The Muslim tradition of caring for one’s neighbors, of seeing the whole community as one’s responsibility, is not merely a spiritual ideal. In Waukegan, Illinois, it has been a lived, daily practice for over twenty years. When AMCF donors invest in organizations like the UMMA Center, they are investing in something tangible: food on tables, roofs over heads, diplomas in hand, and dignity restored.
Born from a Moment of Clarity
UMMA, the Urban Muslim Minority Alliance, started with a simple but powerful idea: to uplift those in need, beginning with education.
The story of how it began is worth telling in full, because it captures everything the organization still stands for. In 2003, after a year that truly tested its founder, Ashfaq Mohiuddin read Malcolm X’s autobiography during a trip to China. Malcolm’s commitment to self-improvement and his relentless pursuit of justice for marginalized communities moved him deeply and sparked a recognition that he needed to embark on a path of his own, one that would change not only his life but the lives of many others in Lake County.
That same year, he completed Hajj, a pilgrimage that profoundly shifted his perspective. Upon returning, he could no longer ignore the stark disparities between affluent areas and the under-resourced communities of Waukegan and its surroundings, and began seeing those struggles with fresh eyes, recognizing how similar they were to those faced by inner-city communities across America.
One night in May 2003, driving home from a volunteer event, the idea for UMMA came to him. His purpose was clear: to create a space where underserved individuals could access the tools and resources they needed to uplift themselves and their families. By 2004, UMMA opened its doors, starting humbly as a GED center for high school dropouts.
It would not stay small for long.
From Survival to Prosperity
In the early years, the focus was on meeting urgent needs. But over time, the vision expanded. The UMMA team realized that simply helping people survive wasn’t enough. The mission had to evolve, not just alleviating poverty, but creating prosperity.
That word, prosperity, became the organization’s guiding light. To UMMA, prosperity is more than financial stability. Prosperity is about thriving in every aspect of life: health, relationships, personal growth, and purpose. Prosperity means living a life filled with meaning, joy, and connection, where individuals have the resources- physical, emotional, and spiritual, to truly flourish.
Today, that vision is expressed through four interconnected programs organized around a simple framework: Educate. Empower. Uplift.
Four Programs, One Mission
UMMA’s Harvest Market is perhaps the most visible expression of UMMA’s commitment to its neighbors. The Harvest Market provides free, fresh, and nutritious groceries to ensure families don’t have to choose between food and other basic needs. Last year, the Harvest Market served over 21,000 individuals with healthy, fresh, and culturally appropriate food, fueling their health and well-being and making a significant impact on the community.
UMMA Education Empowerment carries forward UMMA’s founding commitment to learning. The program offers adult education, job-readiness programs, and career support to help individuals gain skills and economic independence, whether by learning English, earning a certification, or preparing for a new career. Currently, 78 students are enrolled in education programs, and in 2025, UMMA celebrated the graduation of 162 students, each one representing a family whose trajectory has been changed.
UMMA UPlift addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing low-income families in Lake County: housing. UPlift provides safe and stable homes, giving families the security they need to plan for the future. UMMA currently operates three houses and four apartments, offering families a stable foundation from which to focus on education, employment, and long-term financial well-being.
UMMA Career Pathways closes the loop between education and economic independence, connecting program participants to meaningful employment and building sustainable futures one placement at a time.
UMMA’s 2030 Vision: The Community Empowerment Center
For over 20 years, UMMA has operated out of rented space. That is about to change.
UMMA recently purchased the former church school building adjacent to the Harvest Market, completed full remediation, gutted the interior, and installed a new roof. They are now raising funds to transform this building into a permanent home for UMMA’s programs and a true community hub for Waukegan, known as the Community Empowerment Center (CEC).
The CEC will house all of UMMA’s existing programs, eliminating rental costs and ensuring long-term operational stability, while adding powerful new services:
Healthy Cooking Kitchen & Culinary Classroom — An instructional kitchen supporting nutrition education, workforce training, adult programming, and food entrepreneurship.
Fitness & Wellness Room — A dedicated space for physical wellness, preventative health, and mobility-focused programming that supports long-term health outcomes.
UMMA CARE Center – Community Access to Resources & Empowerment — A clinic space designed to support healthcare partnerships offering preventative screenings, case management, and referrals in a trusted community setting.
Trade Training & Workforce Introduction Room — A hands-on space featuring a mock-up bathroom and service areas where participants learn pathways into plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and general maintenance, with direct connections to employment and apprenticeship programs including union trades.
AI Training Lab — Equipping residents with emerging technology skills to compete and thrive in the modern workforce.
The CEC is not just a building. It is UMMA’s commitment to Waukegan for the next generation, a permanent, comprehensive adult community center where families can access everything they need to move from crisis to stability to opportunity.
In Their Own Words
“Guided by our mission, UMMA is dedicated to Educating, Empowering, and Uplifting as many lives as possible — one person, one family, one community at a time.”
— Hamaas A. Ibrahim, Executive Director, UMMA Center
Why This Work Matters to the Muslim Philanthropic Ecosystem
There is something profound about an organization that began as a GED center and grew into a full-spectrum community development engine, all while remaining rooted in a Muslim ethic of service and solidarity. The UMMA Center embodies what it looks like when faith communities don’t just pray for their neighbors’ well-being, but show up to build it.
For AMCF donors, Waukegan is not a distant cause. It is part of the broader American Muslim story, a story of communities planting themselves in places of need and refusing to leave until something better has been built. UMMA Center has spent over two decades writing that story, one family at a time.
Giving through AMCF’s donor-advised funds, endowments, or giving circles allows donors to be intentional partners in that work, ensuring that organizations like UMMA have the stable, sustained support they need to keep growing from survival toward prosperity. And with the Community Empowerment Center on the horizon, the most exciting chapter of UMMA’s story may be just beginning.
Support the UMMA Center Through AMCF
To support the UMMA Center or organizations doing similar community development work across the country, AMCF makes giving simple and impactful. Your donor-advised fund, endowment, or giving circle can be the bridge between your values and the communities that need them most.