When in Dubai, charity begins in… shopping mall

Various shopping malls and outlets in Dubai are running special Ramadan charity drives. Starting with charity coupon sales in various Enoc/Eppco stations to special iftars and charity boxes in several shopping malls, the city is fully in the spirit of Ramadan – the spirit of giving.

Below is a compilation to some of the charity counters in town.

‘Tree of Life’ in Arabian Center

Arabian Center is celebrating Ramadan by helping children in destitute homes through its Tree of Life, a charity drive that received positive momentum in the past few years.

The Tree of Life is a symbolic representation of change that is bought about in the lives of the underprivileged. To commemorate the spirit of giving and sharing in Ramadan, the Tree of Life concept this year aims to support the social welfare of the children at foster homes, Arabian Center officials said.

Deeply rooted in the Night Court of Arabian Center, the Tree of Life aims to be a pillar of support and help to the poor and needy.

“Tree of Life has received excellent response over the past few seasons. This year Tree of Life aims to add value to the lives of the underprivileged children. Without the protection of family, these children have limited access to good education, food and clothing. Tree of Life is an effort to provide steady support to these kids and our own way to alleviate suffering for them,” said Tim Jones, COO, Arabian Center and Lamcy Plaza.

To extend support to the noble cause, Arabian Center is welcoming all residents and visitors of the UAE to donate and light a lamp of hope for the impoverished children. For every donation made in cash or kind, the tree will be illuminated with a lamp signifying the passion for goodness in life.

“The Tree of Life is an ideal concept for us to spread our values in dealing with social and environmental concerns, as well as in carrying out our responsibility as a corporate citizen that cares. It not only reflects our goodwill, but also states our earnest efforts to build an all-caring community. Since Ramadan is considered as a month of giving, we request people to light up lamps on the Tree of Life and support us in our endeavor for improving the lives of underprivileged children. We are hoping to receive an extra-ordinary response from the residents of Dubai towards our contribution to the less fortunate ones,” said Jones.

‘Donate A Brick’ by MBI

Mubarak & Brothers Investments (MBI) are supporting the building and completion of Special Care Centre’s (SCC) new campus in Al Bahia this Ramadan and beyond.  Deerfields Mall & Retailistic stores (subsidiaries of MBI) are inviting shoppers to donate any denomination, even as little as Dh5 to support this noble initiative in the Holy Month.

Launched in 2008, the ‘Donate a Brick’ campaign has called upon for the first school to be built by the community for the community, to provide specialized education for students with special educational needs and disabilities aged 4 to 24.

Majid Al Futtaim’s ‘Make A Difference’

During Ramadan, Majid Al Futtaim has placed special donation boxes in convenient locations in all of its destinations across Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, Oman, and the UAE, encouraging visitors to donate everyday essentials including books, clothes, and toys.

Alain Bejjani, Chief Executive Officer, Majid Al Futtaim – Holding said: “In line with our vision to ‘Create Great Moments for Everyone, Everyday,’ ‘Make a Difference’ Ramadan Campaign brings us together with local communities to support those in need during the holy month. For ten years, we have seen the campaign help capture the true spirit of Ramadan amongst communities, and motivate individuals and families to make a difference by helping those less fortunate. The campaign continues to be one of our most successful annual charity activations and we hope to increase donations once again this year.”

Last year, the company collected more than 36 tonnes of donated items, which were distributed to families in need across the region through its humanitarian aid partners.

“We are very happy to collaborate with City Center Muscat and City Center Al Qurum in our yearly Ramadan collaborations and this year specifically in “Make a Difference” initiative. This will only help us draw many smiles on the faces of underprivileged people. We hope this campaign breaks the yearly results to reach the maximum number of benefiters. And thank you to all the donors in advance and Ramadan Mubarak to all,” says May Al Bayat, Head of Marketing Department, Dar Al Atta’a.

Donation points have been set up at Majid Al Futtaim assets across the region, including Mall of the Emirates and City Centre malls. Customers can also make donations through Najm, Majid Al Futtaim’s Visa credit card.

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