DETROIT — The 2011 Michigan Governor’s Service Award for Outstanding National Service has been given to The Arab American Resource Corps (ARC), a national volunteer program. 

ARC is the AmeriCorps program of the National Network for Arab American Communities. It consists of 75 AmeriCorps members serving Arab American communities in 18 sites across the country. In Michigan alone, ARC members have served more than 15,000 clients and 4,000 youth in Dearborn, Hamtramck and Flint.

The 2011 Michigan Governor’s Service Awards were announced Monday before an audience of some 150 guests at the historic Gem and Century Theatre in downtown Detroit. The awards honor community service programs and volunteers for their spirit of service to others. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder spoke at the event, emphasizing the importance of community service.

ARC members support the health, economic, social and cultural needs of the Arab American community. They help community members with housing, food, citizenship, employment, English proficiency, academic support and enrichment and youth development.

“We are truly thankful and honored,” said NNAAC Director Nadia Tonova. 

 “Our AmeriCorps members are making significant differences in the communities they serve, and to be rewarded for that by the Governor of Michigan – that says a lot.” 

Community service is a primary focus of NNAAC, which is based in Dearborn and was developed by ACCESS, the largest Arab American human services organization in the United States. The NNAAC works to expand the capacity of Arab American community-based nonprofit organizations nationwide to meet the needs and represent the concerns of Arab Americans at the local level, and to collectively address these issues at the national level.