Arab American Family Services, serves as a pillar in the Arab American community, working hard to ensure every client that walks through our doors is cared for and given the assistance they need to help improve their quality of life. We stand by our mission to change and impact the quality of life by serving and building stronger and healthier generations of Arab Americans in our communities. We also value our vision statement which is to be a nonprofit organization that provides accessible and effective social services to communities in the Chicagoland area.
We are committed to empowering, educating, and supporting individuals, families, and organizations to foster and enhance economic well-being of Arab Americans.
Every client that we are fortunate to meet impact us in many ways. Recently, we met a client who was forced into an arranged marriage. After years of being unhappy, she filed for divorce. She was seeking a better life for herself and her three children.
But the divorce was difficult. Trying everything she can to help her children, she was forced to turnover custody to her husband. But she was determined to not give up and worked to rebuild her life. Several years later, she remarried. Unfortunately, this new chapter in her life was also difficult. After having a child with her new husband, she had learned that she was pregnant again. Her marriage was on the rocks. Now living in Ohio, her husband gave up on the marriage, and his children and left her. With no resources and no family in the United States, she took her child and moved to Jordan to be reunited with her family.
Her family was not supportive. They could not handle to burden of caring for her, her child and unborn child. Her family asked her to give up her children for adoption and start, yet another chapter in her life, even suggesting that she remarry again, and partake in an arranged marriage. She refused to accept any of those choices and decided that enough was enough. She left Jordan with her children and came to Illinois for refuge.
When we met her, she was a broken spirits. She opened up to our caseworkers and we learned so much of her past heartache. She had a history of domestic violence, not only in her pervious marriages, but her her brothers and various family members. But through all her strife and checkered past, there was hope in her eyes. Resilience and determination to better herself and start a new chapter, one where she focused on herself and her children. For once, she wanted to live life for herself and set a positive example for her children. She had ambition.
The staff and interns of AAFS were determined to see her succeed and grow. They helped give her the tools she needed to get on the right path. They gave her job readiness skills and helped her build a resume. They also connected her to a large network of community professionals that AAFS is fortunate to know.
Through everything she had experienced, our client was on the right path. And many who have met her and got to know her saw her determination. She was recently hired as a teacher’s aide at a wonderful school and district. But that is not all for our client. She is currently enrolled in college and working on her degree.
It is stories like this that keep AAFS going strong. It is these stories that let us know we are doing the right thing for our community, and improving the quality of life for all our clients.
To see if AAFS can help you, please give us a call at (708) 599-2237.
(708) 599-2237
