A cold drizzle fell on Ernest Richardson as he stood in line yesterday on a West Baltimore sidewalk. The 58-year-old disabled Vietnam veteran did not seem to mind.
Good things in life require sacrifice, he said, and he was waiting for some very good things: free food, blankets and toiletries at the Masjid Ul-Haqq mosque in the Upton neighborhood.
"We're having a rough time financially at the moment," he said, referring to himself and his wife, Elaine, also disabled. "This is a blessing."
Richardson joined the queue for the mosque's third annual Day of Dignity event, one in a series of nationwide outreach efforts sponsored by the California-based charity Islamic Relief.
Dozens of people had already lined up by 11 a.m., and organizers expected to serve up to 600 working poor and homeless individuals by day's end.
"We want to give them a day when people feel good about themselves and know we care and haven't forgotten," said Hassan Amin, who coordinated yesterday's event.
The smell of grilled chicken wafting over Islamic Way vividly advertised the free food. But Amin said the larger aim was to extend a helping hand, which is why the mosque also provided hygiene kits, health screenings and job assistance.
This is the holy month of Ramadan, a time when Amin said Muslims are especially encouraged to practice charity. But he said the point was not to promote Islam. He noted that hygiene kits came from members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church.
Still, for the curious or confused, Ayman Nassar happily answered questions about faith and handed out pamphlets such as one titled "Islam Explained." He also had a few paperback copies of the Quran.
"There are a lot of stereotypes in the media," said Nassar, a member of Dar Al-Taqwa mosque in Ellicott City. "We're just trying to share the message."
For Roger Williams, priority No. 1 was food. Without the plastic foam carton with chicken, spaghetti, buttered bread and cookies, he might have had little to eat yesterday. At 37, he said he's homeless and destitute.
For several days he had hung around the area near the mosque, he said, sleeping in a "nice" hallway on McCulloh Street. Rather than eat with the others at Masjid Ul-Haqq, he headed off to a nearby park, foul weather and all.
Inside the mosque's cafeteria, another homeless man, Paul Howard, 41, paused from his meal only briefly. "I'm homeless; it's been years," he said between bites of spaghetti. What little money he gets comes from odd jobs: "I hustle."
Both men accepted giveaway tote bags containing blankets and toiletries like soap and toothpaste. The black bags were emblazoned with "Islamic Relief" in white lettering and an image of a mosque and its soaring minarets. (The women's bags included a rose - "an extra little touch," said Amin.)
Consuela Myers, 32, had little interest in toiletries or food. She saw a flier while shopping on Pennsylvania Avenue and decided to take advantage - for once, she said - of the free health screening. The mother of five has a family history of high blood pressure and diabetes. Yet she has no doctor and cannot afford health insurance available through her job supervising cashiers at a city parking garage.
At no cost, representatives of Total Health Care checked her blood pressure and sugar level. Both results were good, Myers said. Looking ahead, she said she might sign up for coverage through Total, which charges based on one's ability to pay.
Arlene Conaway was buying a lottery ticket when she saw people on the street with those black totes. She carried her year-old grandson three blocks to the mosque. Blankets were the big draw.
"It's getting ready to get cold, and I'm trying to save money by turning my heat way down," said Conaway, 47, who lives nearby and works at a Hunt Valley warehouse. "My electric bill is too high. I heard they were giving away blankets."
As people inched ahead in line, 20-year-old Sana Javed moved in the other direction, introducing herself to everyone. "Thanks for coming today!" she told person after person. "I'm glad to see all of you here."
Javed is a Muslim from Laurel who has volunteered in outreach programs since her teenage years. "We marginalize this community," she said. "We think they are all on drugs or poor or too lazy to work and want to depend on the government. That's not true. They're hard-working, but sometimes life takes a different course."
