ACCESS & HAP CareSource announce $25,000 gift in support of emergency services program

Gift supports access to food vouchers, rent, utility payments and additional emergency resources

DEARBORN, MI (HAP CARESOURCE) – Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), the largest and most comprehensive Arab American led nonprofit in the country that offers a wide range of social, economic, health and educational services to a diverse population, announces a donation from HAP CareSource, a joint venture between HAP, a Michigan-based nonprofit health plan and CareSource, a nationally recognized managed care organization. HAP CareSource provided a $25,000 donation to ACCESS to support the organization’s emergency services program.

The Emergency Services program is at the heart of the agency and oftentimes the entryway for clients into countless other services. It’s a robust program that ACCESS has been offering and evolving for decades to respond to community members’ urgent needs and help countless families find stability. The program provides direct services and relief to struggling families in Southeast Michigan in the areas of housing, utilities, food, clothing and other essentials. These services provide a safety net so that families can meet their basic needs and work through often temporary challenges, thus putting them in a better position to improve their long-term circumstances.

“As a nonprofit model of excellence, we honor our Arab American heritage through community-building and service to all those in need. While our doors are open to serving diverse communities daily, it is often immigrant, refugee, minority and low-income communities that come to ACCESS because of our multilingual and culturally sensitive programs and safe environment,” said Maha Freij, president and CEO of ACCESS. “Support from organizations like HAP CareSource fuels our mission to serve Michigan families with improved access to medical, behavioral health, food and housing assistance, legal system support and employment preparation.”

The donation will enable the organization’s emergency services program to offer timely, culturally and linguistically appropriate responses to help marginalized communities mitigate today's challenges and stabilize families facing crisis. Through the program, ACCESS works to prevent life-altering events like homelessness that can lead to a cycle of instability and food insecurity.

“HAP CareSource is grateful for our partnership with ACCESS,” said Sarah Musser, market president—Michigan at HAP CareSource. “ACCESS plays a critical role in the lives of the people they serve, providing resources that empower communities to improve their health and their economic, social and cultural well-being.”

For more information about ACCESS, visit accesscommunity.org.

About ACCESS

Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) has been serving the community for over 50 years. Founded by a group of dedicated volunteers in 1971 out of a storefront in Dearborn’s impoverished south end, ACCESS was created to assist the Arab immigrant population adapt to life in the United States. Today, ACCESS is the largest and most comprehensive Arab American community nonprofit in the United States. With 10 locations and more than 120 programs serving metro Detroit, ACCESS offers a wide range of social, economic, health and educational services to a diverse population.