Ab-Raheem Muhammad's life was tragically cut short on August 24, 2006, at the age of 24. He faced mental health challenges and struggled with substance use, and was presumed homeless when he was unjustly killed. Raheem, who loved children and dreamed of starting his own shoe business, never had the chance to see his dream come true.
His death sparked a mission to support the most vulnerable in our community. In 2014, Raheem's sister, Iffat Walker, founded Community Action NOW! (CAN) to alleviate poverty by creating pathways to self-sufficiency.
CAN understands that poverty creates a web of interconnected problems that disproportionately impact marginalized communities. These include a lack of affordable housing, inadequate healthcare, systemic employment barriers, and the trauma of systemic oppression. This pervasive poverty perpetuates hardship, limits access to fundamental resources like healthcare and mental health support, hinders disaster recovery, creates blighted communities, and restricts access to the resources crucial for self-sufficiency.
Our work is deeply rooted in the believe that all of our sons and daughters should have the opportunity to live and thrive well beyond the age of 24.