LAHC volunteers preparing turkey bags

Leading up to Thanksgiving, Arab American led organizations and schools partnered with major chains to give thanks to the community they are proud to be a part of. Many of them, not all included here, sponsored and organized canned food drives and distributed thousands of turkeys and meals to families in need in Metro Detroit.

LAHC helps 1,000 families bring dinner to the table

DEARBORN — Leaders Advancing and Helping Community (LAHC) distributed 1,000 turkeys and bags of canned food to income eligible families throughout Wayne County on Saturday, Nov. 19. All families had been previously identified through various community partners.

“This holiday is an opportunity to cherish our loved ones and count the many blessings that have been bestowed upon us,” Wassim Mahfouz, LAHC’s executive director said.

“To some, it is a simple turkey bird – to individuals receiving this, it is a holiday celebration and a treasured family time they will remember for years.”

LAHC is in its 11th year of serving the community through the annual turkey drive.

Its three partners, Marathon Petroleum, Walmart and Sam’s Club, sponsor the drive, which is supported by volunteers.

“Some of those who received a voucher actually cried for joy and all were very, very grateful,” said Terri Gamble of Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Dearborn Heights.

LAHC is a human services organization with a mission to empower communities, one family at a time, by advancing the social, educational and economic well-being of Southeast Michigan residents. Using a holistic approach to addressing community issues, LAHC staff and volunteers work to meet the needs of both individuals and families regardless of race, religion, ethnic background, gender, country of origin or sexual orientation.

HYPE Athletics gives away 1,000 turkeys

DEARBORN HEIGHTS — On Tuesday Nov. 22, HYPE Athletics Community hosted its sixth annual Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway. The joint effort allowed the organization to feed 1,000 metro Detroit families.

Turkey and canned food were distributed at the HYPE Recreation Center in Dearborn Heights.

Several businesses, including Meijer, supported the event, as did individuals from the community.

“We are grateful to our partners for their unremitting support,” said Ali Sayed, Hype Athletics Community founder and CEO. “This annual tradition will allow us to serve close to 4,000 people who will be able to enjoy their Thanksgiving holiday this year.”

Dearborn Public Schools, Wayne/Westland Schools, the Muslim American Youth Academy (MAYA) and Great Revelations Academy held canned food drives to support the Turkey giveaway. Miller Elementary in Dearborn collected a total of 3,000 canned items to support the families.

The Wayne/Westland area families received 250 meals as part HYPE’s Metro Detroit feeding initiative in partnership with the Wayne/Westland School District.

The targeted areas of service included families from the Salvation Army, Dearborn Presbyterian Church, Wayne/Westland Family Resource Center, Starfish Family Services, Dearborn Public Schools and local refugees through the Amity Foundation.

HYPE Athletics Community is a 501C-3 non-profit organization founded in 2001 with the mission to strengthen the infrastructure of Metro Detroit families through educational, athletic, physical fitness and social service programs.

Star International Academy gives back to city employees

DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Public service employees who had to work on Thanksgiving could feast after all, thanks to Star International Academy’s (SIA) community service efforts.

On the day before Thanksgiving, the charter school’s National Honor Society group hosted a Thanksgiving feast for the city’s employees who might not take a day off, including library, fire, police department and emergency medical staff, said Ali Bazzi, the school’s principal and assistant superintendent.

The event, which drew about 100 individuals at a given time, also included a canned food drive in which some 50 boxes full of canned and dry food – collected from the school’s families, staff and neighbors – were donated to the city’s fire department. The proceeds were then distributed to households and individuals in need around Metro Detroit.

A month ago, SIA was ranked by Niche.com, a website that analyzes public data sets about schools, as the safest high school in Michigan, in a comparison of 449 schools across the state.

“What we’re trying to do is trying to build a very strong community where we continue to stay the safest school in Michigan,” Bazzi said.

He added that for the students, who stayed late to help during the school’s half-day, the event was a great way to understand public service employees’ sacrifices, setting the foundation of teaching them about giving back to their communities.

Rasha Tiba, the school’s honor society president, said they wanted to host a Thanksgiving for those who keep the community safe during the holiday while their kids are eating dinner at home.

“It might be a cliché to say firefighters are heroes, but they really are,” she said.

Douglas Bailey, the Dearborn Heights fire marshal, said his staff was grateful for the meal, as they are working and training and do not often have the chance to meet people and relax with a prepared meal.

It was also a good opportunity to get involved with the school, teachers and students they protect around the clock, he added.

Nawal Hamade, the charter school system’s CEO and SIA’s superintendent, said the luncheon could be a model for community service.

“We are a team, we’re in it together,” she told diners, adding, “When you do good it, it impacts us positively; when we do good it impacts you positively.”