LAHC LEADERS ADVANCING & HELPING COMMUNTIES ENRICHING LIVES- EMBRACING DIVERSITY ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from LAHC Leadership ……………………………………………………………………………………..Page 3 Mission ……………………………………………………………………………………..Page 4 LAHC Board of Directors ……………………………………………………………………………………..Page 5-6 Programs Overview ………………………………………………………………………………….….Page 8 Educational Programs ……………………………………………………………………………………..Page 9-15 Public Health ………………………………………………………………………………….... Page 16-17 Social Services ……………………………………………………………………………………..Page 18-25 Demographic ………………………………………………………………………………….….Page 26 Donors ……………………………………………………………………………………..Page 27-30 MESSAGE FROM OUR LEADERS Ali Jawad Wassim Mahfouz Sam Salamey Founder Executive Director President LAHC has experienced a year of great achievements and we are excited to share them with you, our family, friends, and supporters. It has been a long journey and the LAHC continues to remain involved, active, and focused on providing residents within the State of Michigan with sustainable programs. It is with pride that we continue to look ahead and plan for the future of the LAHC, ensuring that we maintain quality programs, viable humanitarian aid initiatives, engaging educational activities, and meaningful relationships with our partners. As we began our strategic planning efforts and mapped the next five years of the LAHC, we realized the need to expand our offices and made the decision to move. We found a new home, located in heart of downtown Dearborn. The new office space provides our organization with a classroom, offices, food pantry and a conference room. Additionally, we hired several new, qualified staff members to the LAHC team, expanded our public health department by incorporating a substance abuse and smoking cessation program, became licensed by the State of Michigan to provide substance abuse prevention services, started a community garden initiative at the Global Heights Academy, reached out to new foundations and funding sources, and revisited the curriculum we use for our programming by enhancing it with evidence based research, opportunities for engagement and interaction, and ensuring we meet our goals in a timely and constructive manner. As the Arab American Scholarship Foundation continues its efforts in providing students of academic distinction with funding to pursue their educational endeavors, in 2015 the LAHC awarded $103,000 in scholarships at the Annual Awards Gala in May. Ensuring we assist students in their higher education has been a priority for the LAHC. We are pleased that we have established partnerships with additional higher education institutions, helping the LAHC to offer more scholarships to students in the State of Michigan. As the economy continues to fluctuate, we witness, daily, as many in our nation suffer as a result of homelessness, unemployment, and lack of basic resources. The LAHC recognizes the needs of our community members and expanded our social service engagement by increasing the number of people we are able to serve through our Turkey Drive, and monthly clothing and food drives by 35% while also increasing the LAHC food pantry, which helps families with food items during difficult times. The LAHC takes great pride in the foundation laid by its founders who embraced their new home in the USA and the heritage and culture of their motherland, creating an organization to serve the community. With over 32 years of service under the name, Lebanese American Heritage Club, the LAHC Board of Directors decided to have an important conversation and this year, in order to reflect the rich and diverse demographics we serve, they decided to change the name of the organization to LAHC-Leaders Advancing and Helping Communities. As 2015 comes to a close, we are thankful for another year of success, engagement, and opportunities to serve the community. We look forward to continuous growth and hope that you will be there, to support, encourage, and advise us. LAHC Annual Report I 2015 1 MISSON TO PROMOTE THE EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL, HEALTH AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS OF THE COMMUNITY. LAHC Annual Report I 2015 2 LAHC BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE BOARD L Ali Jawad Founder Honorable Sam Salamey President Honorable Helal Farhat Vice President Suehaila Amen Mohamed Jaber Treasurer c Secretary LAHC Annual Report I 2015 3 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Fouad Ashkar Allie Berry Bridget Hurd Director Director Director Hassen Hammoud, PhD Stanley Jensen, PhD Samuel Fawaz, M.D Director Director Director Stanley Henderson Kallil Kazan, DOC Director Director LAHC Annual Report I 2015 4 PROGRAMS & SERVICES Who We Serve? EDUCATION & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT LAHC is proud to offer its programs and services