Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services

From KeyWiki

The Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services was launched in 1971 and "is a non-profit agency committed to advocating for and empowering individuals, families, and communities."^[1]

About

The Center began operating out of a storefront in Dearborn’s south end in 1971. The group states on their website the reason the Center was launched:^[2]

"The 1960s was an extremely volatile time both politically and socially, and this volatility deeply affected the Arab-American community. The burgeoning Dearborn Arab community was developing an identity, and it was in the midst of this that a small group of dedicated and concerned people came together determined to provide assistance for immigrants in any way they could. We saw the daily struggles many Arabs who immigrated to the United States faced—the linguistic, cultural, and social barriers—and we knew we had to do something. ACCESS was literally a labor of love; it was completely staffed by volunteers assisting those who had trouble with filling out applications in English, completing their tax forms, translation, and anything else they needed. In 1970, George Khoury (a current lifetime member of ACCESS’s Board of Directors) was elected our first board president."

Personnel

As at Aug. 18, 2011, the following serve on the board of the Center:^[3]

Executive Board

• Wadad Abed, President
• Yasser Al-Soofi, Treasurer
• Edward Bagale, English Secretary
• Amal M. Berry-Brown, Arabic Secretary
• David Allen, At-Large
• Aoun Jaber, At-Large

Board of Directors

• Hussein Berry
• Ramzi Chraim
• Greg Clark
• Amal David, Ph.D.
• Rasha Demashkieh
• Dennis Denno
• J. Joseph Diederich
• Debbie I. Dingell
• Dr. Basim Dubaybo
• Charlene Elder
• Paul Good
• Wassim Mahfouz
• Mike Makki
• Hassan Makled
• Mike Makki
• Linda Mansour
• Ron May
• Ziad Ojakli
• Robert G. Riney
• Wafa Salah
• Hussien Shousher
• Gerald Smith
• James Stokes
• William Swor

Emeritus Board Members

• Ali Baleed Almaklani
• Barbara Aswad, Ph.D.
• Andrea Awada- Zeaiter
• Linda Hallick
• George Khoury
• Noel J. Saleh

Staff

As at Aug. 18, 2011, the following worked for the Center:^[4]

• Hassan Jaber, Executive Director
• Maha Freij, Deputy Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer
• John Burl Artis, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer
• Anan Ameri, Ph.D., Arab American National Museum Director
• Rashid Barkaji, Information Technology Director
• Abdallah Boumediene, Community Health & Research, Center Operations Director
• Amne Darwish-Talab, Social Services Director (East Dearborn Office)
• Hannan Deep, Communications & Marketing Director
• Brigitte Fawaz-Anouti, Social Services Director (Main Office) and Special Projects
• Najwa Hadous, Employment & Training Director
• Adnan Hammad, Ph.D., Senior Director, Community Health & Research Center
• Mosein Hussein, Human Resources Director
• Sonia Harb, MSW, CSW, Senior Director, Employment & Training and Youth & Education
• Jamie Kim, Center for Arab American Philanthropy Director
• Wisam Qasem-Fakhoury, Finance Director
• Anisa Sahoubah, Youth & Education Director
• Nadia Tonova, National Outreach Director

External Links

• ACCESS website

References