Amina Shams highlighted for BLOOM Charity’s trauma-healing work

Amina Shams, founder of BLOOM Charity and a public health expert, is being recognized for leading community-based humanitarian efforts that support children affected by crisis and trauma. Her work spans mental health, equity, and local partnership across multiple countries.

Why it matters: - BLOOM Charity focuses on the holistic healing of children affected by crisis and trauma, an area where mental health, safety, and community support can shape long-term outcomes. - Amina Shams’s approach emphasizes community-led, culturally responsive humanitarian work rather than top-down aid. - Her work centers on equity and inclusion in global health and philanthropy, two areas that affect how resources reach vulnerable populations.

What happened: - Influential Women recognized Amina Shams for her humanitarian and healing-focused leadership. - Shams is the founder of BLOOM Charity, a nonprofit serving children facing crisis and trauma. - Shams has more than 20 years of experience in health, humanitarian, and community-centered initiatives. - Shams is based in Potomac, Maryland.

The details: - BLOOM Charity’s programs are active in Morocco, Palestine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Egypt. - The organization prioritizes mental health and psychosocial support as core parts of humanitarian response. - Shams earned a Master of Public Health from Tulane University with concentrations in Maternal and Child Health and Health Education and Communications. - Shams also works as a strategist, advisor, and Certified Professional Coach. - Her background includes writing Community Health Needs Assessments for major hospital systems, advising federally qualified health organizations, and managing enterprise-level initiatives tied to social determinants of health. - Shams founded BLOOM Charity in 2017 after personal experience growing a family through adoption. - That experience shaped her focus on belonging, healing, and support for children who have faced adversity. - She built BLOOM around mental health, community empowerment, and culturally responsive care. - Shams has helped facilitate global partnerships and contributed to international coalitions focused on maternal and newborn health. - Her advocacy has also included maternal mental health, childhood trauma, ethical philanthropy, and donor trust. - The Influential Women profile is available here. - BLOOM Charity’s profile is available here.

Between the lines: - Shams frames effective humanitarian work as a partnership with communities, not a service delivered to them. - Her message reflects a broader shift in global aid toward local leadership, trust, and culturally competent care. - The emphasis on one child, one family, and one community suggests a strategy built on incremental impact rather than sweeping promises.

What's next: - Shams says she will continue advancing BLOOM Charity’s mission to help children heal and thrive. - She also plans to keep using coaching and coalition-building to expand partnerships and community impact. - Her work will likely remain centered on mental health, dignity, and equitable humanitarian response.

The bottom line: - Amina Shams is positioning BLOOM Charity as a model for trauma-informed, community-led global aid focused on children and families.