What a summer it's been for us here at Haute Hijab! We kicked it off with our Changemakers event in
Michigan, followed by a full weekend with TWO events in beautiful California (one in Elk Grove, and the other in the Bay Area) and then circled back to my own home, North New Jersey! *Phew*
During the California portion of our Changemakers tour, we touched down late night in Sacramento, where we may or may not have started a social media war about In 'n Out Burgers. (Watch the
vlog!) For our first event there, we were hosted by
Iman Salam and her beautiful family, including her cousin Dima and sister
Amnah, who created an epic spread of food (pictured below). Nidaa of
Nido's Cheesecake also brought us some of her signature cheesecakes, which are as tasty as they are beautiful!
Those cheesecakes! Yum!
In Moraga (Bay Area), Sarah Allusi graciously hosted us in her beautiful home nestled in the mountains, and
Siely Hassas graced us with yet another amazing spread of food. (Seriously, we are so spoiled, you guys!!!)
And last, but certainly not least, in Northern N.J., we were hosted by someone so near and dear to my heart (one of my mentors growing up), Sarah Issa.
In all three events, we met and spoke to so many amazing women who left us with our hearts so full of love and hope for the American Muslim ummah. Discussions sometimes got emotional, as attendees bravely got vulnerable with each other – you'll never realize how much weight women carry on their shoulders masha'Allah until they begin to unload some of it.
While reflecting on the summer, Melanie and I realized how important this work is, and how relatable all our experiences are, no matter what part of the country we're in. And so, as we move forward to continue to bring the Changemakers tour to new cities, we hope that we can ignite a flame inside each and every woman we meet to live the best version of herself that she can while serving her Lord and serving her community.
Say ameen!
Chicago, we're looking at you next!!
Below is a roundup of pictures from all three of our summer events, Elk Grove, Bay Area, and North NJ! Enjoy!
View this post on InstagramA post shared by siely hassas (@siely_hassas) on Jul 14, 2019 at 10:00am PDT
Want the Changemakers Tour to come to your city? Email me at noor@hautehijab.com!