Community Rallying Around East Bay Family Who Lost Father of 7 in Wrong-Way Crash (Etimad Family)
Channel: Muslim Community Center - MCC East Bay
Date: 07/02/2019

This news report was recorded by KRON4 at the Muslim Community Center - East Bay (MCC East Bay) in Pleasanton, California on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. See the story at: 

https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/community-rallying-around-east-bay-family-who-lost-father-of-7-in-wrong-way-driver-crash/1758523399

Brother Waheed Etimad, a father of seven, was killed this past Sunday by a wrong-way driver in San Francisco. The Afghan immigrant was the sole breadwinner as an Uber driver while going to school full-time.

On Tuesday afternoon, the MCC community paid for Br. Waheedullah's burial and funeral and we hosted the Etimad family and about 150 family friends and supporters for a Qur'an Khatam and remembrance.

The children left MCC Tuesday evening with two car trunks full of toys, gift-cards, shoes, and clothing that our congregation had brought earlier that day. 

We have informed the family that the MCC community will pay their monthly $2,000 rent for one year and that, this Sunday morning, we will also deliver a replacement minivan donated by one of our congregation members.

The two oldest children - Khatera, 16, and Yahya, 14, - have stoically stepped up to the challenges to their family's new reality and we are here for them. 

The MCC is coordinating critical legal and financial counseling assistance for the family via community members who are volunteering their specializations in those fields to make sure the family is protected and that they are able to leverage the trending crowdfunding to the long-term benefit of the household.

How to Help

- Duas: Pray for the Etimad family. Only the three elder kids fully comprehend what is happening. 
- Donate Zakat to Family: Just note "Etimad Family" in the memo line and mail a check to MCC or pay online at www.mcceastbay.org/donate (MCC will absorb the processing fee so that 100 percent of your Zakat goes to the family).
- Give a Gift to a Child: Families in the South Bay: your drop off site is the Silicon Valley Academy. MCC will collect gifts for the kids until Saturday, Feb. 16. Each child's name, age, shoe size, and hobbies are at: https://mcceastbay.org/event/gifts-for-heartbroken-family-of-waheed-etimad-deliver-to-mcc 
- Grocery Gift Card: The family does the majority of their shopping at Costco. Please mail a Costco gift card to MCC to "Etimad Family."
- Meal Train: If you would like to cook food and deliver to the family's Concord home, please email Sr. Aminah Abdullah (aminah@mcceastbay.org).
Resources: If you or your organization feels you have more to offer this family, send us a message https://mcceastbay.org/contact-us).  

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