Now, the nonprofit stands as one of the largest faith-based community and volunteer centers in North Texas. Its more than 30,000-square-foot facility located at 4700 14th St. in Plano houses daily prayers for thousands of members of the Muslim faith across the region. The facility also includes multiple gyms, educational facilities, free medical clinics and more.
“It shows you the motivations and the partnership that we have within our community and their involvement in it,” Isa said. “It’s all solely funded by the volunteers in the community. It is a very big operation.”
Along with its other services, the center also hosts one of the largest weekly food drives in the region. From 1-2 p.m. every Saturday, EPIC hosts a drive-thru food pantry and distributes free food to every person who comes by, Isa said. He estimated that the center has provided more than 500,000 free meals to families through the food pantry.
Like the food pantry, medical clinics and educational services the center offers are free of charge and offered to anyone within the community, regardless of faith, Isa said. According to data from EPIC, in the last year, the center provided over 500 patients with free medical care, distributed more than 250,000 meals through the food pantry, offered financial aid to over 300 families and 40 nonprofits, and donated school supplies to more than 100 students.
“That's the beauty of it ... we very much focus on maintaining volunteerism so that our people are always motivated and they feel pride in it,” Isa said. “We are created to serve humanity, and there’s a contentment that we all get by serving others, especially those who are less fortunate.”
On April 20, the center hosted its Sharing Ramadan event in which community members came together to join EPIC officials in breaking their nightly fast while hearing from various speakers and recognizing some of the center’s nonprofit partners. Numerous Plano officials attended the event, including City Council members and Mayor John Muns.
“When we talk about homelessness and we talk about food insecurity and we talk about all the things that [EPIC] is doing to benefit this community, We cannot thank you enough,” Muns said during the event. “We are so grateful to have you here.”
For followers of the Muslim faith, Ramadan is a holy month where those practicing will restrict themselves from food and drink from sunrise to sunset, Isa said. For 2022, Ramadan began April 1 and ended May 1.
"[Ramadan] is really dedicated to devoting your day to remembering the creator while going out to help people and so forth,” Isa said. “It gives you a feel for when you're ... deprived of food and drinks, you get a sense for the people who do not have food and do not get to drink, that is the idea.”
Isa said the goal for EPIC moving forward is to integrate itself more within Plano and the surrounding communities. He said he hopes to see the center become a place where those of any faith, culture or organization can come together to help each other and serve community members.
“We believe when you serve the community, you get a lot back in return,” Isa said. “We want to make this a hub and host others because we are very equipped to do so.”
East Plano Islamic Center
4700 14th St., Plano
214-396-1943
www.epicmasjid.org
