Today we’d like to introduce you to Saiem Rashid.
Hi Saiem, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Long story short, in 2015, I was the president of my high school’s Muslim student association. With growing numbers of members of Muslims and non-Muslims, we became a big group. At this time, my older brother’s best friend was the chairman of project downtown national and was running a chapter at the University of Texas @ Arlington. His name was Sayem (we share the same name funny enough), and I had reached out to him on hearing his thoughts about a possible high school chapter. At this time, there were not any other high school chapters, but Sayem was on board. After working out the details, we started spreading the word amongst my friends, classmates, and MSA members. Our first few events were small as we partnered with places like Mission Arlington, where we showed up and helped set up and organize for the mission. This was great and got everyone involved, but it felt like there was something missing. Me along with my members, wanted something more hands-on. We wanted to be able to talk with the people we were helping; we wanted to see where our efforts were going. So, this lead us to one Saturday afternoon in the summer of 2015, where 10 of us, being high school juniors, put all of our money together and bought 100 McChickens and 100 cheeseburgers from Mcdonalds and decided to go to downtown Dallas and give out the food ourselves. We were in the back of a friend’s truck where, I kid you not, ran out within 5 minutes of being there. This was monumental moment for me because, though I have lived in DFW my whole life, this was my first time understanding and realizing how many people were struggling on the streets and how many people really needed help. Living our lives being so blessed, we often forget that we have amazing people struggling to get by on the streets facing homelessness right in our backyards. This was an eye-opener for me, and it lit a flame within me to be a contributing member to society. What project downtown and I have done and are doing will not particularly solve homelessness or change the world, but doing a little can add up. Sticking up for our Dallas community, whether we share the same background and experiences or not, is what will bring us together. I want to do my part and knowing that if more and more people start doing just a little, the possibility for solutions and change is exponential. Sometimes it feels like our efforts may be minuscule in the grand scheme of things, but we underestimate our abilities and never know just how far our reach is. From handing Mcdonalds out of a bed of a truck to where we have come now was beyond my comprehension… Today, we have continued to have consistent events every month for the past several years, providing hygiene kits, meals, blankets, clothes, undergarments/socks, and other essential items while working with countless other organizations. Our team has grown, and our volunteers have increased. We have seen so much growth, and it keeps me hopeful for the future that change can happen and that solutions should never be written off because if enough people come together, anything is possible.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Though we have come a long way, there have definitely been some challenges. Whether it’s dealing with low turnouts with volunteers some weekends or trying to muster of funds from every direction, there have been moments where the team and I just were not sure if we could continue. But every single time, things seem to just line up and work out. It has been kind of crazy, and sometimes I feel delusional on how much hope we have, but it is because we know that people are behind our cause, and in the end, we will be fine. We are now working with different companies, and our volunteers just seem to keep growing. Our problems and what made us worry the most have really become some of our biggest strengths.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
Project Downtown DFW is a 501c3 chapter of Project Downtown National, an organization dedicated to aiding our homeless communities through multiple avenues. Our biggest aspect of our identity we like to emphasize is that a little goes a long way. When we first began, I had no idea where this was going and even if we would make much of a difference, but if I would have stopped then we would have never been able to do what we do now. We don’t just send money to organizations that help other people out; we go out and meet our community. Homeless or not, wealthy or not, we do not care. If you live in Dallas, you are a part of our community, and we want to bring us all together. I think that is what I admire about our work the most. We have been able to make connections with people experiencing homelessness. These people are not just another body we give things out to but members of our community who we get learn from and hear their stories. The amount of wisdom and perspective I have gained from these people, who society often write out, is endless, and no amount of professional or quote-on-quote proper education could get you. The stories, the scars, the struggle that our homeless community go through have so much to offer. I often feel like I am taking more home than those who we help after our events. The impact it has had on me has been profound and truly changed my life’s trajectory. Not just handing things out to people but connecting, understanding, and empathizing on a one-on-one level is what we are about. The homeless communities are often dehumanized and looked down upon. That is the complete opposite of what we are trying to do. No matter what background you are, what experiences you have gone through, what societal status you are given, at the end of the day, you and I are a part of the community, and we are here to help.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Homelessness is a growing problem that has many complex layers. So many departments are involved, and it takes a lot of funding. We are far from solving the problem as a nation, but without able minds trying and putting their heads together, we will not make progress. Project Downtown wants to take a leap in trying to eventually communicate more with the City of Dallas and the Texas government, hoping to bring more changes and lead to solutions with this growing tragedy.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pdtdfw.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pdt_dfw/
