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
AAAN Updates
NNAAC Conference
AAAN Offers Help with Public Aid Benefits
Quick Links
 
Join Our List
Join Our Mailing List
Staff 
 Hatem Abudayyeh
Executive Director 
 
Rasmea Yusef
Associate Director

Rania Shkairat
 Family Empowerment Program Coordinator
 
 Gihad Ali 
 Youth Organizing Program Coordinator
 
Halima Bahri
Youth Services
 Program Coordinator
 
Samira Ahmad
Lead Case Manager
 
  Muna Hammad
Citizenship Project
 
Nina Shoman-Dajani
Family Literacy Project Coordinator
 
Zaineb Abdulla
Southwest Community Coalition Representative
 
Nadia Musa
Childcare
 
AmeriCorps Members
Samar Damra
Aaisha Durr 
Ramah Kudaimi
Besan Quran
Shorook Quran
Arasele Robles 
 Fatmah Tabally
Board 
 Maha Jarad 
President 
 
Ali Hussain
Vice President 
 
 Widad Albassam 
 Secretary
 
Louise Cainkar-Mashrah
Treasurer
 
Members
Ali Abunimah
Omar Bishtawi
Laila Farah
Ahlam Jbara
Mona Khalidi
Souzan Naser
Ora Schub
Lamees Talhami
Issue 8 October 2009 

Donate Now to AAAN

Upcoming Events

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The Arab American Action Network will be sponsoring several programs throughout November in honor of Arab Heritage Month. You can find a listing of all events at the Advisory Council on Arab Affairs website.

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 Arabic-English Story Time with Activity
 
Thursday, November 5
4:30pm
Green Hills Public Library
8611 West 103rd Street, Palos Hills
 
Contact Halima Bahri for more information.
 
  
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The Arab American Action Network and
the Green Hills Public Library present
 
Homeland Insecurity:
The Arab American and Muslim American Experience after 9/11
 
A discussion with author Dr. Louise Cainkar
 
Monday, November 9
6:30pm
Green Hills Public Library
8611 West 103rd Street, Palos Hills
 
Find more information here or contact 
 
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Arab World Cultural Display 
 
November 1-November 30
Green Hills Public Library
8611 West 103rd Street, Palos Hills
 
Contact Nina Shoman-Dajani for more information.
AAAN Updates
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 ESL Class Celebrates New Citizens
 
 
The AAAN English as a Second Language/Civics classes celebrated the Eid holiday on September 29. Seven students were honored for recently passing their citizenship exams.
 
 
 

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Arab Women's Committee Eid Party
 
More than 40 women attended the Arab Women's Committee Eid Party on September 30. The party featured a raffle, short skits, games and prizes. See more pictures.
 
Arab Women's Committee Eid Party 
 
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On October 8 the Department of Family and Support Services recognized the AAAN for participation in the Chicago Out-of-School Time Project's Program Improvement Pilot.
 
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 Columbia College Multi-Cultural Fashion Show
 
The AAAN was one of 12 cultural organizations participating in a fashion show put on by the Columbia College Department of Multi-Cultural Affairs on October 16. Each year students at Columbia put on this show with the proceeds going to a local charity, and the Chicago Cultural Alliance was the recipient this year. 
 
 

NNAAC Annual Conference

AAAN represented by nine staff members
AmeriCorps Member Recognized at NNAAC ConferenceThe National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) held its eighth annual conference in early October in Dearborn, MI. NNAAC was launched in 2004 as a project of the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) to develop grassroots institutions that can meet the needs and concerns of Arab Americans locally and also collectively raise these issues on the national level.
 
The AAAN, who had nine staff members attending the conference entitled "Times of Challenge, Times of Opportunity," is a founding member of the network. 
 
"We got a lot of information out of the workshops that will help us in advancing the programs we already provide," says Associate Director Rasmea Yusef. "Comparing notes and exchanging ideas about the similar work we do across all the member organizations benefits each group. Everyone can then go back to their organizations and see what they can implement."

 

AAAN Offers Help with Public Aid Benefits

Have you or someone you lost their job?
Are you struggling in this economic crisis?
Do you want to apply for public aid benefits? 
 
The Arab American Action Network offers several services including interpretation and translation, case management, referrals and completing public aid benefits applications for Medical Card, Food Stamps, Cash and TANF.
 
South Side Location:
3148 West 63rd Street, Chicago, IL 60629
Mondays-Fridays
9:00am-5:00pm
Phone: 773-436-6060     Fax: 773-436-6460
 
North Side Location:
2320 West Peterson Avenue, Chicago, IL 60659
Tuesdays and Thursdays
10:00am-5:00pm
Phone: 312-404-3188
 
Contact Rania Shkairat for more information.
 

                                 

AAAN LogoThe 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, leadership development, cultural outreach and forging productive relationships with other communities.