Brookside Youth Build A Shed

 

It’s easy to see how practicing the fast of Ramadan could deepen the faith of a practitioner. Going without food or water during the daylight hours during the month of Ramadan enables Muslims to concentrate on their faith and spend less time on the concerns of their everyday lives. It is a time of worship and contemplation.

 

Muslims traditionally follow a lunar calendar. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. The Month of Ramadan is when it is believed the Holy Quran was sent down from heaven as a guide to the people. Each year the month of Ramadan begins about 11 days earlier than the year before and lasts for about 29 days. This year it began on August 1.  

Young people at Brookside Youth Centre come from a great diversity of cultural and religious backgrounds. So this year, 4 Muslim young people practiced this fast. The Youth Service Officers woke them between 3:30 and 4 am to wash, eat, and pray before the first sign of light in the morning. Then at sundown, they could have their evening meal and replenish their fluids. During the long hot hours in between dawn and dusk young people had to discipline themselves so as not to succumb to heat exhaustion. It was a month they could not forget about their faith.

  The day after Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr is a very festive day. After the young people have regimented themselves for 29 days of fasting they commemorate on Eid (pronounced eed) with a feast. Donation to the needy is another practice that is also traditionally associated with this day. This year, Magdi Widaatalla, a Muslim volunteer from the community who assists at Brookside with the teaching and spiritual practice of the Muslim youth, thought that a charitable giving component to the festive day would be meaningful for the young people.

  Brookside has worked in partnership with Northumberland Services for Women in the past. It came to light that they were in need of a backyard shed to neatly store toys and strollers for the women and children in their residential unit.

Brenda Luckhurst, Brookside’s Acting Deputy Administrator worked with the Maintenance Department to come up with a “build a shed” kit that would work for the agency.

  With some guidance from Youth Service Offices Mr. Robert Barton and Mr. J.P. Turcotte, the 4 young people put together a shed that Ms. Jane Lang Northumberland Services for Women Community Services Manager and Ms. Heather Norris, the Resource Development Manager said would fit neatly into a corner of their yard. These administrators from Northumberland Services for Women came to Brookside to thank the young people. They mentioned that in the past young people from Brookside had contributed artwork to decorate the children’s play room. Two of the young people who had built the shed were able to pipe up that they had been among the young people to have contributed art. After the very challenging spiritual practice, this small project was a satisfying activity for the young people that helped generate feelings of generosity.

  After building the shed, the young people went on to have a feast in the newly designated Meeting Space for Hope and Sharing on grounds at Brookside. Administrator Mr. James Culp and the Administrator’s Assistant, Ms. Kim Turner helped shuck corn for the meal. School Principal Ms. Louise Nadeau helped set and serve the food. Then the 4 young people, the Youth Service Officers and all the helpers participated in the meal that commemorated the hard won spiritual gains of the Ramadan fast.

 

   
Visit Us on Facebook: Click on the tab below