Meet our November Jersey Muslim of the Month, Fozia Janjua!

By: Alaa Essafi

Meet Fozia Janjua, an avid community organizer, a recently elected official from South Jersey, and a mom of four, who we are proud to announce as our November Jersey Muslim of the month!

Fozia moved to New Jersey in 2003 from San Francisco, where her love for volunteerism began as an active leader in several city-run programs that helped equip high-risk inner-city kids with study skills and other tools. Following the results of the 2016 presidential election and the apparent divisiveness that plagued communities across the nation, Fozia and her friends founded Community South Jersey and Philadelphia (Community SJP). 

Community SJP’s mission is to unite communities through service by harnessing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. The nonprofit distributes meals and care packages to different shelters, community centers, and mosques in Camden, NJ. They also coordinate other service projects like donating no-sew blankets to hospitals, school supply drives, and makeovers for women in domestic violence shelters.

“Community SJP’s mission is to unite communities through service by harnessing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.”

Fozia spearheads the Community SJP Cakes4Kids program, which delivers birthday cakes to children in foster homes who otherwise may not have been able to celebrate. Soon after, they partnered with a school in Camden to deliver birthday cupcakes to kindergarteners and first graders. 

 Community SJP’s impact has not dwindled since the Covid-19 pandemic began. In fact, the organization continued to serve the community. “We actually served more people during quarantine,” Fozia explained. “From March up until now, we’ve made over 14,000 meals.” Community SJP volunteers were able to prepare meals in their homes with their entire family. 

Most recently, Community SJP has supplied perishable food items, canned goods, and gift cards for 76 families this Thanksgiving.  

Beyond her incredible work for Community SJP, Fozia also works with Sachkhand Express and One Kind Act a Month to provide hygiene kits for those in need in South Jersey.

“Community service has always been my passion, for as long as I can remember. I started volunteering when I was in middle school. I’ve worked at nursing homes. I’ve worked with prisoners, inner-city kids, etc. I’ve done it all. It’s been my purpose in life to help others because Alhamdulillah, I feel so blessed and I just want to give back. That’s what brings me joy.”

In addition to her volunteering efforts, Fozia is the first Muslim, South-Asian woman to be elected on the Township Council in Mt. Laurel, Burlington County. “When this opportunity to run for Council came to me, it wasn’t something I sought out. But a woman who recognized my community service asked me to run for Council. I actually said no to her a couple of times before I said yes.” 

 Before her victory, there was a Republican majority on the Mt. Laurel Township Council for 36 years. Now the tables have turned to a 5-0 Democrat rule as all three 2020 Democratic candidates: Karen Cohen, Nikitas Moustakas, and Fozia Janjua won on November 3rd. 

 Fozia had some reservations about becoming politically active, but she realized the importance of stepping out of her comfort zone. “It feels good to pave the way because I realized how important it is, now more than ever for our generation to get involved politically. It’s so important for us to be there to write our own narrative. Change begins locally.” 

 Be a part of the change by volunteering with the Community SJP  meal distribution program.