Hello Everyone!

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Omeed Askari, the Development Associate for IAAB. I hope you have been reading and enjoying our new blog, appropriately named the IAABLOG, that we recently launched after our last staff meeting in Washington, DC.

Speaking of our last staff meeting, I have a wonderful story to share. One night after the staff had worked tirelessly all day, we decided to go out for a wonderful Persian dinner.  We packed up and drove to a great Persian restaurant in the area. Several of our D.C.-based campers had heard we were in town and decided to join us for dinner. It was a wonderful night, and we were so very happy to see them. It made waiting for Camp Ayandeh 2009 that much harder!

Now, the reason I’ve titled this post “Thank You!” is because we received an extremely heartwarming e-mail from a parent whose son, a 2008 Camp Ayandeh alum, was with us at dinner that night. He thanked us for making that night so memorable for his son. I was so touched that something so simple as a group dinner could make such an impact and make a difference not only for the campers that were there with us, but also for their parents. I smiled wide when I read what the camper’s parent wrote,

“I’m truly happy to see IAAB’s presence in our community and believe you really make a big difference.”

I’m proud to be volunteering for an organization that has such a positive impact on the community. I would like to take a moment and thank that parent and our community overall for their kindness, enthusiasm, and continued encouragement. Without our community, IAAB would not exist. Over last five years, IAAB has been honored by the continued support of generous individuals and organizations.

IAAB has made great progress and we are now growing faster than ever before, but we still need your help. As we celebrate IAAB’s fifth birthday throughout the month of February, please take a moment to support us by visiting our Support page and making a donation of any amount. Your assistance will help facilitate IAAB’s growth and success. Donations are 100% tax-deductable and, since IAAB has an all-volunteer staff, your donation goes directly to our projects.

Warmest regards,

Omeed