Loading ...ACCESS Brings State Leaders, Citizens Together for 40th Anniversary
The 40th anniversary banquet for the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services, (ACCESS) held Saturday night in Detroit was a celebration of individual and collective achievement.
The individuals were retired U.S. Gen. George Joulwan and Emmy Award-winning actor Tony Shalhoub, who were both Arab-American of the Year Award recipients. The collective celebration was for the work of ACCESS, which has served southeast Michigan’s Arab-American community and beyond from its home in Dearborn since 1971.
A multitude of local and state politicians were on hand to congratulate ACCESS, including Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Wayne and Oakland County Executives Robert Ficano and L. Brooks Patterson, Dearborn Mayor Jack O’Reilly and Gov. Rick Snyder.
Snyder spoke of ACCESS and the Arab-American community’s role in the state’s past, current and future success.
“The Arab-American community is a vital part of Michigan’s culture,” he said. “If you look at the Arab-American community, what wonderful things go on. The spirit that you represent in a very positive way for all Michiganders. The spirit of family, the spirit of entrepreneurship, of helping create great businesses and economic success. And when you come to ACCESS, that spirit of giving back, of helping others in need regardless of their background.”
ACCESS, Snyder continued, holds a spot in his plan for Michigan’s reinvention.
“It’s time to reinvent Michigan, and the way that’s going to happen is by bringing Michiganders together in an inclusive fashion,” he said. “I’m proud to say from the relationships I’ve had over the past two or three years with ACCESS, I know there’s a focal point there. It’s a group of people willing to join together to help show leadership and showing how Michigan can be a great state together.”
Mayor O’Reilly shared his personal experience of watching ACCESS grow in Dearborn, from the time when his father was the police chief and mayor to his time serving the city.
“What we celebrate here is 40 years of heart and 40 years of innovation, and those two qualities have produced incredible outcomes for our neighbors,” O’Reilly said. “When I say our neighbors, I mean ACCESS serves everyone–everyone who comes in the door. It doesn’t matter who they are or where they come from.”
While the community honored ACCESS at the dinner, ACCESS awarded the lifelong work of Shalhoub and Gen. Joulwan–two men of very different career paths, but linked by their pride in their Lebanese heritage.
Shalhoub is an Emmy Award-winning actor best known for his starring role on the television series Monk. He has performed on Broadway, on the TV show Wings and in numerous films, including Men in Black and Thir13en Ghosts.
“It’s always been a source of pride to me that I come from a huge Arab-American family with 10 kids,” said Shalhoub, who credited his parents for his success. “Tonight I feel like that family just got a whole lot bigger. To say I am humbled by this honor is an understatement.”
Gen. Joulwan is a retired U.S. Army general who served as the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, from 1993 to 1997 among a multitude of other military roles. Currently, he serves as a news analyst on CNN.
At the banquet, Joulwan spoke of his family’s role in building his character and how his grandfather–a Lebanese immigrant–instilled in him pride in being an Arab-American.
“While the United States is not perfect, it is, in my opinion, the best hope for all its citizens,” he said. “It’s a country where Arab-Americans are making important contributions in business, medicine, education, culture and the arts. It is a country where the grandson of a Lebanese immigrant can go from humble beginnings to being a four-star general.
“I say proudly to all of you and everywhere I speak,” Joulwan added, “I am American of Lebanese descent, one deeply proud of my heritage and one deeply committed to the principals and ideals of the United States of America.”
For ACCESS, said Board President Wadel Abed at the dinner, their national pride lies in being one of the largest organizations serving both the Arab-American community and the community at large in the country.
But their home, she added, will always be Dearborn.
“As ACCESS branches outward and upward to new levels of aspiration and achievement, we are keenly aware this is possible because of the deep roots we have firmly planted in our local community,” she said. “Like a new immigrant venturing to foreign shores, the support and the roots in our local community is what makes ACCESS strong.”
Jessica Carreras
Dearborn Patch