By Maria Palermino

This is the logo of Friends of Society (designed by Faisal Alamsari), the group of SACM students (Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission).  According to Maysar Jabr, a journalist for the Makkah Newspaper in Saudi Arabia, and the young woman who is spearheading the group, this logo is “a small picture with a big meaning.  Friends of Society is a Saudi student group that does volunteering.  Our goal is to make people happy and make them smile.  This includes the young, the elderly and many others”.  

I had the opportunity to meet with 4 representatives of this 13 member group – Maysar Jabr, Shatha Alghamdy, Ammar Alsallumi, and Anas Albuzaid.  The following is what I learned from interviewing these members.  These answers are paraphrased from our conversations.

What is the Friends of Society?  How was it formed?

Friends of Society is a Saudi student group that strongly believes in helping others and volunteering, which is a devout belief in Islam.  We are part of an organization known as Hand by Hand; this concept originated from SACM sponsored students’ wanting to offer their kindness to others in need.  To promote volunteerism, Hand by Hand is planning a contest to celebrate the work of groups at institutions across the US.

As students at Boston University CELOP, we want to be a model for other teams across the country to follow. In the future, each of us wants to create a new group at the institutions where we will study, maybe outside of Boston.  Now we are planning for the long term. In fact, we’d like to encourage other international students to join us; all are welcome.

What is the group’s vision/goal?  Who is the target population?

Our vision:
We believe that bestowment is not by participation only, but also by perseverance.

Our goal:
Our goal is to introduce western countries to the fact that the culture of volunteering is a significant part of our Islamic religion culture, which induces us to help and support all members in all societies.

Our Target:
The whole community is our target: international students, Saudi students in Boston, Saudi patients in Boston, Orphans and people in need, and parents and families.

Tell me about some major activities of the group.

• Volunteered at Community Servings to box and pack food
• Collected and delivered clothes and toys for kids and people in need.
• Helped Shelley, the CELOP Student Life Coordinator, organize social activities
• Act as a resource for new Saudi students, for example helping them get their state IDs and drivers licenses, moving into new apartments, etc.
• Visited Saudi patients at Massachusetts General Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute to help them change their routines.
• Visited premature infants and their parents in the Beth Israel Hospital neonatal intensive care unit and distributed gifts for moms and babies.
• Packed winter supplies, such as scarves, gloves, hats, and socks to give them to the homeless in Back Bay, and Harvard Square.
• Made boxes of food with macaroni, canned food, dry milk, jello, and cereals.

Is there anything else that you would like to explain?

Shatha Alghamdy explained,

During the Thanksgiving break it was a real vacation for the group because we were able to do things to make and see people smile.  When we woke up in the morning, just knowing that you have only 1 objective:  to distribute things to the needy.  They smile, and they make me smile.  Every member knows what he/she does.  It doesn’t happen in other groups.

To follow the Friends of Society, you can find them on social media
Twitter:  @Societyfriends
facebook: facebook.com/friendsofsocietyusa
Instagram:  @Friends_of_Society

Photos courtesy of Friends of Society