November 16th, 20210DEARBORN — ACCESS, the nation's largest Arab American community nonprofit providing both human services and programming, announced its CEO transition is now complete, with Maha Freij leading the organization as president and CEO effective Oct. 1.
Freij takes over the role after long-time ACCESS CEO Hassan Jaber announced his...
October 2nd, 20210DETROIT — The Detroit Branch of the NAACP will honor outgoing ACCESS president and CEO Hassan Jaber with a lifetime achievement award this Sunday, Oct. 3 at the TCF Center in Detroit.
The local branch of one of the country’s largest historic civil rights organizations announced that Jaber was named the James Weldon Johnson...
September 28th, 20210DEARBORN — ACCESS will be hosting the ninth annual Arab Health Summit, “Advancing Health Equity for Women", virtually from Oct. 19 through Oct. 21.
The conference is centered around discussions on health rights, public health research, community engagement and more, with speakers and attendees representing the United States and...
July 7th, 20210DEARBORN — The Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) will be hosting two flood relief distribution events this week.
During the events, ACCESS will be distributing fans, liquid disinfectant, spray bottles, disinfectant wipes, rolls of garbage bags and personal protective equipment to flood victims from the...
May 6th, 20210DEARBORN — The Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), is one of nine organizations to receive suicide prevention grants.
The funding totals $650,000 and is coming from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, Michigan Health Endowment Fund, the Children’s...
April 26th, 20210WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) and Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn), introduced a resolution honoring Arab American Heritage Month, a celebration held in April to recognize the incredible contributions Arab Americans have made in the country.
"As a strong, proud and unapologetically Arab American...
April 17th, 20210Since Governor Whitmer declared a state of emergency last March, Dr. Zafar Shamoon, chief of emergency services at Beaumont Hospital-Dearborn, has witnessed first-hand the precariously rising cases of COVID-19 in the community.
“Dearborn has been hit very hard," Shamoon told The Arab American News. "This is one of the busiest, if...
April 10th, 20210DEARBORN — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Protect Michigan Commission recently selected the Dearborn Fire Department and ACCESS to encourage more equitable vaccine distribution in more vulnerable communities.
ACCESS and the Fire Department are among 22 pilot sites to receive doses of the COVID-19...
March 10th, 20210DEARBORN — With more vaccines beginning to be distributed and provided to the state, residents who qualify for the vaccine are being provided more options to get it.
Dearborn’s vaccination center has added more appointments as well as opening appointments to those who are 50 and older with medical conditions or...
March 5th, 20210DEARBORN — Beginning Thursday, March 11, ACCESS will be partnering with Meijer to bring COVID-19 vaccinations to the community.
With the first doses beginning March 11, second doses are expected to be administered April 1, with additional dates to be determined soon.
ACCESS will be honoring the Michigan Department of Health and...
February 19th, 20210DEARBORN — ACCESS is undergoing a notable change in its leadership with the departure of longtime CEO and President Hassan Jaber, who is transitioning to national advocacy and leadership projects.
Jaber told The Arab American News this week that he will remain attached to the organization, in which he served for more than 41...
January 13th, 20210DEARBORN — Families in Dearborn that are unable to pay their bills due to financial impacts of COVID-19 can apply to receive grants from the city.
Low to moderate income residents can apply beginning Monday, Jan. 18 to receive up to $5,000 to cover up to six months’ worth of bills through a new grant program offered by the...
October 23rd, 20200With less than two weeks left in this election season, by now many in our communities have already cast their vote. According to the Michigan Secretary of State’s office, more than 1.5 million Michiganders have already turned their absentee ballots in. That is phenomenal news. We have been working diligently to ensure that all...
May 13th, 20200DEARBORN — Sixty small businesses in the city of Dearborn have been selected to receive stimulus grants to help provide working capital amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Grants upwards of $5,000 will be distributed by ACCESS this week and are aimed to support those businesses most often left out of major city, state and federal relief...
