RNA - The answer to a fervent prayer from a black Christian minister to help her open a new faith-based shelter for the homeless in the Gate City came from an immigrant Muslim doctor on Christmas Eve.
Jacqualine Thomas, pastor of Praise Temple of God in Pocatello, has been on a quest to gain financial support from area residents to help turn her dream of a faith-based homeless shelter, Big Momma’s House, into a reality. Thomas faced a Jan. 28 deadline to secure a $30,000 down payment on an existing home and property at 916 E. Sublette Street in Pocatello.
Thomas said yet another prayer on Christmas Eve before turning in for the night, she said.
At 11:30 p.m., her cell phone came to life. On the other end was Pocatello kidney doctor Naeem Rahim, who co-founded the JRM Foundation with his brother, Fahim Rahim. Naeem had some incredible news for Thomas — he would provide the $23,000 she needed to make a down payment on Big Mamma's House.
“I thought someone was joking,” Thomas said. “Now I can't stop crying.”
Naeem said he was in Miami when he used his smartphone to check the news back in Pocatello via his online subscription to the Idaho State Journal. Naeem said he was struck by a Journal story and photo of Thomas in front of the house she hoped to convert to a homeless shelter in Pocatello.
“For a long time, I've wanted to do something in our community for the homeless,” Naeem said.
On Christmas Eve, as Naeem, his wife Amna, and three sons, Mustafa, 16, Musa, 14, and Hasan, 8, finished their evening meal, the head of the household shared his desire to help Thomas with her quest to establish Big Momma's House.
With the full blessing of his family, Naeem made the late night call to Thomas.
“I told her God told me to call her,” Naeem said. “I said, 'Big Momma, we'll take care of it.'”
Once Pastor Thomas was sure the offer was genuine, she cried with joy. Not only did the good news come the night before Christmas, but Dec. 25 was her 71st birthday.
Thomas shared the good news with her Praise Temple of God church secretary Celeste Stiggers that night.
"Celeste told me, 'I told you God was going to take care of it,'” Thomas recalled.
Thomas said she's still reeling from the good news and believes it was God who forged a new partnership between an African-American Christian minister and an immigrant Muslim doctor.
“I heard God in his voice,” Thomas said about the phone call from Naeem.
Naeem and Fahim Rahim came to Pocatello in 2005. Both natives of Pakistan, they emigrated to the U.S. They attended New York Medical College and completed their training in internal medicine and nephrology. In 2010, both brothers received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Thomas had already managed to gather $7,000 in donations to meet the down payment on her vision for a new homeless shelter in Pocatello. But with the deadline looming, she was feeling desperate. Desperation instead gave way to tremendous hope for the future on Christmas Eve.
Naeem said he hopes his gift to Big Momma's House will serve as a stepping stone. He hopes others will come forward on a path of generosity to help fulfill Pastor Thomas' dream of offering shelter to those in need.
Those interested in making a tax-deductible donation to the shelter can do so at any Wells Fargo location in the area. They can also give directly to the Big Momma’s House donation account or use the PayPal link at bigmommashouse.org.
Big Momma’s House is a nonprofit organization that supports a substance-free lifestyle, looks to provide permanent housing solutions and hopes to develop self-sustainability through employment, education and counseling.
Now that the dark cloud of not meeting the down payment deadline has been lifted, Thomas said she will continue to seek funds so she can open the house debt-free. Then she can concentrate on providing services and completing remodeling work. That includes getting a handicapped-accessible bathroom on the first floor and two more bedrooms in the basement of the existing property.
Naeem said his sons have already pledged to do everything from sweeping floors to writing grants to keep Big Momma's House going.
He said his desire to help with Big Momma's House received a boost during a recent trip to New York City. He had gone to the Plaza Hotel for dinner and encountered a homeless man outside. Naeem invited the man into the hotel for dinner as his guest.
During dinner, Naeem shared that life had been good to him and sometimes he feels like he doesn't deserve all the blessings. The homeless man corrected him.
“He told me everyone deserves what they get in life,” Naeem said.
Giving back is part of that, according to Naeem.
“This experience has brought me more joy and closer to whatever that Supreme Being might be than any visit to a mosque or church,” Naeem said. “It's all from the heart.”
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