From Hate to Hope: Building Community Through Service | Community Comms Episode 1

In the first episode of Community Comms, I sit down with Abdou Kattih, founder and president of Murfreesboro Muslim Youth, to talk about what it really takes to build community across differences. Abdou shares the story behind MMY’s founding, including how moments of hate, fear, and division helped shape a deeper commitment to service, interfaith partnership, and youth leadership. We talk about what it means to step outside of our own “bubbles,” how service can become a bridge between communities, and why the work of community building is often as transformative for the volunteer as it is for the person being served. About Abdou: Abdou Kattih is the founder and president of Murfreesboro Muslim Youth, a 100% volunteer-led nonprofit in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. A Syrian native, Muslim by faith, and longtime Middle Tennessee community leader, Abdou has spent years helping young people grow through service, leadership, and meaningful connection across faith and cultural lines. Through MMY, he continues to champion a model of community work rooted in consistency, humility, gratitude, and servant leadership. About Murfreesboro Muslim Youth: Murfreesboro Muslim Youth is a youth-centered nonprofit dedicated to connecting, developing, and empowering young people through service. Over the past decade, MMY has become a community staple in Middle Tennessee through year-round food support, interfaith events, refugee support, back-to-school outreach, Thanksgiving meal delivery, and opportunities for youth to serve their neighbors with compassion and purpose. In this episode, we discuss: • Why MMY was founded • What it means to build community outside of your own bubble • The role of faith in service • How youth leadership grows through opportunity • Why consistency matters more than numbers • The challenges of interfaith community building • Servant leadership and leading by example • How volunteers and supporters can help sustain MMY’s work Support Murfreesboro Muslim Youth: Donate / Join Dollar for Change: https://givebutter.com/dollar4change Website: https://www.murfreesboromuslimyouth.org/ Facebook:   / murfreesboromuslimyouth   Instagram:   / murfreesboromuslimyouth   About Community Comms: Community Comms is a conversation series hosted by Debilee Flores exploring how leaders build, sustain, and strengthen communities across nonprofit work, business, faith, advocacy, and local service. Subscribe for more conversations on community building, communications, leadership, and the people doing meaningful work in the world. #CommunityComms #MurfreesboroMuslimYouth #communitybuilding #FaithInAction #nonprofitleadership