Salaam Cultural Center

SALAMM CULTURAL MEUSEUM MISSION IS TO GATHER AND PUBLISH INFORMATION ON THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (MENA) AND TO PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PEOPLE, CULTURES, LANGUAGES, RELIGIONS, AND LANDS OF THIS REGION.

MEDICAL MISSION; IN 2016 SCM CONDUCTED ONE MISSION TO JORDAN AND THEN MOVED OUR OPERATIONS TO GREECE. AN ASSESSMENT TEAM WAS SENT TO THE ISLAND OF LESBOS IN LATE AUGUST OF 2015 TO SEE WHAT SERVICES SCM COULD PROVIDE. THE TEAM CONSISTED OF SEVERAL PAST MEMBERS OF OUR MISSIONS, INCLUDING DOCTORS, FIRST RESPONDERS, HUMANITARIANS, AND LOGISTICS PERSONNEL. FROM THE BEGINNING OF OCTOBER 2015 SCM MAINTAINED A CONTINUOUS PRESENCE ON THE ISLAND OF LESBOS TO AID THE REFUGEES MAKING THE DANGEROUS CROSSING FROM TURKEY TO GREECE. OUR EXPENDITURES FOR THIS OPERATION INCLUDED THE COST OF SENDING THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT TEAM, THEN THE EXPENSES TO MAINTAIN ONE COORDINATOR ON THE GROUND AT ALL TIMES TRANSPORTATION, LODGING, FOOD A VAN FOR THE TEAM TO GET AROUND IN, FUEL, MEDICAL AND HUMANITARIAN SUPPLIES, FOOD FOR THE REFUGEES, MEDICATIONS, ETC. WE ALSO HAD EXPENSES OF EXCESS BAGGAGE TO TRANSPORT AS MUCH AS WE COULD TO EXCESS BAGGAGE TO TRANSPORT AS MUCH AS WE COULD TO OF EXCESS BAGGAGE TO TRANSPORT AS MUCH AS WE COULD TO THE TEAMS WITH INCOMING VOLUNTEERS. NONMEDICAL TEAM MEMBERS PROVIDED PSYCHOSOCIAL RELIEF TO VARIOUS LOCATIONS FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN

HUMANITARIAN AID SHIPMENTS SCM SENT SEVERAL CONTAINERS TO JORDAN IN 2018 CONTAINING HUMANITARIAN SUPPLIES DONATED TO SCM BY OUR SUPPORTERS. ITEMS INCLUDED MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, SCHOOL SUPPLIES, CLOTHING, NEW BLANKETS AND HANDMADE QUILTS, TOYS, AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS NEEDED IN THE CAMPS OR AT CLINICS WE ARE IN CONTACT WITH. ADDITIONAL ITEMS WERE SENT TO JORDAN AND GREECE IN THE SUITCASES OF VOLUNTEERS TRAVELING TO THOSE COUNTRIES. SCM HELPED PAY FOR SOME OF THE EXCESS BAGGAGE FEES FOR THOSE CARRYING SCM SUPPLIES. THESE SUPPLIES INCLUDED MEDICATIONS AND OTHER URGENTLY NEEDED ITEMS THAT WOULD NOT ENDURE TRANSOCEANIC SHIPPING IN A CONTAINER.

FOOD DRIVE; IN 2016 SCM CONTINUED ITS FOOD AID PROGRAM, DOING SEVERAL DISTRIBUTIONS IN JORDAN AND ALSO PARTNERING WITH ANOTHER ORGANIZATION IN LEBANON TO PROVIDE OVER 10,000 TONS OF FLOUR WERE PURCHASED AND DISTRIBUTED TO COMMUNITY BAKERIES TO MAKE BREAD FOR THE NEEDY FOOD AID THERE AND AT THE BORDER REGION TO SYRIAN REFUGEES. THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM HAS SEEN SEVERE CUTS TO ITS PROGRAMS AND THIS HAS RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE FOOD AID THE UN IS ABLE TO PROVIDE TO REFUGEES. SCM WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TO SUPPLEMENT THE NEEDS OF THE REFUGEES THROUGH DISTRIBUTIONS OF PACKAGES OF FOOD AND PARTNERING WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO MAXIMIZE OUR REACH IN GETTING FOOD TO THE MOST VULNERABLE REFUGEES. WE ALSO PROVIDED SOME FOOD ON A LIMITED BASIS TO REFUGEES ARRIVING ON THE ISLAND OF LESBOS THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.

OTHER HUMANITERIAN PROJECTS; UNDERTAKEN IN 2018 INCLUDE PARTNERING WITH IHR IN LEBANON TO PROVIDE A SCHOOL BUILDING AT A REFUGEE CAMP THERE, EMERGENCY MEDICAL PROCEDURE FUNDING FOR REFUGEES IN NEED OF EMERGENCY/URGENT LIFESAVING TREATMENTS, COORDINATING DONATIONS OF MEDICATIONS FROM OUR PARTNER DIRECT RELIEF TO CLINICS AND HOSPITALS IN JORDAN, SUPPORTING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AT ZAATARI REFUGEE CAMP, AND PROMOTING AWARENESS OF THE REFUGEE CRISIS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, OUR WEBSITE, AND PRESENTATIONS.SCM ALSO PROVIDE HELP & SUPPORT TO SYRIAN REFUGEES RESIDING IN STATE OF WASHINGTON.