Minnesota is home to over 200,000 (est.) Muslim people from various backgrounds and traditions.  While some are emerging as social, political, and business leaders, the majority of Muslims in Minnesota suffer from experiences of oppression including 63% poverty rate, last in health and wellness demographics, racism, Islamophobia, and unemployment.  These experiences create unhealthy conditions, especially as it relates to ill-health, discrimination, and violence.   In response to these experiences of oppression, a young refugee Somali American Muslim woman named Saciido Shaie cofounded a nonprofit organization called Somali Youth Action of Minnesota in 2007 (renamed “Ummah Project”).  The growing injustices as well as the increasing violence, ill-health and disappearances of Muslim youth needed a community response.  The Ummah Project (ummah is Arabic for community) formed an interfaith leadership board whose initial work was to gather a coalition of grassroots responses to determine the real causes of ill-health, discrimination and violence here in Minnesota.  At the same time, the City of Minneapolis issued their 2008 “Blueprint for Action: Preventing Youth Violence in Minneapolis” and the Department of Homeland Security increased their counter-terrorism efforts in Minneapolis.   From their initial work, the Ummah Project learned that there are very few health and justice programs or resources in Minnesota that are culturally and religiously appropriate for Muslim communities.  For example, there are no health and wellness facilities consistent with Islamic ethics, nor are there enough community centers welcoming to Muslim people. This can sometimes force people to choose between practicing their religion and healthy living.  In response to these findings, the Ummah Project worked closely with Muslim and non-Muslim leaders, and with grant money from LISC, Mortenson Construction, and Perkins and Will Architect, created blueprints and cost estimates for building a truly unique Health and Wellness Center in Minneapolis that would be consistent with Islamic ethics and inviting to Muslims and non-Muslims.  This Ummah Center would be a place of empowerment for Muslim and non-Muslim people to increase health and recreation, build social relationships, access educational resources, find jobs and, in general, be a symbol of Minnesota as a just and welcoming place for Muslim people.  For example, the Ummah Center would have gender-specific pools and facilities so that Muslim women can exercise in a female-only environment, building their health and autonomy.  The response from community members, nonprofit organizations, city, state and federal leaders about the Ummah Center has been extremely positive; unfortunately, with the recent 2009 recession and high poverty and unemployment rates in Muslim communities, the Ummah Center has yet to be built.  The blueprints and estimated costs appear on this www.ummahprojectmn.org  In addition to raising money for the Ummah Center, the Ummah Project is involved in a number of current programs and initiatives while in partnership with Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota.  For example, in 2015, the Ummah Project has partnered with the City of Minneapolis to create a Somali Youth Future Leaders program designed to build knowledge, skills, and social power for Somali youth.  Currently, Saciido Shaie is a member of the Minnesota Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee, the Minneapolis Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission and sits on the steering committee for the Parent Leadership for Child Safety and Permanency with the Minnesota Department of Human Services and Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota.  Through these trusting relationships and many others, we look forward to building new programs in line with the mission and values of the Ummah Project and the Ummah Center.  We invite you to join with us as well. (This Ummah Center would be a place of empowerment for Muslim and non-Muslim people to increase health and recreation, build social relationships, access educational resources, find jobs and, in general, be a symbol of Minnesota as a just and welcoming place for Muslim people.) Please help us Build this dream rec. center our youth! Will you?