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Making History: First National Arab American Service Day
Posted on Tuesday September 20, 2005
Washington- In the spirit of community service and assisting those in need, the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) and The National Network for Arab-American Communities have organized the first ever National Arab-American Service Day on September 24, 2005. Arab-American community organizations in thirteen cities (Anaheim, Brooklyn, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Dearborn, Flint, Houston, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, DC) will engage in a community service projects outside of the Arab-American community in an effort to build bridges and assist those in need.
The National Service Day will be spearheaded by members of our national Americorps program who are serving in these community organizations. It is the only national AmeriCorps program offering Arab Americans and non-Arabs the opportunity to serve at Arab-American community organizations. Often referred to as the domestic Peace Corps, AmeriCorps is a federal service program in which individuals commit to an intensive year of service to meet the critical needs of our country.
“Serving Communities, Connecting People,” is the motto that captures the theme of this special day. Through the common goal of community service, Arab-Americans are joining together in new partnerships, with over 1000 individuals throughout the US expected to participate in this historic day of service.
“In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, we are reminded that we all have a responsibility to serve our fellow Americans,” says Taleb Salhab, ACCESS National Outreach Director. “And The National Arab American Service Day is about that, Americans coming together to serve their communities and assist those in need.”
In the spirit of the first annual Arab-American National Service Day, Arab American organizations nationwide are stepping up efforts to provide relief and services to Katrina’s victims.
- Members of the Arab American Cultural Center in Houston, TX are volunteering at the Reliant Park Stadium (Astrodome), where there is temporary shelter for victims of Katrina. AAFS is assisting with food distribution, and counseling. For information call Rami Ashawa or Zaid Amin at 832-351-3366.
- The Philadelphia Arab American Community Development Corporation in Philadelphia, PA is donating $25,000 to Katrina relief funds, which was raised by the local mosque during Friday prayers.
- The Arab American Association of New York in Brooklyn, NY has partnered with the textile company Sharper, and is collecting materials and food to deliver to the victims.
- Members of the Arab American Family Services in Chicago, IL responded to a call from “Share your soles,” a local organization that collects shoes for the underprivileged. Universal School is collecting food, clothes and supplies to aid the 150 families victimized by Katrina living in Tinley Park.
- Members of the Arab Cultural Center in San Francisco, CA are collecting donations for the Salvation Army at the 11th American Arab Cultural Festival held on September 18. Macobis, a restaurant in Walnut Creek, is donating food to the victims, and the ACC is also holding a food drive for Macobis.
- The Arab American Community for Economic and Social Services in Cleveland, OH will collect contact information from any victims moving to Cleveland in order to help locate missing family members.
- The Arab American Community Center, Orlando, FL is raising $10,000 for relief efforts.
- ACCESS, based in Dearborn, Michigan, is taking lead on assisting 22 Arab-American families in Dearborn who were evacuated from New Orleans. ACCESS is also working with United Way, Red Cross and FEMA on relief efforts.
In addition to Katrina related efforts, thirteen cities have organized unique projects that respond creatively to their community’s needs.
In New York City, volunteers have the opportunity to donate blood in Brooklyn, serve at a Children’s Hospital in Queens and in a soup kitchen in Manhattan. In Cleveland, volunteers will be joining the Ronald McDonald House to help with a garden clean-up and will donate toys and food to local charities. In Chicago, volunteers will be working at the Children’s Place Association. The Association is joined with Global Alliance for Africa to improve the quality of life for children and their families who are affected by HIV/AIDS or other life-threatening or serious health conditions.
In Washington DC, the Arab American Institute Foundation (AAIF) will be co-sponsoring “Light the Night,” a walk in Leesburg, VA, in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The event is a 2 mile evening walk to celebrate and commemorate the many lives touched by cancer. Participants will illuminate balloons to “Light The Night.”
“For over 120 years, Americans of Arab descent have been contributing time, talent and resources to the communities where they live,” observed AAIF Executive Director Helen Samhan. “Our National Service Day builds on the community’s long history of working hard for a better America. We are especially proud of the energy and interest this project has generated among young Arab Americans.”
To register for the walk, log onto http://www.lightthenight.org/ and go to the registration tab at the top, selecting Virginia and then Leesburg for the event site. AAIF has a registered team, with Sabeen Altaf as the designated team captain. For more information please visit www.aaiusa.org.
AAI Southern California, in coordination with ACCESS, will be participating in several community beautification projects and assisting at a local food bank. For more information, please contact Tarek Abdin at tarek@cedarsbank.com.
Below is a list of cities where the service day is being held and the members of National Network of Arab-American Communities organizing the event. The list does not include local partners that each organization is collaborating with for this event:
ANAHEIM, CA Access California Services
BROOKLYN, NY Arab American Association of New York, Network of Arab American Professionals, The Arab American Family Support Center
BOSTON, MA National Association of Arab American Professionals
CHICAGO, IL Arab American Action Network, Arab American Family Services
CLEVELAND, OH Arab American Community Center for Economic and Social Services
DETRIOT, MI ACCESS
DEARBORN, MI Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services (ACCESS)
FLINT, MI American Arab Heritage Council
HOUSTON, TX The Arab American Cultural and Community Center
ORLANDO, FL The Arab American Community Center
PHILADELPHIA, PA Philadelphia Arab American Community Development Corporation
SAN FRANCISCO, CA Arab Cultural Center & National Association of Arab American Professionals
WASHINGTON, DC Arab American Institute Foundation & National Association of Arab American Professionals, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
The Arab Community Center for Economic & social Services (ACCESS) is a human services organization committed to the development of the Arab American community in all aspects of its economic and cultural life. ACCESS provides a wide range of social, mental health, educational, artistic, employment, legal and medical services. ACCESS is dedicated, in all its efforts, to empowering people to lead more informed, productive, and fulfilling lives.
The National Network for Arab-American Communities is a national network of independent Arab-American community-based organizations established in 2004. The Network’s primary mission is the development of grassroots institutions that can meet the needs of and represent the concerns of Arab Americans at the local level and collectively raise these concerns on the national stage. The network is housed at ACCESS.
The Arab American Institute (AAI), founded in 1985, is a nonprofit organization committed to the civic and political empowerment of Americans of Arab descent. AAI provides policy, research and public affairs services to support a broad range of community activities.
