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The Arab American Family Support Center
150 Court Street, 3rd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 643-8000
(718) 797-0410 FAX
Satellite Office:
449 Bay Ridge Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11220
(347) 560-6577
(347) 560-6608 FAX
www.aafscny.org |
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| Arab American Family Support Center Newsletter | January 2011 | |
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Dear Friends,
2010 was such a busy and exciting year for all of us at AAFSC, and we are looking forward to a very productive 2011!
The remarkable events in the Middle East will be remembered for many years to come - it is history in the making. Our community in New York has been impacted, with many people concerned for loved ones and family members in the Middle East. As events continue to unfold, we will continue to provide support and help as needed.
In the past year, we expanded our programs to serve the community, including new initiatives for the youth and teens. We also opened up a new office in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn, which enables us to reach more families and children. Even when faced with serious challenges, such as the ceiling collapsing at our Court Street office, the entire staff came together to make sure the needs of our clients always came first. My thanks to the entire team for their incredible commitment and dedication.
As you'll read in this newsletter, we are planning a benefit for Thursday, April 7! We are very excited about the event and truly inspired by our honorees. We hope to see you there!
And finally - Alf mabrouk and many congratulations to the newlyweds Rabab and Mohamed! Their generosity has been a wonderful gift to AAFSC. For more on this story - please see below.
If you have any questions about AAFSC, please feel free to contact me at (718) 643-8000 or lena@aafscny.org.
Warmest regards,
Lena Alhusseini
Executive Director |
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Congratulations Rabab and Mohamed, two friends of AAFSC!
Wishing you the best as you start your life together
We'd like to congratulate and thank two very special friends of AAFSC who were recently married. Our warmest wishes go out to Rabab Abdalla and Mohamed Khalil on their wedding!
Rabab and Mohamed have done something very special for AAFSC. They asked all guests that in lieu of a gift, they make a donation to AAFSC. We're extremely touched by their incredible act of generosity and support for the Center.
Mabrook (congratulations) on your wedding and shukran (thank you) for all your generosity to Rabab and Mohamed. We wish you all the best for many years to come! |
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Holiday Gifts for The Kids
Our thanks to some generous donors!
 It was a very special holiday season for our kids as they participated in two wonderful holiday programs. For the third year in a row, our youths were selected to participate in the annual New York Cares Winter Wishes Program. In this program, children submit gift requests and New York Cares coordinates with volunteers to fill the requests. The kids also took part in the Toys for Tots program thanks to the New York Police Department and Detective Ahmed Nasser. Additionally, the NYPD provided an extremely valuable child safety workshop for our families. We'd like to thank all of the extremely generous donors who made contributions to these amazing programs. It was heartwarming to see the kids' eyes light up as they opened their presents! |
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A Global Conference for Emerging Leaders
Meeting the women who are transforming society!
On Saturday, January 22, AAFSC Executive Director Lena Alhusseini was a guest speaker at the Womesphere Emerging Leaders Global Summit. The conference brought together women from around the world to create the next generation of leaders.
As expected, the conference was a tremendous success as nearly 900 emerging leaders came together to learn, network, share and discuss bringing about positive change in our society. Womensphere is dedicated to empoweering women through inspiration, education, connection and recognition. As one participant said, "What an inspiring, incredible event!" |
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Congratulations Lena!
Another recognition for AAFSC's Executive Director
AAFSC's Executive Director, Lena Alhusseini, was recently named a "Brooklyn Woman of Distinction" by the Brooklyn Newspaper Group. All of us here at AAFSC are proud of Lena and we know how much she deserves this award.
Along with the other honorees, Lena will be cited at a gala on Wednesday, June 23, 2011 at the Brooklyn Aquarium. Ticket information will be available soon |
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Join us on April 7!
Help us honor four "Leaders Who Inspire Communities"
We would like to invite you to the annual AAFSC Benefit event on Thursday, April 7, 2011 at the Prince George Ballroom in Manhattan. Last year's event was extremely successful as we honored five very special people: Dr. Thorya Obaid, Daisy Khan, Elizabeth McCormack, Betsey Haddad and Sharifa Alkhateeb.
This year, we will be honoring four very inspiring people: Abigail Disney, President and Co-Founder of the Daphne Foundation; Ahmad Jaber, M.D., Board President and Co-Founder, Arab American Association of New York; Helen Samhan, Former Executive Director of the Arab American Institute Foundation; and James Hood, Former Executive Director and retiring Board Member of AAFSC.
To purchase tickets or sponsorship packages, please click here. For more information, please contact Bret Denning at (718) 643-8000 x22 or bret@aafscny.org.
While it may seem far away, also mark Sunday, July 17 in your calendar. Come join us in Brooklyn's Prospect Park for our annual Park Festival. We expect this year's festival to be bigger and better than ever! |
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Dr. Thoraya Obaid Visits AAFSC
The first Saudi Arabian woman to head an agency of the United Nations!
