A Foundation Built on Neighborly Care
IBADO East African Charity Foundation began in the living room of a Sampson Avenue apartment in Columbus, Ohio. Abshira Qassim and a handful of volunteers started packing grocery bags for elderly neighbors who could not make it to the store during the early months of 2020. Word spread quickly through the east side — by summer, they were serving 80 families a week from a borrowed church basement.
What started as emergency relief became something more deliberate. Families kept coming back not just for food, but for help navigating unemployment paperwork, finding childcare, and connecting with medical resources. The founders realized that short-term aid without long-term support was not enough. They filed for 501(c)(3) status, received IRS determination in December 2021, and formally launched programs in career training, youth mentorship, and senior wellness.
Today, our community resource center on Sampson Avenue hosts weekend workshops, intake counseling, and volunteer orientations. We remain independent — no national affiliate, no corporate parent — just a board of local stewards accountable to the families we serve.
