Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Organizing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
New HRC commissioner Samina Sitar outlines community events, mutual-aid projects
Summary
HRC Commissioner Samina Sitar, introduced at her first Human Relations Commission meeting, described recent and planned community events and volunteer efforts including Connect with Palestine Day, local mutual‑aid organizing, Muslim Heritage Month activities and a community conversation facilitated by the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights.
HRC Commissioner Samina Sitar introduced herself at the commission’s meeting and described civic work she and local residents have organized in Franklin.
Sitar said she has lived in Franklin about 12 years and works as a policy researcher at Mathematica. “I’m Samina Sitar. I have lived in Franklin for about 12 years,” she told the commission as she summarized community events she helped organize.
Sitar outlined Connect with Palestine Day, a community event held in Colonial Park that included local vendors selling Palestinian foods and art, local and regional speakers and guests including youth who traveled from Gaza and Palestine for medical care. She described the event as an opportunity to “recognize the diversity of the community here and the history of the Palestinian community.”
She also described local mutual‑aid organizing under the name Ghidma (QIDMA in the transcript), a resident‑led group working with the school district, the food bank and other township partners to provide community support. Sitar said Ghidma ran a back‑to‑school clothing drive for families at an elementary school event and organized Noor Night and other programs during Muslim Heritage Month.
Sitar discussed plans to work with HOMES, a Somerset County‑based organization serving families experiencing homelessness, noting an event planned for Feb. 16 at the senior center to provide dinner and entertainment for families and children. She said the group coordinates with the New Brunswick Islamic Center’s soup kitchen, which operates every second Wednesday and receives contributions of food and money from local volunteers.
Sitar and other commissioners said the township is also hosting a “community conversation” at the senior center co‑hosted by the Human Relations Commission and the Interfaith Council. The New Jersey Division of Civil Rights will facilitate small‑group discussions, Sitar said; the event is posted on township social media and includes a shared meal.
Why it matters: The presentation mapped a range of neighborhood‑level efforts — cultural events, mutual‑aid drives and partnerships with county and faith‑based providers — that commissioners said aim to expand access to food, health screenings and community supports.
Commissioners and staff said they will continue to share flyers and post upcoming dates on township channels. A number of organizers who spoke at the meeting said they would follow up with the commission on volunteer and outreach needs.
