An underprivileged family in Sharjah received some much-needed help from a group of American University of Sharjah (AUS) students. More than 200 students helped renovate a house for an underprivileged family with a child who suffers from autism. As part of the university's Hand in Hand initiative, the house, located in Sharjah, was renovated over the course of two weeks, and handed over to the family. The project was an initiative of the Community Services division of the AUS Office of Student Affairs, in collaboration with Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, and is the eighth renovation project completed under the Hand in Hand initiative.

The project was completed after 36 hours of hard work with the volunteers working daily shifts from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on the renovation of the house, which included furnishing, painting, cleaning and decorating. The AUS community contributed, both through manual labor and donations, as the initiative was funded through sales of used books and donation tickets on campus. The project was also sponsored by Al Majal Media and Ghaith Initiative.

The official hand-over of the house was attended by Dr. Moza Al Shehhi, Dean of Students; senior AUS officials and volunteers; officials from Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services; and representatives and volunteers from Al Majal Media and Ghaith Initiative.

Zulfikar Shahpurwala, a student volunteer, said, "Giving back to the community has always brought contentment to my heart, and helping a family in renovating their house has brought a sense of satisfaction words cannot describe. The smile and excitement on the faces of the children and their parents is all the reward we as volunteers need."

"This is a truly proud moment for AUS as the students were able to provide the fundamental necessity of a safe shelter to a family in need, strengthening the notion of community welfare and its increased importance in today's society," said Dr. Al Shehhi.

On another humanitarian note, AUS student volunteers also hosted a Fun Day on campus for children from the Protection of Child Rights, Sharjah Social Services Department, and Human Appeal International, Ajman. The volunteering team comprised more than 50 AUS students who participated to make the day memorable for the 53 children involved. The activities included painting and coloring, a movie and games by the Build A Bear Foundation. At the end of the event, all the children were given hampers filled with gifts. The event was sponsored by Pizza Hut and the Build A Bear Foundation.