On Friday, about 120 of Gainesville's homeless gathered around the Bo Diddley Downtown Community Plaza's picnic area to eat Indian food.
In honor of Ramadan, the Muslim Association of North Central Florida (MANCF) got together with Project Downtown, a group of volunteers who serve food to the homeless every Saturday afternoon.
UF graduate student Ziad Ghanimi said in a press release that during Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food or drinks from sunrise to sunset to experience what the less fortunate face every day.
Ghanimi, MANCF spokesman and Project Downtown board member, said about 70 volunteers came to help out.
Ghanimi said each week volunteers cook anything from Moroccan to Pakistani to American dishes to hand out to the homeless.
UF at Shands pediatric ophthalmologist Nausheen Khuddus, who brought food to the community plaza and volunteers regularly, said giving back is part of her religion.
"It makes you feel spiritual and makes you realize so much more needs to be done," she said.
She said it took about six to seven hours to prepare the meal.
Because it was Sept. 11, Abdulrahman Zeinomar, a UF biology senior and director of Project Downtown, said he was glad all the homeless who came left with a positive impact.
Both MANCF and Project Downtown ensure that the organizations do not spread religious messages. The goal is to "feed only, not to preach," Ghanimi said, adding they can get their sandwiches and go or choose to stay and socialize.
For more information on Project Downtown, go to www.pdgainesville.org. For more information on MANCF, visit www.mancf.org.
