Atlanta (October 13, 2021) - The American Red Cross of Georgia and the Ismaili Council for the Southeastern USA (“Ismaili Council”) signed a Letter of Agreement (LOA) that provides a broad framework for cooperation between the American Red Cross and the Ismaili Council to provide blood donations within the state of Georgia.
“This LOA helps to establish a formal partnership between the two institutions and provides a structure for meaningful collaboration and communication as we work together to better serve our communities during these challenging times,” said Dr. Behnoosh Momin, Member for Communications and Publications on the Ismaili Council. The LOA was signed by Salima Jaffer, President of the Ismaili Council, and Deirdre Dixon, Chief Executive Officer, American Red Cross of Georgia on October 12, 2021.
The Ismaili Council will implement this agreement through Ismaili CIVIC, a global program under which the Shia Ismaili Muslim community across the world has united its centuries-old tradition of serving humanity by rendering voluntary service to improve the quality of life of the communities in which they live, regardless of faith, gender and background.
“This international endeavor with local connectivity, reflects the community’s ethic of civic engagement and good citizenship, exemplifying Islam’s core values of service, peace, compassion, and care for the vulnerable,” said Jaffer.
Kashif Tajani, Chairman of the Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board, Southeast is responsible for the operations of future blood drives hosted by the Ismaili Council through Ismaili CIVIC. “Our community is looking forward to continuing our collaboration with the American Red Cross, applying our ethics to assist Georgians by collecting much-needed blood at our Jamatkhanas (places of worship),” he said.
“Civic and faith-based organizations are longstanding partners in our Red Cross mission to collect and supply enough blood products for hospital patients in need,” said Deirdre Dixon, CEO of the American Red Cross of Georgia. “We’re especially proud to add the Ismaili Council to this list of good neighbors in Georgia and thank them for their commitment to communicating both the need for blood and the space to hold blood drives in their places of worship.”
Both organizations are grateful to all the volunteers and staff who will implement this collaborative effort so that we can collectively focus on our mission of improving the quality of human life and save lives.
The LOA is pictured above attached to this News Release.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds, and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on Twitter at @RedCross.
