating woman. I took that as a compliment, and was none too surprised seeing as I had been an RA in college for three years. The wonderful thing about my “security” post however was that it had virtually no security-type responsibilities. I was stationed at the food/supply line exit, and told to direct everyone to the medical services tent. My inner public health educator was thrilled to be responsible for plugging the medical services available, which included not only an array of personal health materials, but blood pressure tests, blood-glucose screenings, same-day HIV tests, and reading glasses. Seriously, I was stoked. I was directed to my post around noon. And that was when it occurred to me- we were not officially opening until 1:00pm, but already had close to 100 people eagerly waiting for us to begin. What were we supposed to do?
The answer was actually quite simple- talk. For that hour while I was standing at my post, I engaged in conversations with men and women who were so full of life and inspiration, and listened to some incredible stories. Although these individuals were in intensely difficult situations, their spirit was not broken, and our laughter persisted the entire hour. I quickly found myself appreciating the point of the day- we were not bringing dignity to our fellow human beings but simply recognizing it. Our provision of supplies and services was not charity, and we were not giving out food, clothing, and medical care out of pity. Our coming together that day was an acknowledgement of a simple truth- the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Our shared presence, volunteers and attendees together, was an affirmation of this principle, which firmly united us regardless of our race, religion, or socioeconomic status.
By the time the line finally opened at 1:00pm, hundreds of people had arrived to receive an incredibly holistic set of items. Stations were set up with sweatshirts, underwear, toys, school supplies, hygiene kits, food, beverages- it was an impressive collection. So many supplies were distributed that volunteers were enlisted to help walk people down the line so that they did not drop any of the items they were carrying (before then, multiple slices of pizza met a facedown end on the asphalt). As the first few people walked out of the line, I could not help but smile- this was pretty awesome. When I told them about the medical services tent and what materials and tests were available, I was greeted with an incredible amount of enthusiasm. “There are reading glasses? Oh man, I need a pair!” The gratitude I witnessed was so infectious, I found myself thanking every person exiting the line, for letting us be with them that day. I wore a true smile the entire time I stood in my post as “bouncer-greeter” and never once did it feel forced. As I looked around at all the other volunteers, I could tell each one was experiencing the same joy and love. Who would have thought that an empty parking lot could bring so much happiness to so many people in just a couple of hours?
As we progressed further into the distribution process, we managed to hit a magnificent stride, and in-depth conversations began again. Volunteers walked around and socialized with attendees, making sure that they had managed to obtain all the items that were available to them. The medical services tent was booming with business, and many attendees expressed excitement about having a new set of school supplies for their upcoming classes. Even though the air was at times chilly and the threat of rain never waned, spirits remained high and the smiles stayed on everyone’s faces. It might sound crazy, but I am convinced that the lack of rain was somehow connected to the incredible amount of love that flowed freely between all who were present that day. Eventually the day drew to a close, with all of the supplies having been distributed and a few dozen soft-pretzels remaining. Some volunteers began to help with the cleanup by picking up trash and rounding up cones. Others spoke with some of the individuals who had stayed after the distribution and had enjoyed the company so much that they did not want to leave. Slowly, the space we were in began to look more like a parking lot, and the physical evidence of our time together faded away.
The Day of Dignity represents so much more than an opportunity to volunteer in the community for a single Saturday. This event is an incredible demonstration of the power of religious cooperation and respect. Those of us who came to volunteer for this day came from a variety of faith backgrounds, but our compassionate personalities helped us to recognize and demonstrate that our differences did not matter. The Day of Dignity brought together two faith communities that share a core belief- every person has an inherent self-worth that must be recognized by all others. Our mutual appreciation for this single principle was so incredibly powerful, it turned a parking lot into a celebration. It turned an overcast and chilly Saturday into a day filled with joy and laughter. It turned perfect strangers into friends, uniting individuals in love.
