Public Relations/Events

S.I.S.T.E.R.S’ events highlight the work of individuals and organizations involved in good works on both the micro and the macro level.

On the larger scale, S.I.S.T.E.R.S Fundraising Teas are seasonal events which highlight and raise funds for organizations whose focus is women and women's issues.

The S.I.S.T.E.R.S Annual Expo is an annual exposition which provides an opportunity for Muslim women business owners and entrepreneurs to network and market their products and services. As a part of the Expo, business and financial planning related seminars will also be conducted. The S.I.S.T.E.R.S Expo is a means to support fellow Muslim businesses and establishments as well as educate the community.

Dawah Committee Activities

"Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining al-ma`roof [i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do] and forbidding al-Munkar [polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden]. And it is they who are successful." [al-Qur'aan, Aal `Imraan (3):104]

The purpose of our committee is to accept Allah’s (SWT) offer and invite others to the beautiful Path of Allah, whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims. However, our immediate focus is on the newest members of our Ummah, the recent reverts to Islam, particularly those sisters who have embraced Islam behind bars, as they are in desperate need of guidance and moral support. To this end, we are planning a trip to the Jessup, Maryland Correctional Institution for Women on January 2^nd to share an Eid dinner with the women.

We are also creating Welcome Packs for new Muslims to distribute to local masajid, consisting of a prayer rug, two-piece prayer garment, a Qur’an, and several brochures on different aspects of the faith, as well as other miscellaneous items. We will gladly accept donations of material to sew more prayer outfits, or if any of you have any extra prayer garments (new) that you don’t need, we would be happy to add them to our collection!

In the March which is National Women’s History Month, we will, insha’Allah, host a series of HERstory seminars, where we will explore in detail the lives of our illustrious predecessors and how these amazing early Muslim women helped shape the glorious history of the Muslim world through their scholarly achievements. This will be a wonderful forum for our daughters to find the best role models to emulate! Move over, Britney, Lindsay, Paris, etal…

Mini Miracles

Submitted by Laurie Jaghlit

I am a firm believer in mini miracles. Even before I read Heaven on Earth: 15-minute miracles to change the world by Danny Seo, I had been blessed to be at both ends of many miracles and they were more often than not, life changing experiences. How many times in your life have you wished that you had more time to devote to doing charitable work? How many times have you watched a news story and wished you could do something to help. We are all capable of doing great things for others but for a myriad of reasons we stop short. Either we feel we don’t have the experience to take on miracle-making work or maybe we feel our careers or family obligations leave us precious little time for changing the world. Heaven on Earth shows us how we can make a huge difference in the world in less than15 minutes. The needs in our world are great; and the rewards are even greater. Danny Seo also points out that

“when you create a mini miracle for someone in need, you are not doing what life requires you to do, but what your human soul allows you to do best. We all have a natural capacity to be kind and generous; this book will strengthen that innate skill so you can create the most powerful, most meaningful, most effective mini-miracles to make the world a better place and see your own life begin to change for the better.”

We all need to become mini-miracle makers. From time to time, I will share with you mini-miracles from this book as well as from my own experiences. I hope that as time goes on and S.I.S.T.E.R.S progresses, we will be able to add to the list of miracles performed by a small, but dedicated group of women. Please feel free to submit ideas. Remember: It takes many tiny sparks to ignite a huge flame…Let’s get sparkin’ sisters!

Here are a few mini-miracles to get us started:

• Donate your airline frequent-flier miles to a children’s organization that helps sick and dying kids. Miracle Flights for Kids will accept your frequent-flier miles and use them to fly sick children to treatment centers and hospitals around the country. Call 702-261-0494 or log on to www.miracleflights.org.
• Give up one impulse item each month, like candy or your daily cappuccino, and give the money you save to charity. (Two dollars a day for one year equals a $730 gift to charity.) Use the money to support the charity of your choice.
• When you make a donation to a charity that provides you with a postage-paid business reply envelope, put a stamp on it anyway. This saves the charity money, about fifty cents for postage and handling, which can be used for other programs.

S.I.S.T.E.R.S Souk

As our lives become increasingly routine and we find ourselves stuck in a daily cycle involving kids, husbands, parents and others, many of us also find it difficult to stay in touch with our sisters in Islam. We should find ways to adapt to our respective conditions in order to attempt to reestablish a close-knit community akin to that implemented by the earliest generation of Muslims. In that vein, S.I.S.T.E.R.S has taken advantage of the modern technology at our disposal and started a weblog, S.I.S.T.E.R.S Souk, where you can post items and/or services for sale to one another.

Instead of looking on eBay or Craig’s List, let’s look to each other. Why should we give our second-hand items to the Salvation Army or Goodwill when there might be a sister who could put them to good use?

How many times have you cleaned out your closet and wondered, “What do I do with this hijab I don’t wear any more?” Ask no longer! Just post it on the S.I.S.T.E.R.S Souk webpage.

InshaAllah, by utilizing the S.I.S.T.E.R.S Souk, we will be able to help not only each other but also ourselves as we endeavor to be successful in this life and the next.

S.I.S.T.E.R.S Tea: Honoring the work of Women for Women International

The first S.I.S.T.E.R.S Tea Party honoring Women and Women's Organizations will be held December 16, 2006 at the ADAMS Center in Sterling, VA. This tea party will, inshaAllah, highlight the work of Women for Women International.

Women for Women International provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies.

S.I.S.T.E.R.S Mission Statement

S.I.S.T.E.R.S is a non-profit, grassroots organization committed to promoting the ties of sisterhood and empowering women through education, outreach and charitable work. S.I.S.T.E.R.S aspires to cooperate with and enhance the efforts of like-minded organizations in order to further contribute to the advancement of women and women’s work.