Hello Friend, 

This #ArabAmericanHeritageMonth is different from any other and it makes us more mindful of what holds meaning and value. For us, that is all of you. Each day we witness heartbreak but we also witness acts of kindness that show the best of humanity. We know however big or small - acts of kindness make a difference. 

In New York, #ArabAmerican Ahmad Alwan is making a difference by lifting the mood of his community with a give-away-quiz that always manages to draw a smile. We hope his story brightens your day and reminds you of what is best in our community and our nation.

ARAB AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH 

Ahmad Alwan is a 20-year old New Yorker. He is an aspiring Pharmacy Technician. In his free time, Ahmad works at Lucky Candy, a convenience store his father, who immigrated to the United States from Yemen, has owned for more than a decade. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in the United States, Ahmed created a TikTok challenge for his customers at Lucky Candy. Alwan offered his customers five seconds to grab anything off the shelves if they correctly answered a simple math equation. He even paid out of pocket for the goods given away.

Ahmad’s motivation for helping his community was simple, “All I wanted to do was to help people. It's a way to entertain and educate people in need while putting a smile on their face, too.” Ahmad even caught the attention of former president Barack Obama who said: “What a great example of citizenship, what each of us can do to make a difference for all of us.” We couldn’t agree more!

This is not Ahmad’s first act of public service. Before his Tiktok challenge went viral, Ahmad was offering free coffee, bananas, and muffins to people sleeping at the local train station, and extending his needy customers with household food and goods on credit. As we commemorate Arab American Heritage Month this April at a time of unprecedented hardship as we confront the coronavirus pandemic, let’s remember and be inspired by Ahmad’s spirit of humanity and commitment to spreading cheer!

Be sure to follow Ahmad on Twitter <[link removed]> and Instagram <[link removed]>.

DONATE TODAY <[link removed]>

Arab American Institute
<[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]>[link removed]



-=-=-
Arab American Institute - 1600 K St NW, #601, Washington, DC 20006, United States
This email was sent to [email protected]. To stop receiving emails: [link removed]
-=-=-

Created with NationBuilder - [link removed]