SEATTLE – Muslims and Syrian refugees will gather this weekend to give out supplies and offer services to the homeless, in the largest Muslim charity event in Seattle.

“It’s just a way Muslims are trying to reach out and give back,” Aziz Junejo, a local Muslim TV show host who’s helped organize the event for the past 10 years, told Seattle Weekly on Friday, November 4.

The 10th annual Day of Dignity will be held all day on November 5 at the Millionair Club in Belltown.

Muslim volunteers, assisted by some Syrian refugees, will give out hundreds of sleeping bags (to protect against hypothermia, a serious problem for many homeless people), hygiene supplies, rain gear, jackets and other warm clothing, and free lunch.

UW medical student volunteers will also be on hand to offer basic health services, including dental screening, checkups for BMI, blood pressure, health education, and information about medical insurance.

The event, the largest in Seattle, is usually organized a few weeks before Thanksgiving to address the lull in services for the homeless between October and November, before Christmas season picks things up again.

The event, expected to draw between 300 and 500 people this year, will be attended by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray.

According to Junejo, Murray reached out and made plans to attend following the nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida on June 12, in an effort to come out and meet the Muslim community.

According to a press release, the event is paid for by donations from individuals as well as 20 local mosques and Islamic community centers.

With many of them arriving last year, Syrian refugees will be among the volunteers serving on Saturday.

Many of the refugees are also struggling, and “are basically arriving here with just the clothes on their back,” Junejo said.

“These folks know what it means to suffer and they really want to give back.”