to the greater community in Southeast Michigan, regardless of their ethnicity, nationality, gender, PUBLIC HEALTH race, religion, age or sexual orientation. We do not discriminate against any groups and welcome all who SOCIAL SERVICES are interested in the LAHC to participate in our efforts and join us in serving the community at large. LAHC Annual Report I 2015 5 EDUCATION Scholarship Program LAHC is proud to be recognized as a leading advocate of higher education and to have the distinction of offering one of the largest scholarship assistance programs in the area. Throughout the past twenty seven years, the Arab American Scholarship Foundation Program has awarded over 1,200 students of high academic distinction nearly $1.5 million dollars in scholarships. In 2o15, LAHC Awarded $103,000 in scholarships to 47 students assisting them in their pursuit of higher education. LAHC Annual Report I 2015 6 Youth Leadership & Diversity Education Program The Youth Leadership and Diversity Program- YLDEP is an innovative solution to equip high school juniors and seniors with invaluable 21st century skills that will allow them to change themselves and the world through service. Using GoLead, an evidence based curriculum, the YLDEP extend learning opportunities to the youth by providing various seminars and activities that are focused on leadership & life skills, diversity education, job readiness, college access education, educational and career goal setting, strategic planning as well as empowering them to make a difference in their communities. 225 Youth graduated from the Youth Leadership Academy LAHC Annual Report I 2015 7 Youth Development Area youth participated in a panel discussion comprised of the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, David Gelios; United States Attorney, Barbara McQuade, Representatives from the CIA among other State & City Leaders. CIA Recruiter, Kimberly J; Unites States Attorney Barbara McQuade; SAC-FBI Detroit David Gelios; Dearborn Council President Susan Dabaja; FBI Outreach Coordinator Bushra Alawie; State Senator David Knezek LAHC Annual Report I 2015 8 Back to School Program In an effort to encourage and assist area students in their academic journey, LAHC provides backpacks filled with school supplies and reading materials. To date, over 6000 backpacks have been distributed in local schools throughout Wayne County. This year, LAHC teamed up with the Dearborn Police Department serving 1500 students. 1500 Students LAHC Annual Report I 2015 9 Served LAHC members joined by Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad & Dearborn Public Schools superintendent Glenn Maleyko serving area Youth at Salina Elementary & Intermediate. LAHC Annual Report I 2015 10 Youth Lead The Lebanese American Heritage Club is the youth extension of the LAHC. A network comprised of youth, they work unremittingly to establish programs that provide leadership training, team building skills, and engagement opportunities in various projects in order to give back to their community. From social, educational, cultural, and service based programs, the Lebanese American Heritage Club is committed to providing quality programs for all to benefit from. With mentorship, tutoring, feeding the needy, clothing and food drives and other initiatives, the Club seeks out opportunities in southeastern Michigan to give back to the community and partner with local student groups and organizations to increase their efforts. LAHC Annual Report I 2015 11 PUBLIC HEALTH Healthy Living Program The Healthy Living Program is focused on empowering children in underprivileged communities to take control of their own health at the earliest age possible. Through a combination of cooking and fitness classes, children learn hands-on about the nutritional content of food and how diet directly impacts their health. Also, children are taught about the critical connection between diet, fitness, and school performance. Participants of this program will learn how to identify certain foods that have been scientifically shown to improve memory, learning, mood and behavior. 970 Youth & 750 Adults Served LAHC Annual Report I 2015 12 Mobile Health Clinic LAHC Teamed up with Garden City Hospital providing free medical services in the community 235 PEOPLE LAHC Annual Report I 2015 13 SERVED SOCIAL SERVICES We the People- Feed the People FOOD, CLOTHING & SHELTER ASSISTANCE LAHC multilingual staff works around the clock to provide comprehensive assistance to clients in need, aiding them to move to self-sufficiency. Using a holistic approach, our emergency services team provides a wide array of vital services, with direct focus on hunger and homelessness prevention; by providing food and clothing, rent assistance (upon availability of fund), translation, holiday meals and referral services. 12,500 PEOPLE SERVED LAHC Annual Report I 2015 14