Hanan Relief Group organizes Day of Dignity back-to-school fair

Photo by Jasmine Saadeh

Volunteers distribute school supplies during Hanan Refugees Relief Group’s Day of Dignity in Milwaukee. The annual back-to-school drive became Day of Dignity in 2023 after HRG received a grant from Islamic Relief USA, strengthening the organizations’ partnership in refugee resettlement services.

The Hanan Relief Group, together with national and local Muslim organizations, hosts its annual back-to-school fair, Day of Dignity, Saturday at Salam Elementary School, 815 W. Layton Ave., Milwaukee. 

At the event, they plan to give away more than 1,200 backpacks filled with school supplies. They will also distribute winter coats, fresh produce, vitamins, books, hygiene kits and socks. 

Day of Dignity begins at 11 a.m. and continues as long as supplies last. All are welcomed; on-site registration is available, a press release about the event states.

Thanks to a grant from Islamic Relief USA and support from local partners and sponsors, the Day of Dignity will be a fun event for children and families, said Sausan Naji, HRG’s interim director of operations and compliance. A bouncy house for children’s play and chicken sandwiches from Chik’N’Dip will be served to children and teens. 

More importantly, the gifted backpacks and other items make a difference in people’s lives, Naji said in an interview with the Wisconsin Muslim Journal. “A lot of families have asked us when the Day of Dignity will be this year. They told us how much the school supplies have helped them financially. Some (new immigrants and refugees) do not understand what their children need for school. Having them prepackaged in a backpack makes it a lot easier and reduces the financial burden. 

“It helps their children get ready for school and feel more motivated, as well as feel they have their dignity,” she said. “It’s a day of fun for them. They come out and see other people from their own communities. People come all the way from Appleton and even Sheboygan.”  

“It’s not just for refugees and immigrants,” she added. “It’s not just for Muslims. It’s open to the public. We want to serve anyone who needs it.”

A footer on HRG’s press release explains its mission. “Hanan Relief Group is committed to transforming lives by turning displacement and hardship into opportunity and growth. Through sustainable housing, healthcare, education and job assistance, we help individuals and communities reclaim their future and thrive with dignity by providing short- and long-term solutions that empower individuals and uplift communities.”

HRG will also host a Health Fair, from 1-3 p.m., Sept. 26, at the ISM Community Center, 815 W. Layton Ave., Milwaukee. Free health screenings and information will be provided.

How it started

In 2017, when refugees from Syria’s war trickled into Wisconsin, HRG gathered school supplies and delivered them to the new arrivals. “We went around to different businesses and asked them if they would donate,” Naji said.  “We had private donors. We had an Amazon wish list and we also purchased items ourselves.

“It was really more hands-on and more work on us—to go and grab, get the items and see when they’re on sale and bring it all together,” Naji said. “Then we would separate items in different boxes and get together to put them all into the backpacks or bags, whatever it is that we had at the time available to us.”

As the number of refugee families they served grew, HRG partnered with Hyatt Pharmacy and distributed items in its parking lot. “It was literally out of the trunks of our cars,” Naji recalled. “We used to pack the items up in our houses and put them in our trunks. Then we’d go to Hyatt Pharmacy and just let people drive through and pick them up. A lot of refugees would help us with distribution. We still have refugees who volunteer. During COVID, we drove to people’s homes and dropped them off.”

Backpacks and school supplies help immigrant and refugee families prepare for school while easing the financial burden of back-to-school expenses.

Meanwhile, HRG started working more closely with Islamic Relief USA on refugee resettlement services at a time when more than half the refugees to the U.S. were from predominantly Muslim countries. Islamic Relief USA is a non-profit organization that “provides relief and development in a dignified manner regardless of gender, race or religion, and works to empower individuals in their communities and give them voice in the world,” its mission statement says.

As a result, the HRG team “learned more about the programs and grants it offers,” Naji said. “We applied for this grant (to host the Day of Dignity) and received it in 2023. That’s when our back-to-school drive officially became Day of Dignity.

“Partnering with Islamic Relief USA and other organizations made it a lot easier,” Naji said. “Instead of going to sales to purchase backpacks and school supplies, and winter coats, they supply them to us, along with hygiene kits, vitamins and fresh produce.

“With the grant, we are able to add the extras to make it a fun event,” Naji said. Islamic Relief USA’s vision is to center the Day of Dignity experience around dignity, community and support, she said.

“That partnership, along with local partnerships, allow us to expand our outreach and provide essential items to even more children and families,” she added. 

Behind the scenes

HRG began preparing for the 2026 Day of Dignity a year ago by applying for a grant from Islamic Relief USA. By March, the HRG team started planning, Naji said. “It takes a lot of logistics.”

In addition to gathering the items to distribute, HRG staff inform the public of the opportunity to receive free school supplies and other necessities. 

From a storage unit in Milwaukee, Helima Yasin Aichoune, HRG community outreach and logistics specialist, joined the call with WMJ Wednesday. She was supervising volunteers who were “moving pallets right now, a lot of pallets.”

“We’re getting things out of storage, trying to organize everything for Saturday,” she said. “We have a lot of volunteers from different places—community volunteers, students from Salam School, students from different schools and Hanan staff members.”

So how do they get the word out?

“We do outreach to schools and clinics, Aichoune said. “We have community WhatsApp groups—the Afghani community, the Rohingya and Syrians. ISM includes it in its emails. We ask client families to share fliers with other families. We sent out a press release.”

“Honestly, we couldn’t do this without our partners, volunteers and our sponsors.,” Naji said.  “It’s through the dedication of our community, the support from everyone, that we are able to continue to serve the community.”

This year’s partners include Islamic Relief USA, Hayat Pharmacy, Hunger Task Force, Muslim Community & Health Center, Islamic Society of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Diaper Mission and Baby2Baby.

Sponsors for this event include: Chick N’ Dip, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Layton Family Dental, Meem & Co., Granite & Marble by Design, Prime Printing, PBS Wisconsin, Khalek Building Services, D&J Cellular, Enterprise Bedding, Direct Audio, Sea Literacy, Muslim Women’s Coalition, Pita Smoked Meat and Grill Palace, Greenfield Landscaping and private donors. 

“New partners, volunteers and sponsors are always welcome,” Aichoune added. “There’s a lot we can do.”

Hanan Refugee Relief’s idea to distribute school supplies to refugee and immigrant children began in 2017. Prior to the annual event at Salam Elementary School, co-founder Helima Aichoune would deliver items to the family’s homes.