Loading ...Largest Arab American community nonprofit celebrates 46 years of service
Press release: ACCESS
On Saturday, April 22, 2017, ACCESS, the nation’s largest Arab American community nonprofit organization, celebrated 46 years of service at its Annual Dinner that took place at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center.
The theme for ACCESS’ 46th Annual Dinner, From the Neighborhood to the Nation, commemorated its growth over more than four and a half decades of service to communities across the U.S. The nonprofit utilized this anniversary to celebrate and reflect on its many achievements, highlight the important contributions of Arab Americans and America’s immigrants, and remind the communities it serves that the organization stands united with them as they face increased challenges over their unfair portrayal and treatment.
ACCESS also spotlighted its 2017 Arab Americans of the Year: financial genius, global thought leader and renowned investment analyst Dr. Mohamed El-Erian, along with celebrated humanitarian and distinguished champion of community health Dr. Rashid Abdu.
Dr. Mohamed El-Erian, the former CEO and Co-Chief Investment Officer of PIMCO — an American investment management firm and prominent authority in the financial markets — was named one of the 500 most powerful people on the planet in 2013 by Foreign Policy magazine and listed as one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers, four years in a row (from 2009 to 2012), by the same publication. Currently serving as the chief economic advisor to Allianz (the corporate parent of PIMCO), he is also the author of two widely acclaimed New York Times bestsellers, When Markets Collide (2008) and The Only Game in Town (2016). He has served in key roles at the Harvard Management Company, Microsoft, and on President Obama’s Global Development Council. He is also a compassionate philanthropist and has provided extensive support to programs that strengthen medical research, education, the arts and culture.
Retired surgeon and champion of public health, Dr. Rashid A. Abdu, was the second recipient of the 2017 Arab American of the Year Award. Hailing from Yemen, Dr. Abdu immigrated to the United States as a boy and is, today, an admired and respected leader in the healthcare sector. He has achieved remarkable success as a surgeon throughout his more than 50 years of medical practice, and is currently affiliated with several hospitals near his home in Youngstown, Ohio, including the St. Elizabeth Health Center and St. Joseph Health Center. Dr. Abdu has also dedicated his life to the fight against breast cancer, through his establishment, in 2011, of the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center (named after his late wife, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 1994). This state-of-the-art facility – part of Mercy Health-Youngstown – was created to deliver the most accurate prevention, early detection, diagnosis and support services available in an environment of compassionate and coordinated care.
In addition to recognizing the incredible local and international impact of its 2017 Arab Americans of the Year, ACCESS also highlighted some of Detroit’s best and brightest students by kicking off the Annual Dinner with a performance by the Detroit Children’s Choir (DCC). Founded in 2006, the DCC fosters team building, creativity and social interaction by using music education to empower and unite children of diverse backgrounds from throughout Southeast Michigan. The choirs’ performance was led by Eric Taylor and Paola Marquez, and embodied ACCESS’ commitment to the revitalization of the City of Detroit and youth empowerment.
Saturday’s Annual Dinner was also used as a platform to announce what will be the first of its kind gathering to take place in Dearborn, MI. This November, ACCESS and its national institutions—the Arab American National Museum (AANM), the Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP) and the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC)—will host an Arab American Summit, MOVE (Mobilize, Organize, Vocalize and Empower) 2017, that will leverage the diverse experiences of Arab Americans and provide space for artists, activists, scholars, philanthropists, organizations and other to connect, learn and exchange ideas.
“The ACCESS Annual Dinner serves as a wonderful reminder of the power of communities coming together and working toward real social change,” states ACCESS Executive Director and CEO Hassan Jaber. “This message is more important than ever this year, in particular. We are proud to do our part to empower communities, elevate their voices and help them impact the world that we live in. This event is such a beautiful demonstration of that commitment.”
The ACCESS Annual Dinner is the largest of its kind in the nation, bringing together nearly 2,000 people, including local, state and national officials and leaders from government, business, labor and nonprofit organizations. The organization’s unique, comprehensive service delivery model, now comprised of nearly 120 programs, aims to meet the needs of people through a holistic approach that empowers both individuals and communities to impact social change. Through its human services programming and its three national institutions, ACCESS pursues its vision of a just and equitable society for all.
