This past Sunday, local Muslim youth from the Boston area gathered to knock doors in Cambridge and educate our neighbors about gun violence as part of Jetpac’s Youth Ramadan Knockathon. In the hours leading up to maghrib, Muslim youth knocked over 425 doors in East Cambridge to raise awareness about an issue on the hearts and minds of youth across the country.

In the months leading up to the Knockathon, these young organizers—who come from diverse racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds— trained with Jetpac staff on key advocacy areas, including social fundraising for a cause, crafting a message using their voice/story, and building a compelling script to deliver at the doorstep. The youth worked with the Jetpac team to make every major decision along the way, from the advocacy topic of gun violence and the contents of the trainings to the Knockathon outreach strategy and goal-setting.

To kick off Jetpac’s Knockathon Day of Action, participants were welcomed by Cambridge City Councillor and Jetpac Fellowship Advisor Sumbul Siddiqui and State Senator Pat Jehlen, who both provided expertise from their own experiences campaigning door to door. We then broke into teams and knocked doors in East Cambridge with an amazing team of volunteer chaperones before returning to break fast and enjoy a delicious iftar provided by The Chicken and Rice Guys and Garlic ‘n Lemons. A special thanks to all the youth leaders and Knockathon participants, to the volunteer chaperones, to Lisn Up Clothing for our Knockathon shirts, and for the generous support of our donors, including the Pillars Fund and the Security & Rights Collaborative, a Proteus Fund initiative.