Twice a month, a small group of volunteers attempts to fill 200 hungry stomachs. They make sandwiches and wrap food, preparing food sacks for the homeless.

We Rise Above The Streets Inc., a nonprofit started by Syracuse resident Alamin Muhammad, prepares meals for homeless people in the area every other Saturday, known as “Sandwich Saturday.”

This Saturday, all of the meals will be handed out. For Muhammad, the people he feeds are a diverse group of people with stories that linger with him.

“There’s a lot of people here from different walks of life,” he said.

Muhammad said he has met doctors who lost their houses, professors out of work, ex-police officers, and “just people with families,” all living on the streets.

Muhammad himself has seen the worst of things in his 44 years. Born in Haiti as Joe Buissereth, he was part of a gang and went by the name Big Mellow. Muhammad said he also has had trouble in the past with drugs, gangs, and the system when he lived in Chicago and Atlanta.

Finally, after his last stint in prison, Muhammad decided “enough was enough” and converted to Islam, changed his birth name and vowed to make his life better. Since then, he’s has gone by Muhammad, and dedicated his efforts to the needy in Atlanta, Chicago and Syracuse.

Out of Muhammad’s passion for helping those similar to him grew We Rise Above The Streets, a nonprofit that originated in Atlanta and has since moved to Syracuse, where Muhammad’s wife worked.

Muhammad’s personal experiences with homelessness began while he was in and out of the system in earlier years; this sparked his generosity and he would later move to Syracuse with the intent of helping others.

“I needed a community to gather up and help me, and help me raise awareness of what’s going on in the streets of Syracuse, and what was going on with my homeless brothers and sisters out in the streets,” Muhammad said.

Volunteers are a big part of Muhammad’s efforts. Volunteering for the cause is a life-changing experience for many, Muhammad said. He explained that many volunteers had heard the stories of the needy in Syracuse, but had never seen the problem in person.

Fortunately for Sandwich Saturday, Muhammad formed quick connections, and soon some dedicated volunteers began to help him every other weekend. Jamal Verity and Hassan Rafiq are two of them.

“When we finally get the sandwiches out there, it feels really kind of satisfying. It feels like you helped,” Verity said. “They seem very grateful.”

Verity is an assistant professor of technology and health studies at Morrisville State College. He is one of many who believe that the Syracuse community needs to improve its homeless outreach. Many people, both in Syracuse and nationwide, don’t know when they’ll eat their next meal, he said, and that’s a huge issue.

Rafiq runs a non-profit food pantry called Al-Maun, a word meaning “the small kindness.” Muhammad and Rafiq met at their mosque, and Rafiq has been involved with Sandwich Saturday for more than six months.

“I think it’s a very positive thing that my brother is doing, he’s giving back,” Rafiq said. “When you see people that are in need, you know, it kind of breaks your heart to think about kids that may not eat at night, or an older person that may not eat. These types of programs are definitely needed.”

The very first Sandwich Saturday saw a turnout of 40 volunteers, and the most recent Sandwich Saturday went above and beyond its target goal of 200 sandwiches. Muhammad said this clearly shows the enthusiasm of We Rise Above The Streets hasn’t waned.

Muhammad said the organization has reached a level of popularity where many people will be waiting for him and the food packs.

“I go under the bridges, I go to the Rescue Mission, parking lots where they be at, and on Salina Street,”  said, “It got to a point now that they know that I’m there exactly on the day and at that time.”

In the future, Muhammad said he hopes to expand into a bigger location with nurses, showers, kitchens and real cutlery.

The first time he distributed about 50 sandwiches, and the people Muhammad helped almost instinctively trusted him, perhaps because of his past.

“There’s an old saying we had when I was on the streets: the real recognize the real,” Muhammad said. “They feel my pain, and they know I was compassionate about it.”

Published on October 12, 2016 at 6:52 pm

Contact: dmurthy@syr.edu