UMMA’s Journey: Empowering the Waukegan Community Through Education and Resources

Ashfaq Mohiuddin, a Gurnee area native, believed early on that education was key to achieving a productive life with a living wage. Over 20 years ago, he began volunteering as a teacher for General Educational Development (GED) classes in Chicago. His visits home to Gurnee revealed a similar educational need in northeast Lake County.

While attending Muslim prayer services near his parents’ home, Mohiuddin saw parallels between Waukegan, North Chicago, and Zion with Chicago’s South Side. These areas shared high dropout rates among Latino and Black communities. Mohiuddin launched a GED program in response.

“There was a large Latino and Black population. There were huge high school dropout rates. I started a GED training program.”Ashfaq Mohiuddin

Mohiuddin’s efforts led to the creation of the Urban Muslim Minority Alliance (UMMA) in Waukegan. Initially a small tutoring center in 2004, UMMA expanded to offer resources for self-sufficiency, including a free grocery store, affordable housing, and plans to convert a former school into an adult community center. Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham highlighted UMMA’s alignment with the community’s evolving needs.

UMMA’s services grew to include job search assistance, healthy food, and community gathering spaces, providing what the community needed most.

“They have evolved into the very needs of what the community wants.”Sam Cunningham

As UMMA expanded, Mohiuddin also progressed professionally. While volunteering, he worked on designing data and analytics systems for companies like IBM. In July, he founded Ruvu AI, which helps businesses integrate artificial intelligence. Though now residing in Northern California, he remains involved with UMMA, which is led by Executive Director Hamaas Ibrahim.

Ibrahim, who became UMMA’s executive director in March 2024, initially volunteered as a GED teacher in 2004. Under his leadership, UMMA moved to a facility on Washington Street and began offering Microsoft Office programming classes to teach vital workplace skills. As demand grew, computer courses, English as a second language, and Spanish lessons were added to meet job requirements for bilingual individuals.

“Many of the jobs available had a bilingual request.”Hamaas Ibrahim

To facilitate employment, UMMA developed a network with local employers offering living wages. An upgraded facility allowed them to offer more, such as a food pantry for those taking courses. UMMA also responded to refugee needs with coat drives, food boxes, and rental assistance for Syrian and Rohingya migrants.

Financial literacy became another focus. Classes warned against costly loans, promoting informed financial decisions. Between 2019 and 2020, UMMA started providing affordable homes, moving from a small two-bedroom setup to larger options fitting the needs of local families.

By 2023, UMMA purchased a building at 10th Street and McAlister Avenue. Here, they opened Harvest Market, a grocery-style store where shoppers use carts to select items, reducing waste previously seen with pre-packed food boxes. John Kirkpatrick manages Harvest Market, noting its impact on roughly 600 weekly visitors.

Harvest Market’s second floor provides affordable housing options, including a four-bedroom apartment and other multi-room units. UMMA’s major acquisition in late 2004, a former Catholic school nearby, supports their ongoing mission to create an adult community center, complete with educational facilities and wellness services.

“This is a food desert and lacks programs for the community. We want to cover all the wraparound services they need.”Hamaas Ibrahim

Ibrahim’s vision encompasses owning the entire block between McAllister and Wadsworth Avenues, moving classes and offices to 10th Street, and introducing AI courses. Planned developments include a wellness and fitness room, community gathering spaces, and health education.