It has been a busy 2015 thus far for Arab American Family Services. We kicked off the new year with our first annual book drive. The event was made possible thanks to a generous donation of books from Stagg High School. These books were given to any client and their children, to help get our students reading and taking on a bigger role in building their imagination.
With a stronger emphasis on our youth in the Arab American community, AAFS launched the first ever National Arab Big Brother Big Sister program, one year in the making. AAFS, in partnership with BBBS and the Chicago Palestine Film Festival, this is the first program of its kind in the country.
At AAFS, we believe that if we lay the foundation for strengthening the lives of our youth, offering guidance and understanding from an early age, we will only succeed with the mission of having successful, productive Arab Americans in the community, who will help better the lives of the people in the community and abroad.
Also this year, AAFS was the proud recipient of a generous clothes and coats donation. The donation came from Benedictine University’s Student Justice for Palestine, in conjunction with St. Xavier University, AAFS was chosen to be the donation site. The items were mostly winter clothes, including sweaters, coats, scarves and gloves.
AAFS co-founders Itedal Shalabi and Nareman Taha were honored to take part in the National Immigrant Integration Conference in Los Angeles. The three day conference featured speakers from the country’s leading experts on immigration reform and integration. It featured many goal-oriented workshops discussing this year’s historic immigration strides.
Hosted by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) and the National Partnership for New Americans, the NIIC discussed ways of improving the road to active citizenship, to expanding effective education and workforce training opportunities, to improve access to healthcare and increase financial assets. Many stories about art and culture were discussed, incorporating the background of many life experiences lived by immigrants.
Along the lines of immigration reform, AAFS was proud to be part of the ICCIR’s 4th Annual Immigrant Integration Summit and Citizenship Workshop. Community members from all over the state were on hand for workshops on Administrative Relief, Deportation Defense, Health Care, the State Budget and others issues. AAFS representatives were on hand discussing the important issues of immigration and healthcare.
This year also brought us together as we shared in the tragedy of three Arab American college students who were murdered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Newlyweds Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23; his wife, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21; and her sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, were killed in the shooting. A neighbor of Barakat and Yusor Abu-Salha, Craig Stephen Hicks, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder.
AAFS hosted their first annual workshop focusing on foster care. In correlation with the Department of Children and Family Services, the workshop entitled Foster Care 101 discussed the urgent need for Arab Americans and Muslims to take part in foster care and take in children who needed a home. The workshop was held at the Mosque Foundation Youth Center.
But with all the positive changes and events that have taken place in the first four months of the new year, nothing has surprised us more than the reduction of services that took place following a $26 million cut that effected the social services field throughout the state of Illinois.
As a result of the major cuts, nonprofit organizations throughout the state of Illinois have been forced to try and make sense out of these cuts, realizing that thousands of their valued clients will be severely effected by the Governor’s decision.
AAFS has spent years working to provide accessible and effective social services to communities in the Chicagoland area while incorporating the commitment to empowering, educating and supporting individuals, families and organizations to foster and enhance economic well-being of Arab-Americans.
But the budget cuts have tied our hands behind our backs. No longer able to provide case management services to our clients, and being forced to let go six of our dedicated staff and no longer providing English as a Second Language courses, as well as Civics courses, AAFS knows that so many clients will face the repercussions of these drastic budget cuts.
We can only hope that from this major setback, AAFS and other social services organizations will work together to continue the fight in giving back to our communities.
We want to continue our mission to change and impact the quality of life by serving and building stronger and healthier generations of Arab Americans in our communities.
