>> Tati: HER WORK HERE IN METRO
DETROIT AND AROUND THE WORLD HAS
GOTTEN HER RECOGNIZED BY PEOPLE
MAGAZINE.
NAJA BAZZI HAS IMPACTED HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES AND MITCH
ALBOM SHOWS US HOW SHE IS
HELPING OTHERS IN "THE HEART OF
DETROIT."
♪ ♪
>> Mitch: NAJA BAZZI WAS WORKING
AT A HOSPITAL FOLLOWING THE GULF
WAR AND IMPACTED BY A FAMILY.
>> A BABY WAS DYING IN A LAUNDRY
BASKET AND I WASN’T PREPARED TO
SEE THAT.
AFTER I CAUGHT MY BREATH AND HAD
A GOOD CRY, I WAS DETERMINED TO
DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
>> Mitch: SO WHAT WAS THE FIRST
STEP YOU TOOK TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT IT?
>> BASIC NEEDS: FOOD, CLOTHING,
SHELTER.
>> Mitch: THE BUILDING BLOCKS TO
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF SHELTER.
IT BEGAN OUT OF HER VAN IN 1996
AND GROWN TO A
40,000-SQUARE-FOOT FACILITY IN
INKSTER.
THROUGH A VOUCHER PROGRAM, WOMEN
HAVE ACCESS TO FOOD AND
CLOTHING.
AND THEY ALSO OFFER JOB READY
SKILL TRAINING AND LITERACY
CLASSES.
>> I SEE THE HUMAN FAMILY, THE
TOTALITY OF THE HUMAN FAMILY.
IF GOD MADE SOMEBODY THE THE WAY
HE MADE THEM, SKIN COLOR, SHAPE,
WHATEVER THEY MAY BE, I RELISH
IN IT BECAUSE I LOVE DIVERSITY.
FOR ME, IT’S THE HIGHEST FORM OF
FAITH WITHOUT BEING A RELIGIOUS
ORGANIZATION.
WE STARTED WITH 400 FAMILIES THE
FIRST YEAR AND WE’RE UP TO
285,000 PEOPLE SERVED.
THERE’S SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
ABOUT NOT KNOWING WHAT YOU DON’T
KNOW AND THE IMPACT YOU NEVER
EVEN KNOW ABOUT BRINGS ME TO TEARS.
>> Mitch: THAT SAYS IT ALL.
ZAMAN MEANS TIME, AND SHE IS
SPENDING HER TIME IN THE
STEWARDSHIP OF OTHERS HERE IN
"THE HEART OF DETROIT."
>> Tati: AND NAZA JOINS US LIVE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Tati: THIS IS THE EPITOME OF
LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR LIKE
YOURSELF.
TELL US ABOUT THIS TIME OF YEAR
AND HOW YOUR ORGANIZATION IS
HELPING FAMILIES.
>> WELL, OF COURSE, THIS YEAR IS
LIKE NO OTHER YEAR BECAUSE OF
THE COVID CRISIS.
SO ZAMAN CONTINUES TO BE THIS
BEACON OF HOPE AND SERVING THE
COMMUNITY AROUND IT.
AND THE BASIC NEEDS IS ALWAYS
ESSENTIAL.
BUT DURING THE COVID CRISIS,
WE’VE HAD TO REALLY RAMP UP IN
TERMS OF BEING A FRONTLINE
ORGANIZATION, PROVIDING FOOD IS
PRIMARILY WHAT WE’RE DOING WITH
DRIVE-THRU SERVICES EVERY TWO
WEEKS.
AS YOU KNOW AND YOU FEEL AND
EVERYONE WATCHING FEELS, THE
STRESS OF THE COVID CRISIS, THE
LOSS THAT FAMILIES ARE
EXPERIENCING, THE GRIEF AROUND
THE THANKSGIVING TABLE, THE
THOUGHT OF NOT BEING ABLE TO BE
TOGETHER, ALL OF THAT FOR ZAMAN
MEANS WE HAVE TO LOVE MORE, HOPE
MORE, BE MORE PROACTIVE AND WEAR
MASKS.
I’M A NURSE.
AND WE HAVE TO DO OUR SHARE.
IT’S PART OF LOVING ONE ANOTHER.
>> Tati: 100%.
HOW CAN PEOPLE HELP YOU, WITH
DONATIONS OF GOODS OR MONETARY
DONATIONS?
>> YOU KNOW, ZAMAN HAS NEVER
BEEN ABOUT ME EVER DOING
ANYTHING ALONE.
IT’S ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE GOOD,
YOU, MYSELF, AND EVERYONE WHO IS
WATCHING. TOGETHER, WE CAN PUT OUR HANDS
TOGETHER, WE CAN PUT OUR HANDS
TOGETHER AND I’VE EXPERIENCED
THIS, WE DO IT TOGETHER.
DONATING TO THE FOOD PANTRY AND
BEING ABLE TO THE DONATE TO OUR
COVID CRISIS CAMPAIGN, ALL OF
THOSE THINGS REALLY TRULY HELP.
I WANT TO SAY AS A PUBLIC
ADVOCATE AND AS A NURSE AND
THINKING ABOUT MY NURSING
COLLEAGUES WHO ARE CRADLING,
LITERALLY PUTTING PEOPLE IN
THEIR ARMS AND CRADLING THEM
TOWARD THE NEXT DIMENSION OF
LIFE, WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT
THIS AND WE JUST HAVE TO BELIEVE
THAT WE CAN HELP ONE ANOTHER AND
I’M A FIRM BELIEVER IN THAT AND
A FIRM BELIEVER IN HOPE AND
BEING PROACTIVE ABOUT THINGS
THAT MATTER MOST TO US.
>> Tati: YOU’RE RIGHT, WE HAVE
TO THINK FOR ONE ANOTHER AND
WE’RE BETTER TOGETHER.
THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL OF