The Islamic Food Bank has opened its second neighborhood food pantry to address food insecurity in the Weiler Homes and Spieker Terrace communities in East Toledo.

The idea of the new food bank was suggested by Dr. M. Razi Rafeeq, who had a medical practice nearby for 40 years and had a chance to witness food insecurity first-hand on many occasions, Toledo Blade reported.

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“I saw patients from this community on a daily basis,” Dr. Rafeeq said. “I took really good care of their medical needs and healthcare needs. But I wanted to do more.

“I’m so excited and feel so blessed that the needs of food insecurity are going to be met in this population by providing not only food items that are available in many food pantries, but also items that are not available such as fresh produce fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy items, etc.”

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The IFB pantry is expected to serve more than 250 residents daily, more than 40 percent of whom are children.

It will be stocked with fresh produce, bread, bakery items, and a variety of protein sources in addition to shelf-stable items.

Islam encompasses the concepts of community service in its morals. Showing kindness to people and charity to the less fortunate are the most emphasized moral virtues in the Qur’an.

The Prophet (saw) said, ‘He is not a believer whose stomach is filled while his neighbor goes hungry’. [Bukhari]