Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN)-Chicago, IL
The Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) is a community-based nonprofit that works for social justice, delivers a range of social services, and cultivates the arts in urban communities. IMAN was formed in 1995 and incorporated in 1997 by Muslim students, community residents and leaders responding to the pervasive symptoms of inner-city poverty and abandonment. IMAN sought to create a community organization driven by the spiritual ideals of community service, social justice and human compassion. Within two short years, a diverse network of students, residents and various institutions throughout the Chicagoland area joined IMAN in working to develop a full-fledged community organization that sought to embody the principles of those lofty ideals.
In urban communities nationwide, corner grocery stores owned by Muslim operators are a significant part of the food distribution system. As a Communities Creating Healthy Environments grantee, IMAN puts forth the first initiative to use cultural and faith-centered outreach to help owners address local food outlet issues like limited food offerings and the disproportionate amount of shelf space for unhealthy items. IMAN aims to perform extensive data collection on the neighborhood outlet environment, provide a minimum of ten merchant trainings, and develop model financing policies to increase local healthy food outlets. The initiative could open the door for successful reform of Muslim operated stores nationwide which, in turn, would significantly change the food environment in a number of key metro areas.
