It began with a phone call. Musa Lughmani did not know how much that phone call was going to change his life and the lives of others. He had called the mayor of Toledo to introduce him to Humanity First and the mayor in turn introduced him to the organization United Way. Sixteen volunteers of the Humanity First Student Organization then proceeded to take “one small step for man, one giant step for mankind.” This small group realized that what unites us is far greater than what divides us and they set out to show their unwavering support for the city’s needy. Some began offering online tutoring classes while others joined United Way.
Every week Humanity First Toledo sends two volunteers to help pack two hundred and twenty meals consisting of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fruit cups, chocolate milk, and gummy bears. Families begin arriving at 10:50 am and the volunteers stay until 1:30 serving them. Approximately two hundred and ten people are served in this way.
One day, Lughmani had an interesting encounter. A family of eight, seven kids and their parents walked to the food pantry site and asked for a meal. The father had recently lost his job due to Covid-19 and was unable to find work. The mother too was unable to find work. The children were too young to work and the whole family was starving. With no vehicle, they had walked to the food pantry in hopes of finding some food. Lughmani immediately went over and asked them how he could help and fulfilled their needs. The family told him that this was the best meal they had had all week. A simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich had filled their hearts with gratitude for Humanity First. Another family told him now the town is so poor that the schools do not even have WIFI and community members don’t have internet so the students have not been receiving an education because the school district cannot afford it.
Lughmani’s contribution to humanity does not stop there. He prepared fifty hygiene packs consisting of soap, hand sanitizer, and other hygiene products and donated them to a local pulmonary clinic in Toledo. The doctors at the clinic were very grateful for this service by Humanity First.
In Toledo Ohio, Musa Lughmani made one phone call. One phone call helped fill the stomachs of many people in his town. Sometimes all it takes is one phone call. So, who are you calling?