 In December, AAFSC was honored to have Dr. Thoroya Ahmed Obaid visit with clients, staff and board members at our Court Street Office. We were extremely proud to have Dr. Obaid and her staff members join us for lunch and to learn more about the work that AAFSC does.
Dr. Obaid recently retired as the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund. During her tenure, she worked tirelessly on causes such as women's empowerment and youth health issues. While we will miss Dr. Obaid, we look forward to partnering with UNFPA in the future. |
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Working to Address Violence Against Women
Creating a safe environment for all!
We are very pleased to announce that AAFSC is now a member organization of The New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Founded in 1987, NYSCASA is dedicated to ending sexual violence in communities throughout the state.
AAFSC was recently awarded a grant from the United States Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women to provide services to Arab American women who are victims of sexual assault. We are the first Arab organization in the entire country to receive this funding and our program will provide a culturally sensitive resource for the women in our community.
Also, February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Be sure to check our website and Facebook page for upcoming events from Beit Amal, AAFSC's domestic violence prevention program. |
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You Can Help!
Support from our friends keeps us strong
The reason that AAFSC has remained the most effective provider of social services to the Arab American community of New York City is because of the generous people who contribute to the Center. Your tax-deductible donation will help us maintain the high level of services our clients need and deserve. You can mail a check to:
The Arab American Family Support Center 150 Court Street, 3rd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 ATTN: Director of Development To contribute by credit card, please click here. |
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Keep in Touch With AAFSC
Follow us online!
Want to know the latest news and events from AAFSC? Join our Facebook page for regular updates and information on programs, job openings, events and so much more! We also want your feedback! Tell us what you want to see on the Facebook page and how we can make the page more interesting for you. |
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Get to Know Us
Meet the newest members of the AAFSC team!
Nora Farid-Nestor joined AAFSC in 2010 as the Adult Education Manager. She is a trained linguist whose focus is literacy development. Prior to joining AAFSC, Ms. Farid-Nestor spent the last decade working in both corporate and education sectors in the US and abroad, including the UAE, Mauritius, and South Africa. She developed ESL curriculum geared to youth and adults promoting family literacy, health education and financial independence. She has also served on the CUNY faculty and developed an English language program in a rural village in Mauritius with a team of educators. Ms. Farid-Nestor holds degrees from Wesleyan University and New York University.
Nardin El-Shammaa joined AAFSC as a Case Planner in the Preventive Services Department. She graduated from Rutgers University with a B.A in French and has worked abroad in France as an English as a Second Language Instructor. Ms. El-Shamma enjoys working with children as well as learning and teaching new languages. She is fluent in French and Arabic and speaks some Spanish.
Robert Jacobs joined AAFSC in November 2010 a Case Planner in the Preventive Services Department. He holds a BA from Dartmouth College, an MA from the University of Chicago, and is ABD at Princeton University, studying history, politics and Islamic theology. Mr. Jacobs has spent 4 years studying and working in the Middle East and speaks Arabic and English.
Ariel Hidalgo is an AmeriCorps member working in the Adut Literacy Program. She comes to AAFSC after another year of service with AmeriCorps NCCC where she worked alongside a team of ten serving non-profits in Louisiana, New Jersey, Washington, DC and Maine. Ms. Hidalgo is a graduate of The George Washington University and a native New Yorker. Shis is very excited to join the Adult Literacy team and she plans to continue her work with service and non-profits in NYC after she completes her year with the Center.
Jared Keyel joined AAFSC in January 2011 as an AmeriCorps member working in the Center's after-school program. He holds a B.A. in Sociology from Nazareth College of Rochester and an M.A. in International Relations with a concentration in Global Development and the Middle East. Before coming to New York, he interned at the Lebanese Emigration Research Center in Zouk, Mosbeh Lebanon. Mr. Keyel also worked for two years as a Youth Employment Specialist in Rochester, NY. He plans to continue working with Arab migrants in New York City after his year of service.
Raja Iqdeimat joined AAFSC in January 2011 as the Executive Assistant. She has extensive experience in both the financial consulting field and Human Resources. For more than 20 years, she worked and lived in many countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Libya, Lebanon and Turkey. When Ms. Iqdeimat came to the US 5 years ago, she worked as a financial consultant and Assistant Vice President at two financial institutions. She obtained her MBA from New York Institute of Technology in 2006 with a concentration in Finance.
Basimah Shoaib joined AAFSC in February 2011 as a Case Planner in the Preventive Services Program. Ms. Shoaib is a graduate from the University of London (International Program) with a LL.B degree. Prior, to joining AAFSC she interned at the NYS Division of Human Rights and various law firms in Pakistan. She is fluent in English, Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi.
Edward Kim joined AAFSC in February 2011 as the Youth Program Coordinator. He earned his undergraduate degree in History from the University of Michigan in 2009. He first developed an interest in youth education through his involvement in the Detroit Partnerhsip at the University of Michigan where he served at a tutor during his sophmore and junior years and as a member of the planning team during his senior year. He is looking forward to using the skills that he had acquired in contributing to the further development of the Youth Program.
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