Welcome Committee
Assalamu Alaikum! Welcome to Islamic Foundation North!
As a new member of our growing community, we hope to serve, guide, and orient you to the area. Moving into an established and large community can be intimidating and overwhelming, but we are here to make the transition as seamless as possible, insha Allah!
IFN was established in 1977 in the northern suburbs of Chicago to fulfill the Muslim community’s religious, social, and cultural needs, and our masjid opened in July 2004. Today, IFN is among the leading Islamic centers in the Chicagoland area, specifically Lake County and we are thankful for our diverse, vibrant and engaged community. To meet the needs of the growing community, IFN is currently in the process of an expansion. Please check out our expansion information here.
The Welcome Committee is made up of local residents who are available to you as a resource for questions, concerns or just to connect and have a cup of chai/coffee ! 🙂 Feel free to reach out and connect with us. Once you fill out the google form below, we will arrange a meetup to help you assimilate into the area. We also offer masjid tours, including an introduction to IFN programs and upcoming events so you can stay involved and informed.
To get in touch with us, please fill out the Google Form (Click Here to Access the Form) and we will reach out to you. We look forward to having you join our IFN family!
Sincerely,
Welcome Committee
welcome@ifnonline.comCommittee Lead: Dr. Waseem Kagzi
Welcome Committee
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- An introduction to IFN and to the Welcome committee (who we are, email for us, etc.)
- Welcome committee form/link to form for new members to fill out so we can contact them and welcome them via phone or email. We had a form in the past that collected the new members’ interests, family size, programs they would be interested in, their contact info, etc.
- We need a link to book a tour of the masjid – this should trigger a message to our email inbox but also store the information on the backend so we can collect stats on how many new members have reached out or how may tours we have given. (Showing growth of the community). The Welcome committee form and book a tour link should be right near the top. Maybe list as bullet points, easy to see and click.
- If we tell them who we are and what we stand for, our programs, etc. We then offer them links to become volunteers or become a new member and refer them to new member page. On the new members’ page we shouldn’t immediately ask them for money, we tell them WHY it is worth it to be a member. Maybe add quick statistics about number of programs/ Sunday school stats/ Statistics about our community, how many members, events, programs, etc.…See ICN page.
- New to IFN page needs a link to the resources list that we had in the past, local groceries, halal meat stores, halal restaurants nearby, businesses nearby, etc., link to join the IFN WhatsApp group.
- New to IFN the image/ graphic banner on the top is too large and pixelated. This is the same on the home page and other pages. Takes away from a crisp/clean look. 7) Either on the New to IFN page or Home page we should add a small link or form on the page that says “share your suggestions for ideas/improvements/questions/etc.” You can contact Ayesha Mirza at Aayshah Mirza<aayshah.mirza@ifnonline.com>
- For Resources, you could include:
- Quran and Apps: Links to Quran translations, apps like Quran Majeed
- Islamic Gear: Online shops for prayer mats, Kufi, hijabs, etc.
- Islamic Websites: Links to reputable sites for news, fatwas, etc.
- Support: Chaplaincy services or counseling Support services could include:
- Chaplaincy Services: Spiritual guidance and counseling
- Chaplaincy Services for Muslims could include:
- Spiritual guidance and counseling
- Prayer accommodations and support Chaplaincy Services for Muslims could include:
- Spiritual guidance and counseling
- Prayer accommodations and support
- Support during Ramadan and Eid celebrations Chaplaincy Services for Non-Muslims could include:
- Interfaith dialogue and understanding
- Support for non-Muslims interacting with Muslim colleagues
- Guidance on Islamic customs and traditions
- Facilitating respectful accommodations for Muslim colleagues
- Help with Islamic rituals and traditions
- Support during Ramadan and Eid celebrations
- Help with Islamic rituals and traditions
- Prayer Accommodations: Info on prayer spaces, wudu facilities, and prayer schedules
- Community Connection: Links to local Muslim communities or support groups Community Connection could include:
- Local Mosque Contacts: Imams or community leaders for spiritual guidance
- Muslim Groups on Base: Info on groups or organizations for Muslims in the Marine Corps
- Events and Gatherings: Invites to community events, Eid celebrations, etc. You can work directly with Arif Hussain for the IFN website
Note: All work is done by volunteers. Assistance is needed in several areas, such as, lawn maintenance, food service, cleaning service, building/maintenance, website maintenance, fundraising events, school activities, social activities, etc. For volunteering, please send an email message using this website or fill out the volunteer form and submit to the Office at IFN.