Message from the Desk of AMCC Chairman

Last 3 years in a nutshell

Salams,

Dear Community Members,
BismiAllah and Alhamdulillah, this has been a blessing and an honor to be able to serve the community and lead an exceptional team of board members for the last 3 years. As my term comes to an end, I would like to thank the community for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to lead one of the finest organizations in Central Florida.

When the new board started under my leadership we were at the tail end of COVID and MaSha-Allah we have come a long way form social distancing to being socially active again.
 

With the help of the board we have accomplished a lot over the last 3 years and here are some highlights of what we have done for the next board to improve on.

Financial:

• We have implemented our first-ever annual budget which helped the board understand the strengths and shortcomings of the organization's finance.
• It has helped us proactively take measures to reduce costs and re-direct our focus to generating funds.
• We have implemented mobile deposit options like Zelle Venmo and other apps for your convenience of payment.

• We have also separated Sadaqa funds from general donation funds and created a well-documented policy on how to spend Sadaqa funds at AMCC.

Sustaining Membership:

• We have on-boarded a part-time community engagement manager who has been instrumental to increase and sustain the total number of AMCC members
• Our sustaining membership revenue has increased from $67K to $75K annually in 3 years.  
•  Shout out to Sr. Asima Ali who has worked diligently towards this.

Children and Family:

• We installed a commercial playground for our future generation that will outlast many years and build memories.

• Our focus continued to be on our future generation which has led to many activities geared towards children & family, such as:
  • The annual Eid event

• Annual Family Camp 

 

• Many youth activities and a new youth committee.  

  

• We have illuminated the masjid during Ramadan to make it more inviting and festive for our children
• We have started a Quran class for young children.
• We have parented with Project Downtown, a young adult-led non-profit that has established impactful relationships between our youth and underprivileged communities.
• We have partnered with BismiAllah Institute to provide FREE Mental Health counseling to youth who are in need of this support. Month after month we support around 30 plus youth who are either in crisis situation or in need of guidance from an Islamic perspective.
• We have started a successful weekly family night program, managed and led by Br. Reyad Hossain.
• To reduce risk, we have implemented a mandatory background check policy for all board members, staff, and volunteers who work closely with our children.

Committees:

• To empower our committees, we have implemented policies and committee budgets that empower our committees to be more effective in performing their activities.
• We have also assigned a committee lead and a board lesions to have open and regular communication with the board.
• Here are the committees we have: (please join a committee if possible)
  • Religious Committee
  • Zakat Committee
  • Parking & Security Committee
  • Women Wing Committee
  • Youth Committee
  • Dawah Committee
  • New Muslim Committee
  • Finance Committee
  • Building Maintenance Committee
  • Education Committee 
  • Funeral Committee
  • Election Committee 
  • and more ........ 

AMCC upgrades:

• Installed Lighted signage at the Entrance of the AMCC parking lot.

 

• Replaced much-needed 30 year old roof. (Mile Stone)
• Upgraded our parking lot with high-efficiency led lights which use a fraction of the energy.

• Installed learning nest thermostats that are scheduled for the highest efficiency
• Installed an additional high-efficiency new AC
• We have changed AMCC zoning to the proper Zoning for our use. 
• Taken down the Wall and installed a hideaway wall system to accommodate our growing community needs. 
• Upgraded our audio system for better sound quality.
• Upgraded our projector system with a retractable screen which can be seen in use during the Sharing Ramadan event.  

 

• Installed ring cameras in publicly accessible areas of AMCC including the parking area.
• We have installed benches in the green area for families and kids to enjoy a night under the string lights.
• IMAGE OF BENCHES
• Implemented Mawakit app on the main prayer hall and also added 2 TVs with media devices that bring in Ad revenue for AMCC.

  

We have onboarded a volunteer Facility Directory who has been instrumental in the upkeep of AMCC. Shout out to our Board member and Facility Director Br. Zahed Rehman for making sure that ongoing fixes are continued every month.

Waqf properties:

• Bought a new build at 700 Wilma St to enlarge our overall footprint and reduce the parking challenge at AMCC. 
• We have cleaned out area between the new building and AMCC to create ample parking area for Jummah and Ramadan.
• Newly acquired property for the time being we have rented out the property for around $30K a year.
• Our vision, which we hope that the new board will continue, is to buy the adjustment property as well and annex the whole end of Wilma St as AMCC area. We can only do this with our support and vision. This acquisition could bring us an additional $90K per year towards our growth.

Peace Academy:

• Implemented a self-sustaining model for PA where the school has been successful in acquiring enough students to offset all its costs.
• This has significantly reduced AMCC operational costs and has also given it the ability to hire quality educators.
• We average around 125 students and have the potential to grow as our focus remains in our future generation. Shout out to Sr. Mahwash Mahmood, Sr. Hope Ali, and the team for endless effort.

 Process Improvements:

• We implemented a robust system that includes clear documentation of processes.
• Over the last 3 years, we have spent a lot of our effort in creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Implemented retrospective sessions for major events to learn and improve upon.
• We have systemized hiring, budgeting, timesheet approval, reimbursements, and vendor onboarding to be in compliance with IRS requirements.
• We have also written and implemented an extensive zero-tolerance policy for abuse and harassment at AMCC. Shout out to Sr. Hope Ali for leading this effort. 
• A lot of the process improvement and documentation has been worked on by Br. Nabil Rehman and Sr. Saeeda Hossain. We are grateful for their effort. Br. Nabil has also created over 200 video tutorials for AMCC.
• We have onboarded Br. Biran Mcelroy (volunteer) as the operations Director to help the board with operational activities. 

  The hiring of Imam:

• We have hired Imam Wali Ahad as our new religious leader, director, and Imam.
  • He brings in a wealth of knowledge, and experience and will serve as our spiritual guide
• We have implemented an online imams schedule via Calendy App
• Shout out Br. Shakil Ahamd & Br. Umran Jameel in helping in the hiring of Imam Wali Ahad.
  • Imam Wali Ahad

Finally, I would like to say that like any other individual, I may have made a lot of mistakes along the way and I hope you will excuse me for my shortcomings. I would like to thank my wife and family, my parents, and my friends who have shown support over the last three years. I also like to thank our trustees, Br. Atif Fareed, Br. Osman Farook & Br. Shakil Ahmad for their support and guidance. Most importantly the Staff and volunteers who have supported AMCC for the last 12 years have made AMCC what it is today. Thank you all. 

Sincerely, 
**Adnan Haque
Chairman,

American Muslim Community Centers**