From Thanksgiving to Eid al-Adha and Christmas, the holiday season brings out the spirit of giving like no other time of year.

The ACCHR building in Dearborn.

And this time around, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee of Michigan is hoping for a strong response from the local community in a time of great need at its 13th Annual ADC Michigan Gala at Greenfield Manor in Dearborn on Friday, December 11, 2009 at 6 p.m.
Subtitled “Our Common Pride & Success,” the Gala will also celebrate the 30th national anniversary of the ADC while highlighting the group’s accomplishments and handing out awards to outstanding Arab Americans.

The ADC works hard to protect the civil rights and liberties of Arab Americans everywhere and the gala provides a vital part of the year’s budget. The organization also works to engage and build bridges with local and national political leaders and puts on yearly events like its popular Judges’ Night and the ADC Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Dinner for students, which will take place on January 29, 2010.

And while the ADC has seen the number of complaints rise recently, its staff has been cut from four to two people this year due to budget constraints; ADC would ideally like to have five or more employees. The group has had to rely on volunteers and student workers at times in 2009 just to get by.

“These are exceptionally trying times economically and they impact everyone at all levels,” said ADC-Michigan Regional Director Imad Hamad. “The ADC is maybe one of the most impacted simply because we do not depend on or receive governmental grants or foreign aid money.

“2009 was definitely our most challenging year.”

While the organization’s gala usually generates upwards of $300,000 each year, Hamad said indications are that ADC-Michigan will only receive about 40% of that amount this year. The group is grateful to its partner DTE Energy and major sponsors Ford Motor Company, CVS, Charter One Bank, the National Guard, and the CIA as well as the Congress of Arab American Organizations and the American Lebanese Center for their grassroots support. but many more donations are still needed, whether they be great or small.

“We are thankful to these groups for helping out, and the ADC will keep moving on despite all of these challenges,” Hamad said. “Our spirit is higher than ever before and we are more determined than ever to overcome this exceptional period of time.

“We will continue to serve the community and to fight for social justice in America.”

One of ADC-Michigan’s main reasons for optimism is the potential of the American Arab Center for Civil and Human Rights on Chase Road in Dearborn.

The ADC has already invested $250,000 into the state-of-the-art facility but needs another $250,000 to stabilize the facility and make it safe, plus another $500,000 on top of that to finish the center. Recently, ADC made the decision to install permanent windows instead of temporary ones, raising $35,000 for the project, which was requested by the city of Dearborn. Hamad thanked The Arab American News Publisher Osama Siblani for his help in raising the money.

Hamad said that the ACCHR building is unlike any other in the country and would become a landmark highlighting the progress of the Arab and Muslim communities in America.

One of the main functions of the center would be to give scholars a place to research and produce annual reports on the Arab and Muslim communities, which is a great need considering such reports are currently done by third parties whose understanding of the communities is not nearly as strong as locals. Hamad said that there are plenty of well-educated people in the community willing to handle the task of creating the reports.

The center would also focus on youth programs and networking activities.

Hamad feels confident that ADC can weather the current economic storm and that community members and leaders will continue to help out because of the importance of his group’s work.

“We hope that members of the community will make their holiday gifts to the ADC this year. No amount is too small and every donation counts because they all add up,” he said.

“Take our call for a holiday gift to the ADC to help us through this tough time; all of your donations are greatly appreciated.”

For additional information on ADC-Michigan’s 13th Annual Gala or to donate, visit www.adcmichigan.org, call 313.581.1201, or e-mail adcmichigan@adc.org.