History
ACCESS began operating out of a storefront at Dearborn’s South End in 1971. Staffed entirely by volunteers, ACCESS’ first board president was George Khoury, accompanied by Hajjah Aliya Hassan as the first volunteer director.
Without the help of The Association of Arab-American University Graduates (AAUG), and its donation of the first months rent, the opening of ACCESS on Vernor Highway would not have been possible. In subsequent years, ACCESS moved to Hashemite Hall until it burned down. In 1973, the building on Saulino Court was purchased by the Yemeni Benevolent Association, and generously offered to ACCESS free of charge, where the administrative offices still reside today.
ACCESS began to really take off in the mid-to-late 1970s receiving many grants and awards. As things began to blossom, the center was hit by a devastating fire. This did not deter the staff and volunteers at ACCESS, who arrived to work the next morning an hour early to set up tents outside and continue helping those in need. With the help of the community and many volunteers, the building on Saulino Court was rebuilt.
ACCESS has grown tremendously over the years, from starting small and serving only hundreds, to now serving hundreds of thousands of those in need. The expansion of ACCESS has grown to five locations, including the Arab American National Museum (AANM), which was founded on May 5, 2005.
Read more about this topic: Arab Community Center For Economic And Social Services
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