Our Ramadan gift boxes typically include:

• Dates
• Sweets, 3-5 small treats
• A keepsake item, something people can hold onto long after the treats are consumed 
• A short letter that introduces Ramadan through a universal lens, sharing its purpose and virtues to help others understand why the month is so beloved
• A gift tag with a QR code that redirects recipients to learn more about Islam, request a free English translation of the Quran, attend an interfaith iftar, or other customizable links 
• Custom, in-house designed boxes, stickers, and letter templates

After years of informally doing this work, Crescent Connections launched in Houston, TX just in time for Ramadan 2022. In the beginning, it was one team in one location. Volunteers from across the city joined us for an assembly day that extended into an assembly evening as the adhan was called and the first night of Ramadan began. That first year was fueled by pure adrenaline and taught us that bigger isn’t always better. 

We learned that the most meaningful parts of the work had nothing to do with the size of the event. What mattered more was the way people showed up and left feeling connected to the work and to each other. We also didn’t need to ask people to drive for an hour to feel connected when satellite groups all over the city could use the opportunity as a team-and-community-building effort where they already live and gather. A masjid could run the project with their congregation. A scout group could make it a service night. This would also allow us to empower leaders, especially young leaders, to take ownership and lead the work themselves.

Since then, Crescent Connections has shifted to a decentralized model. Our goal is for masajids, community centers, youth and young professional groups, and individuals to adopt the project in ways that fit their needs while preserving the heart of the work. Our core team works hard to curate the gift items, design the keepsake and print materials, write the letter, and continually refine the system itself. We take on what tends to slow people down so that no one gets stuck reinventing the details. Instead, our community partners can focus on what matters most: bringing people together. 

And that’s what breathes life into this work and into community, too. You gather your people. You host the assembly in your own space. While hands are busy, everyone talks about their Ramadan goals. Stories get swapped and now you’re going into the month with a few newly familiar, friendly faces. Then you gift a few of the boxes you made and a coworker asks you how your fast is going instead of acting weird about lunch. And for once, you don’t feel like you have to translate yourself.

When you join our network of community partners, you gain access to all the tools and guidance needed to facilitate the project in your local community. This includes:

• A list of needed supplies and links to purchase them 
• Custom-designed templates for all printables that make this project unique including stickers, gift tags, the letter, and the letter text we update each year
• An A-Z checklist for organizing a box-making event in your community 
• Access to our core team for questions and support 
• An option for all materials shipped from our Houston team directly to your door

Crescent Connections has grown from a single-city effort into a partner-led network with 25+ organizations bringing the project to their own communities. Together, we’ve assembled and shared thousands of gift boxes around the U.S.

Our real impact, though, is evident in how behaviors change. Time and time again, we’ve witnessed this sincere gesture forge and strengthen relationships at all levels of community. 

Friends have chosen to fast alongside someone they know, teachers have become more aware and accommodating of their students, colleagues have asked thoughtful questions, and neighbors have joined family iftars for the first time. 

Keepsake items featuring verses from the Qur’an have become treasured gifts. The words resonate in a way many don’t expect, with recipients not only reflecting on their meaning, but also displaying them in their cars, offices, and homes. 

When people experience Ramadan through someone they know, they gain a better sense of the compassion and discipline behind how Muslims live their faith. That familiarity makes all of our communities stronger.

We’d love to welcome you or your organization as a community partner. To learn more or join our growing network of 25+ organizations across the United States, contact us here.