In the name of Allah, compassionate & merciful بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Peace be with you السلام عليك

“In-sha-Allah (God willing), this Ramadan, I’ll simplify my Iftar to save more time for worshiping and to save some money for needy people, and I’ll reduce my throw away garbage!”  To check out Naeem Nisar Sheikh TEDx AUI (4 December 2010) powerpoint presentation GARBAGE click HERE

If you agree with this goal and want to have a wiser Ramadan for 1432 Hijr, post a comment.

Pledge #1: Simplify My Iftar: Less time, less quantities, less spending, and less garbage

References:

http://www.tedxaui.com/nns

Pledge #2: Spend my saved money 1/3 on myself and family, 1/3 for Sadaqah, and 1/3 for saving.

Some places we recommend you to donate: (come back each week for new ones)

Project 2: Building Block Emergency Assistance

Building Blocks Emergency Assistance Progam to relieve those in dire financial need.

Since 2006, the program has alleviated the hardship of more than 300 families and saved several families from eviction, utilities shut-off, and overwhelmed medical expenses. Many recipients, unfortunately, are single mothers.

Completed Projects

Project 1: Feeding needy brothers and sisters
33 DONORS donated $1186.21 to Building Blocks of NJ for iftar program at a Newark Masjid that serves more than 200 needy brothers and sisters.

Help AlAmaanah and AlShifa Clinic to win $25,000 EACH, inshaAllah!!!

You can vote using Web, SMS, Facebook, iPhone apps, and Android phone (oh and you can vote daily using all of the above!)

Here are the details:
AlAmaanah project

AlShifa Clinic

Related links:
Alamaanah
Shifa
PinkAnonymous.com

NOTE: HalfDate doesn’t promote Pepsi nor any corn syrup/refined sugar drinks. Keep yourself away from such drinks if possible.

Update:

We need your help for feeding the homeless.

Paid the Deen Show, Feeding the Fast, Blessed Brides, Cabbie driver, Pallylife, Almadinah school, sister Aisha catering. In the process of issuing checks for AlAmaanah, Almaun fund, Building Blocks, Baitul salaam, amh women affairs.

Prophet sallalahu alayi wassalam said: “Whoever relieves a Muslim of a hardship in this life, Allah will relieve him of a hardship in the Hereafter, and Allah will help His slave so much as he helps his brother.”

Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) also said: The believers are like a body: if one organ complained/hurt the rest of the body reacted.”

Matching Challenge

1. If 10 people donated for each team by Sunday Aug 29, HalfDate will donate $200 (Team 1 and Team 3 met the challenge and each got extra $200 matching
2. For every $50 or more donated, we are matching it $1 for $1 till $5000 total (starting Ramadan 18th) – For your donation to be matched, click here to post a comment
3. For every unemployed/needy person donation, we will match double up to 1000 total (starting Ramadan 18th) – For your donation to be matched, click here to post a comment (mention if you are unemployed/needy)

What this DateDrive has:

• We have donor teams competition based on regions, so donate on behalf one of the teams.
• You check out the buffet menu (projects listed below)
• You donate again
• You do some shopping -click here- (and post a comment and we will donate $10 on your behalf)
• You vote for the project poll -click here-(the winning project gets the donation earlier)

Sadaqah Race

InshaAllah, you are going to have a geographical race for the highest donation. Click on the donate button depends on which team you want to support

We will give the raised money to the following projects, at least $500 per project, inshaAllah (more projects are being listed).

Feeding

Feed The Street @ Toronto Homeless (non-Zakatable)

Ramadan/Eid Shopping

Stimulating the Halal Economy by Shopping

If you buy from the following vendors, post a comment here and we will donate $10 for each purchase/comment.

• HalfOurDeen.com
• Kalimaat Game
• Creative Kids DVDs: Stories written by Muslim children
• Hurry for Baba Ali DVDs
• Homeschool children Islamic books from Ad-Duha
• Muslim Tree
• Princess Olive’s organic children toys and gifts
• Halal meatfrom Midamar Halal (use coupon LHRA10 to get 10% discount)

• Buy your Amazon product using our affiliate link http://halalbuzz.com/amazon
• Post a review on HalalTrip.com

Sponsors

Poll

Vote for Projects’ creativity and closeness to your heart. Whenever we collect $500 donations, we will give based on poll’s result. Winner(s) are announced and the poll is reset on each Friday.

Check poll winners for previous week

Winners of poll

Refugees (qualify for Zakah, but please give them directly and state when you donate)

Day to Day Help

Women & Domestic Violence

Feed The Fasting @ Masjid Al-Aqsa (qualifies as Fidyah)

Dawah (might qualify for Zakah)

Development (qualify for Zakah, but please state when you donate)

We are going to give $500 to this Cabbie brother through a masjid in Bronx.

Community

Women & Family Shelters

Needy Brides/Marriage

School

Sport

Youth n Motion

HalfDate is starting a new initiative called: Award Drives. Basically, these are quick drives to recognize the service of organizations and individuals. The goal of the award is to encourage Muslim organizations to pursue excellence while thinking outside the box.

One of these award categories is: Creativity (trying to get money other than donations)

Winner: Our second award drive is for AlMaun Fund.

Reason: They raised $272.25 by asking their supports to post reviews on InsiderPages.

Deadline: Mar 3, 2010

Target: $300

*HalfDate will donate $50 if this page gets 50 Tweets by the deadline.

If you want to join the matching fund, post a comment and we will contact you.

How to donate:

1. Click on Chipin button, this will take you to a PayPal payment page.
2. Once you are directed to the PayPal checkout page enter the amount of donation.
3. For PayPal you will have 2 options for payment:
1. Pay with your existing PayPal account
2. If you do not have a PayPal account you may use your credit card or bank account.

You don’t have to sign up with PayPal, you can also just make a one-time purchase using your card/check.

Assalam Alaikum Wa Rahmatu Allahi Wa Barakatuh,

Alhamduillah, all praise and thanks are due to Allah Almighty who has blessed HalfDate with a productive year in 1430/2009. With Allah’s help, thousands of HalfDaters like you have decided to be part of the solution.

YOU + HalfDate.com = getting things done: Putting smiles on children’s faces in Houston, paying the heating bills for needy Muslims in Philadelphia, protecting the environment through recycling, encouraging Muslims to give Halal loans for worthy causes, and other projects.

So, may Allah reward you with the sweetest date in Jannah.

Future Plans:

InshaAllah, We are going to form a HalfDate Advisory Board, which we hope to be something beneficial and different Because, not as your typical board that includes celebrity “shaikhs” who are out of touch with what’s going on in real life, HalfDate will seek the advice of “real” members of the communities, such as single-parents, teachers, students, community organizers, farmers, and children; as well as, professionals, like lawyers, accountants, journalists, …

We are also seeking proposals for upcoming drives.

http://halfdate.com/2009/06/04/house-keeping-drive/

Committed members for HalfDate Donor Club who agree to give from 100-1,000 in total.

HalfDate Budget:

• HalfDate tried to cover its costs thought Kalimaat sales. Alhamduillah, 108 boxes were sold and only 2 1 box(es) are left.
• During the DVD Drive, many of you have pooled collectively $300