DETROIT — A crowd of more than 2,000 people settled into the Renaissance Center in Detroit on May 2 to celebrate the accomplishments of the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services and to look ahead to the challenges of the future.

Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, C, poses with ACCESS leaders after receiving her Make an Impact award at the ACCESS dinner in Detroit.

The dinner marked the 38th anniversary of ACCESS, which has headquarters in Dearborn and provides social services, employment training, and community health and research among other things. Comedian Mo Amer, who has performed in front of crowds as large as 10,000 people, lightened the mood with a performance before more serious matters were addressed.
Andrea Awada-Zeaiter, president of ACCESS’ board of directors, talked about the events of the past year.

“We’re making a real impact and it can be seen on the faces of those we service,” she said. “Now more than ever, the community needs us.”

Employment help and training is one of the main areas ACCESS is seeing an increased need in, as the Michigan unemployment rate jumped to about 12.6% according to Awada-Zeaiter, a number she called “depressing.”

In addition to the training and staying in contact with employers, ACCESS holds three job fairs each year for the Arab American community with the next one coming in July. Their last fair in March drew about 1,500 people.

Zeaiter also pointed to the much-anticipated opening of the ACCESS Youth & Family Services Center on the south side of Dearborn in 2010 which will provide space and programs for students’ academic and social development as an example of the progress the organization has made in serving the community’s needs.

Awards were also given out during the night, as Charles W. Boustany won the Arab American of the Year Award and United States Senator Debbie Stabenow won the Making an Impact Award.

Boustany, a Congressman from Louisiana of Lebanese descent and a physician by trade, is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. Boustany works to help promote sound economic development and to put programs like Medicare and Social Security on solid financial footing.

He talked about the contributions fellow Arab Americans have made to society.

“From the medical field to law to sciences, you go down the list, Arab Americans throughout the country have had incredible achievements that need to be celebrated,” he said, while thanking ACCESS for the award and praising the importance of the Arab American National Museum.

Stabenow’s efforts to reduce health care costs were lauded by ACCESS. She talked about the challenges ACCESS and other non-profits face with rising unemployment concerns.

“Times are tough, but so are we. We will get through this,” she said.

“I remember when ACCESS only had two small offices, now they have seven offices and they’re reaching out to people of all different backgrounds.”

Stabenow talked at length about the auto industry inside General Motors’ signature building, the Renaissance Center.

“The Arab community was very important in whatever was done to build the auto industry. Arab Americans built our cars, designed our cars.”

Stabenow believes the manufacturing industry is critical to rebuilding Michigan.

“We need to make things, that’s where the jobs are,” she added, mentioning plans in Michigan to build energy-sector items like batteries and wind turbines.

The last award of the evening featured a presentation on the philanthropic efforts of Russell J. Ebeid for providing ACCESS with a 25-year scholarship fund that began last year and will end up paying out more than $1 million to deserving Arab American students.

For more information on ACCESS programs, visit www.accesscommunity.com.