Loading ...Arab American philanthropists raise $5K at one-of-a-kind Chicago event
(left to right) Nareman Taha, co-founder of Arab American Family Services, and Noha El-Shareif, Executive Committee Member of CAAP’s Advisory Board
Arab American Family Services board and staff members
(left to right) Nareman Taha and Itedal Shalabi, co-founders of Arab American Family Services
(left to right) Arab American Family Services Board President; Nareman Taha, co-founder of Arab American Family Services; CAAP Founder Maha Freij; Itedal Shalabi, co-founder of Arab American Family Services
CHICAGO—A community organization centered on providing caring, compassionate social services to Chicagoland residents can now direct an additional $5,500 to its programing, thanks to a group of generous Arab Americans who care.
Philanthropists at the Center for Arab American Philanthropy’s (CAAP) inaugural 100 Arab Americans Who Care event in the Chicago area on Nov. 14 collectively raised the funds for Bridgeview, Ill.-based Arab American Family Services.
“There is no doubt that the greater the funds, the greater the opportunities to serve and strengthen our families. Every penny allows us to expand the capacity of our programs, our staff and our ability to better serve the community at large. CAAP allows us to do so, by working together as one collective community,” said Nareman Taha, co-founder of Arab American Family Services.
CAAP’s 100 Arab Americans Who Care, held at the Lake Katherine Nature Center & Botanic Gardens in Palos Heights, Ill., was an exciting event that brought together dozens of generous members of the Arab American community who pooled their money to make a larger impact on a cause that matters most to them. At the event—which included dinner, mingling and music—each attendee nominated an Illinois-based charitable nonprofit of their choice. Three charities were selected at random, and all attendees voted on one nonprofit to receive the proceeds collected at the event.
“Community building is no small task. It takes a commitment of time and money to build the resources for our community and society at large. CAAP has fostered a tremendous opportunity for American Arabs to give back to the society and causes we hold dear, while raising the profile of the long unacknowledged American Arab philanthropist,” said Noha El-Shareif, Executive Committee Member of CAAP’s Advisory Board, and one of the event’s organizers.
CAAP looks forward to continuing to expand the 100 Arab Americans Who Care model beyond its annual events in Michigan and Ohio.
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About CAAP
The Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP) is a national community foundation. A program of ACCESS, CAAP’s objective is to unite and empower the Arab American community by demonstrating the impact of giving together. We improve communities by making grants to nonprofit organizations. Learn more at centerapp.org.
About ACCESS
Grounded in a grassroots commitment to serving our community, ACCESS has a 44-year history of providing health, education, employment and social services. An Arab American nonprofit of excellence, ACCESS empowers communities in Southeast Michigan to improve their economic, social and cultural well-being and extends this mission nationally through advocacy, arts, culture and philanthropy.