Concluding a very successful year of building and maintaining partnerships with over 50 organizations, Community Outreach Coordinator Abigail Stahl invited CAIR-WA's partners and allies for an evening of fine cuisine and conversation. On July 13, 2011, approximately 30 people arrivedto the Islamic Center ofShoreline, whereupon they signed in and received a name tag with a table number. Since the students from MYLP were also at the dinner, efforts were made to integrate students and partners via loosely assigned seating.
After a brief bout of hesitancy passed, students andrepresentatives from partner organizations filled the room with chatter. At one table, Estela Ortega, the Executive Director of El Centro De La Raza, asked a high school sophomore on one end of the table about his education and career aspirations, in between jokes and light conversation with Paul Benz of the Lutheran Public Policy Office at the other end of the table.
From another table, laughter erupted from a group of high school seniors talking with Arnold Jin, the Government Surveillance Fellow from ACLU, Reverend Beverly Spears from the Church Council of Greater Seattle, and Marilyn Mayers, an active member of East Shore Unitarian Church. A host of other organizations were represented among the conversation between bites of Indian food. Members of Washington Association of Churches, Puget Sound Sage, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center, and Somali Youth and Family Club, among many others were in attendance.
Once empty plates began filling the tables, MYLP students stood and introduced themselves, their school and grade level, and described their favorite part of MYLP. Recognizing the most integral part of planning and executing MYLP this year, Civil Rights Coordinator Jennifer Gist spoke a few appreciative words about Civil Rights and MYLP Intern, Samir Junejo. Following this, students were graciously volunteered by CAIR-WA staff to clear the plates off the tables, while Abigail presented the recent and upcoming happenings at CAIR-WA with Jennifer and Executive Director Arsalan Bukhari. To top it all off, Imam Abdullah Polovina joined the group to speak briefly about the history and building process of the masjid, before taking the whole group for a tour.
The Outreach dinner was a success, as CAIR-WA had the opportunity to highlight the dedication of MYLP students and recognize the wonderful community and interfaith partners which have supported and counseled CAIR-WA's work. The event would not have been made possible without the generosity of Imam Abdullah Polovina and the community of Islamic Center of Shoreline. CAIR-WA staff looks forward to further opportunities to connect with the Islamic Center of Shoreline, and to appreciate (and feed!) partners and allies.
