Samhat Bakery in Dearborn Heights will host a fundraiser Monday, April 13, to benefit families displaced by the ongoing conflict in Lebanon.<\/p>\n
Starting when the bakery opens at 6 a.m. and until it closes at 3 p.m., the owners are donating 100% of sales to the Sadr Foundation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe chose them because they are doing critical work on the ground and making sure aid reaches people that need it the most,\u201d Rayan Darwiche, the owner’s daughter, told the Free Press.<\/p>\n
The bakery\u2019s store at 22020 Ford Road, which specializes in baked goods inspired by the owners’ southern Lebanon roots, hosts the day-long event.<\/p>\n
Samhat Bakery is coming up on 10 years in business. It opened in 2016, offering its specialty cheese bread and Za\u2019atar breads made in house and offered with a variety of toppings. There\u2019s also an array of wraps and Lebanese breakfast foods. Another popular item is the bakery\u2019s spinach pie, which hails from a family recipe. A Westland location, which is not part of the fundraiser, opened several months ago.<\/p>\n
Darwiche said the family believes food and sharing food has a unique and universal language. As Lebanese Americans, Darwiche told the Free Press they wanted to do something meaningful.<\/p>\n
“We are grateful that we can share what we do at the bakery to help others,” Darwhiche said. \u201cIn Lebanon hospitality is a big thing. We welcome people into the bakery as if they are one of us, and family. It\u2019s important in a time like this \u2026that sense of community is more important than ever to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the foundation\u2019s website: \u201cAcross Lebanon, thousands of families have been displaced and are facing urgent humanitarian needs. Families are living in collective shelters, temporary housing, or wherever they can find safety, without reliable access to food, medicine, or basic necessities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Israel’s military has been striking targets in southern Lebanon it says is linked to Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group, as part of the larger war being waged by Israel and the U.S. against Iran.<\/p>\n
The Sadr Foundation is based on the legacies of Imam Musa Sadr and his sister, Rabab al-Sadr. It was 1999 when the foundation established its Sadr Foundation USA in Dearborn. According to its website, the foundation has \u201cstood as a pillar of humanitarian service in the United States and beyond,\u201d and provides aid and is \u201ccommitted to supporting vulnerable populations through sustainable, long-term aid \u2014 especially orphans, widows, and underserved families.\u201d<\/p>\n
On April 22, the Sadr Foundation USA, will host a charity dinner in Dearborn to support Lebanon and families. Specialty on the menu are the southern Mjadara (Mjadara Jnoubei), a lentil and bulgar dish and Baalbaki-style Sfiha which are a Lebanese meat pie. Tickets are $50 per person.<\/p>\n
The event is 6-8 p.m. and takes place at the Byblos Banquet Center, 7258 Chase Road, Dearborn. For tickets and information go to sadrfoundation.us\/events<\/a>.<\/p>\n