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Bab al-Markaz

Newsletter of the Arab American Action Network

Arab American Action Network
3148 W. 63rd St.
Chicago, IL 60629
773-436-6060
773-436-6460
In This Issue
Vision Screening
Story Time
AWC Breakfast
CAAP Survey
Quick Links
Join Our List
Join Our Mailing List
Staff 
 Hatem Abudayyeh
Executive Director 
 
Samira Ahmad
Lead Case Manager
 
 Gihad Ali 
 Youth Organizing Program Coordinator
 
Halima Bahri
Youth Services
 Program Coordinator
 
  Muna Hammad
Citizenship Project
 
Khaled Ahmed
Youth Hip Hop  Instructor
 
Melissa Lukasick
Finance Assistant
 
Rania Shkairat
 Family Empowerment Program Coordinator
 
Nina Shoman-Dajani
Family Literacy Program Coordinator
 
  Rasmea Yusef
Associate Director
 
Nadia Musa
Childcare
 
AmeriCorps Members
Samar Damra
Ramah Kudaimi
Besan Quran
Shorook Quran
 Fatmah Tabally
Issue 1 March 2009 
Dear Valued Supporter, 

Welcome to the official newsletter of the Arab American Action Network Bab al-Markaz (The Community Center's Door). We will be sending you updates about our work and announcements of upcoming events on a monthly basis. Please send any questions or suggestions you have to [email protected] and thank you for your continued support!
 
Ramah Kudaimi
Communications
AAAN 

Upcoming Events

 Arab in America Book Cover
The Arab American Action Network and the Green Hills Public Library present
 
Arab in America:
A book discussion led by author Toufic El Rassi
 
Wednesday, March 18
6:30 pm
8611 W. 103rd St.,
Palos Hills, IL 60465
 
Spoken Word Performance by Arab-American Youth.
 
For more information contact Nina Shoman-Dajani at 773-436-6060 ext. 107 or [email protected].

Unite for Sight

 Students Taking Vision TestStudent group teaches about eyesight 
Sara Siddiqui's sister always had trouble seeing but it was not until she was eight years old that she saw a doctor and had a test to diagnose her vision problem. 
"Eyesight should always be checked out," Sara says. "About 80 percent of blindness is preventable but sometimes a problem gets too far and nothing can be done."
Sara's experience led her to start a chapter of Unite for Sight at the University of Chicago where she is a fourth-year student. Unite for Sight is a national group that provides vision screenings to community members who lack health insurance.
On February 6th students from the group came to the Arab American Action Network (AAAN) After School Program to teach a group of ten kids about how the eye works and to administer vision tests. This was the U of C group's first vision screening conducted.
 

"Mama, the book is in Arabi!"

Family Literacy Program promotes library time 
Story TimeStory time  has always been a part of libraries, but in February, this tradition took a new meaning at the Green Hills Public Library in Palos Hills. The Arab American Action Network (AAAN) hosted story time twice last month, reading books in both English and Arabic as part of the Family Literacy Program (FLP).
"It is important for libraries that have a large number of Arab-American library patrons to offer bi-lingual story times because it promotes cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity," says Nina Shoman-Dajani, FLP coordinator. "It also gives Arabic speaking parents a chance to engage in a positive, educational activity with their English speaking children while promoting literacy of both languages."
 

Arab Women's Committee

Monthly breakfast encourages self-esteem 
In a conference room at the Green Hills Public Library, Faida Sahouri tries to make each of the 40 women listening understand why it is so important to take care of herself. She asks them to think back to the last time they were on an airplane. Remember how in the emergency instructions they ask you to first place the mask on your face before helping your children with their masks? You need to do that in your daily life.
"Building self-esteem is a must for Arab women," Faida continues. "You are the ones who raise the family."
Arab Women's Committee Breakfast 
Once a month members of the Arab Women's Committee (AWC) get together for a breakfast discussion about a variety of topics ranging from the harmful effects of television on children to family law in Islam. This is part of the advocacy and community organizing efforts of the Arab American Action Network (AAAN).
Rasmea Yusef, Associate Director of the AAAN, points out that one of the goals of AWC is to raise self-esteem.
"We want to motivate the women, help empower them, increase their capacity, raise their consciousness and help them discover their abilities and skills," she says. "We believe that every one has a rich experience and talent and should make use of it for herself, her family and for the Arab community as a whole."
The AWC has almost 300 members.
 

Survey

 
The Center for Arab-American Philanthropy (CAAP) invites you to help shape the future of this emerging national nonprofit organization to support Arab-American giving. We need less than 5 minutes of your time to complete a short, confidential survey that will guide CAAP's priorities.   
 
The survey can be found at the following link:  http://feraonline.com/caap-survey-2009 .
 
The Center's mission is to promote, facilitate and celebrate Arab-American giving across the country.  CAAP has a national advisory board guiding the vision for the Center.  This board will use the survey findings to ensure that the Center is responsive to community interests and needs.  If you would like to know more please visit http://www.centeraap.org/.

 

The Arab American Action Network (AAAN) strives to strengthen the Arab community in the Chicago area by building its capacity to be an active agent for positive social change. As a grassroots nonprofit, our strategies include community organizing, advocacy, education, providing social services, cultural outreach, leadership development and forging productive relationships with other communities.