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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 and Instagram.
Arab American Institute
http://www.aaiusa.org/
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