ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services)

Mission: To empower communities to improve their economic, social, and cultural well-being.

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 in adapting to life in the United States. Now the nation’s largest Arab American community nonprofit organization, ACCESS has built communities and institutions that span multiple sectors with a focus on community empowerment over the past 46 years. From human service programs serving recent immigrants, to a national program promoting Arab American philanthropy, ACCESS transitions people from being service recipients to fully engaged citizens able to advance justice and equity.

ACCESS has expanded to 11 sites throughout southeast Michigan offering 120 programs, serving thousands of diverse individuals and families everyday through our integrated and comprehensive program model of service delivery for low-income and immigrant communities in the areas of health, education, economic empowerment, workforce development, civic engagement, and arts and culture. These programs serve the diverse populations of southeast Michigan and have been the foundation of our community empowerment, moving individuals, families, and communities from being service recipients to fully engaged citizens able to advance justice and equity.