April 22nd, 20200In response to the rapid spread of COVID-19, ACCESS—the largest Arab American community nonprofit in the nation—has restructured its service delivery to continue to provide necessary services to the community, while ensuring their safety and well-being. For the first time in the organization’s nearly 50-year history, much of its...
August 24th, 20190DEARBORN – Recent unofficial reports of drug overdoses among Arab Americans in Dearborn have raised concerns over the prevalence of substance abuse and addiction.
Opioid addiction has been recognized as a public health crisis in Michigan and the Arab American community has been directly affected for some time.
According to...
August 3rd, 20190DETROIT — The Democratic primary debate that took place July 30 left the audience with a comprehensive idea of which candidates seem to stand a chance of winning the nomination, what their plans entail and just how each of them could be right for Detroit, specifically, and Michigan at large.
Despite competing for voters at the left...
May 20th, 20191DEARBORN — On Saturday, April 27, The Arab American Health Initiative (AAHI) held a public seminar on raising awareness about mental health treatment, including therapy and medication, at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center.
Attendees included community and organization members and panelists in psychiatry and other mental...
March 29th, 20190DEARBORN HEIGHTS — On Sunday, March 31, Who is Hussain — Michigan (WIH) will partner with healthcare professionals across Wayne County to host a completely free medical camp at the Islamic House of Wisdom from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Who is Hussain is a global movement founded in 2012 and it currently leads more than 60...
September 8th, 20183DEARBORN – Between 1995 and 2012, thousands flocked to the capital of Arab America for a taste of their homeland’s culture, where nostalgia for music and food alike would meet their match at the Arab International Festival.
It was a kind of celebration one could only experience in a city in which nearly half its residents are of...
July 28th, 20180DEARBORN — The Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) will celebrate the 53rd anniversary of Medicaid on Monday, July 30, with a birthday cake and a roundtable discussion with members of the ACCESS team, clients, coalition partners, local elected officials and other stakeholders.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell...
June 24th, 20180LANSING — The Medicaid work requirements bill passed by the Michigan House of Representatives on June 6 received wide criticism from local organizations, community members and public figures.
The bill, Senate Bill 897, had previously passed in the State Senate on April 19 and requires “able-bodied” adults enrolled in the Healthy...
May 25th, 20180By Sarah Kominek
DEARBORN— During the holy month of Ramadan, merchants and community organizations in Dearborn are motivated to be charitable, but they also help the less fortunate throughout the year.
Local merchants deal with the infrequent occurrence of begging, which happens year round, not just during Ramadan.
Danya Saed,...
April 13th, 20180DEARBORN – Even as the city looks to a new dawn of economic prosperity with a wide range of major investments, it could be dealt a blow two in two years.
Residents, city officials and community advocates are anxious about the implications of a proposed question on the 2020 Census that would ask people if they’re citizens.
They...
March 23rd, 20180By Farah Harb
The Arab American News
DEARBORN — As part of its high school voter registration project, the League of Women Voters of Dearborn/ Dearborn Heights visited Dearborn and Fordson High Schools the week of March 19-22.
The nonpartisan political organization aims to bring awareness of the importance of informed and...
March 16th, 20180By Maliha Ahmed
DEARBORN — There is a need for culturally-competent and accurate information on sexual health and healthy relationships in the Arab and Muslim communities. The preventative nature of this education can have long-lasting impact on individuals, their health-seeking practices and overall population health. However, if...
February 2nd, 20180"Accurate Census information ensures equal opportunity access to public resources, particularly for historically marginalized groups." -ADC
DEARBORN — A promising decade-long endeavor by America's most targeted communities to gain political and social leverage hit a roadblock after the U.S. Census Bureau rejected the addition of a...
December 22nd, 20170Barbara Aswad, professor emeritus of anthropology at Wayne State University and advocate for immigrants and low-income Americans, died on November 30, after a brief illness. She was 80 years old.
She was born in Kalamazoo, on January 5, 1937, daughter of Robert and Helen Black. She earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the...