She converted to Islam 18 years ago. I owe this to Allah. I don't feel good if the people around me are hurting. Stepping Together is raising money for a women's shelter and a prison halfway house. It provides food, shelter, and clothing for people in crisis.
Money comes from grants and donations, but group members also help.
They know how to navigate and network through the array of available social services and charities on behalf of those who need help but fear asking for it, or who simply don't know where to begin. The group helps anyone but works more and more with Muslims because members share that culture with those seeking their help. They can help with a deft touch, without pushing people into uncomfortable or unfamiliar situations. About half the Muslims they help are immigrants. There are no firm, recent numbers on Alameda County's Islamic population, but about 800,000 Muslims live in California, some 16 percent of the 5.1 million in the United States.