’tis the season for
’tis the season for charitable giving It’s the most wonderful time of the year for donating By Joyce Wiswell Chaldeans are a giving people — as evidenced by the many charitable organizations run by and for community members. Adopt-a-Refugee-Family The Iraq War and its aftermath have resulted in religious persecution against Christians and other minorities who have been harassed, kidnapped, raped and murdered because of their religious beliefs. Tens of thousands of refugees have fled to Jordan, Syrian and Lebanon where they live in poverty while awaiting permission to start their lives over in a new country. The Adopt-a-Refugee Family program, run under the auspices of the Chaldean Federation of America, works with the Jesuits in these countries to aid the refugees. This year, families in Turkey were added. To date, more than .1 million has been sent and more than 100,000 refugees helped. Thanks to an anonymous donor who pays for administrative costs, 100 percent of funds go directly to the refugees. If they wish, donors can communicate with their “adopted family.” Adopt-a-Refugee-Family 30777 Northwestern Highway, Suite 300 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 (248) 406-2052 AdoptARefugeeFamily.org CALC Since 1961, the Chaldean American Ladies of Charity (CALC), one of the community’s most active organizations, have helped the needy with a number of programs. CALC helps refugees with clothing, furniture and transportation; buys Christmas presents for needy families each year; and offers emergency relief for basic necessities such as rent, food and utilities. Programs for senior citizens include nursing home visits and holiday lunches, while youth programs include mentoring at-risk teens and supporting the Chaldean Angels, high school girls who help make a difference. CALC hosts a number of popular annual fundraising events and also offers scholarships. Chaldean American Ladies of Charity 2033 Austin Drive Troy, MI 48083 (248) 528-0130 info@calconline.org Chaldean Community Foundation The Chaldean Community Foundation, the not-for-profit arm of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, is dedicated to advancing the needs of the Chaldean American community and the communities in which they live and work through education, charitable giving and advocacy. Among its initiatives are Refugee Acculturation Sustainability and Training (RAST), which helps Iraq War refugees get back on their feet in the U.S.; Refugee Mental Health Services; Project Bismutha, which provides free or low-cost healthcare through the Chaldean American Association for Health Professionals; the Waad Murad Advocacy Fund, which offers a cash reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of assailant(s) of violent crime against businesspeople; the Chaldean Loan Fund, which provides low-interest loans to help refugees buy a car; and Breaking Barriers, which provides assistance and advocacy for the disabled. Chaldean Community Foundation 29850 Northwestern Highway Southfield, MI 48310 (248) 996-8340 ChaldeanFoundation.org 22 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2013
Alexander and Gabrielle Mansour Memorial Fund July brought unspeakable tragedy to the Mansour family when a boating accident left two children dead and a third critically injured. In the wake of their shock and grief, parents John and Ann established a memorial fund through the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. (Adriana, 10, continues to recover.) The fund benefits the West Bloomfield School District, which the children attended. It will support student enrichment programs or activities including art, dance or basketball, which were of particular interest to Alexander, 11, and Gabrielle, 6. It will particularly benefit students at Gretchko Elementary, Scotch Elementary and Abbott Middle School, where the Mansour children attended or planned to attend. This far, the fund has received more than ,000, said Karen C. Goldbaum, communications officer at the CFSM. Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan 333 West Fort Street, Suite 2010 Detroit, MI 48226 (313) 961-6675 CFSEM.org or AlexAndGabby.com CFA Scholarships The Chaldean Federation of America has awarded scholarships for more than 30 years. Students can apply in several categories including academics, talent, essay and newcomer status. Each June, the organization holds a graduation luncheon where recipients are celebrated. Over the past three decades, some 700 students have received a CFA scholarship and the total dispersed exceeds million. Chaldean Federation of America 30777 Northwestern Highway, Suite 300 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 (248) 406-2052 ChaldeanGrads.com Chip Away Every Day Jeffrey David Warda — nicknamed “Chip” by his father — was a well-loved man. “He was very humble, super proud and really, really understanding and caring,” said his older brother, Mike. “He laughed at material things because he was full of everything you couldn’t see.” When Jeff was undergoing hours of chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2004, he was dismayed to see the effect the lengthy process took on sick children. “He said, ‘All these kids sit here all day long. I can barely do it and here they are doing it without games or toys,’” recalled Mike. “He wanted them to have an iPad or tablet so they can keep in touch with their family to help pass the time. So we are making one of his wishes come true.” Jeff was in remission for five years, but the cancer came back a vengeance last fall and took his life on October 31, 2012 at age 38. Family and friends gathered together to start the Chip Away Every Day fund to purchase tablets for kids undergoing chemo at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak via the Children’s Miracle Network. On November 2, a fundraising party at the Sylvan Lake Community Center attracted as many as 300 guests. So far, the fund has raised more than ,000, and donations are being accepted through December 30. (The initiative may become an annual appeal.) “What blew me away was the utter support of strangers — and the support you don’t get from multimillion-dollar corporations,” Mike said. “Jeff would have loved it — people we knew 25 years ago showed up. All I am doing is to execute the plan of a guy who died too young.” Chip Away Every Day 12040 Crooked Lane Green Oak Township, MI 48178 www.Facebook.com/ ChipAwayEveryDay COACH Chaldean Outreach and Community Hope has the mission of upholding the culture while helping newcomers transition into American culture and society. The group offers the weekly Project Hope, a mentoring program for refugees ages 5-18 “that’s half academic and half faith-based,” said President Kristen Sagmani Ayar. Some 60 youth attend the program each Saturday at St. Joseph Chaldean Catholic Church in Troy. COACH’s shuttle bus has broken down; “we’re in dire need of transportation,” Ayar reported. “We have more kids and less transportation.” COACH also holds its annual carnival (slated this year for January 12) and an annual turkey drive that services more than 400 refugee families in the Warren, Sterling Heights and Madison Heights area. COACH P.O. Box 252735 West Bloomfield, MI 48325 (248) 522-2441 CoachInfo.org D Man Foundation Danny Kassab led a full and active life despite the fact that, after being hit by a car at age 7, he spent his remaining years as a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic. After he died at age 23 in 2009, his brother Ziad established the D-Man Foundation to honor his memory. The organization helps those with spinal cord injuries live beyond their limits in a variety of ways big and small. During the Dream Cruise, they give convertible rides to quads and others with severe disabilities. Last April, the D-MAN Music Therapy Studio opened in Berkley, the first of its kind in the United States where special technology allows individuals to record and produce their own music without the use of hands or feet. D-Man Foundation 1701 Northfield Drive Rochester Hills, MI 48309 (248) 267-0208 MyDMan.org A “princess for a night” arrives at D-Man’s Halloween-themed fundraiser in October. A Message from the Mansours To my fellow community members, My wife Ann and I want to thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts for your support, thoughts and continued prayers for our family. As you all know, we were faced with what most people would deem an unspeakable tragedy but with God’s strength, we have been able to persevere. Thank you to the Church community and our religious leaders for your guidance. Thank you to the business community for your constant outreach and support of the Alex and Gabby fund. Thank you to the West Bloomfield School District for honoring our children in memory of them. Thank you to the entire community for your genuine love and care for our family. Adriana continues to improve with outpatient rehabilitation and of course with your prayers. God Bless, John Mansour E’rootha Founded in 2008, E’rootha, the Chaldean Assyrian Syriac Youth Union, provides various programs and services that help to promote cultural awareness, community service and education. It offers youth refugee and professional mentoring and the SNAP summer camp to give young refugees an understanding of the fundamentals of sports, sportsmanship, teamwork and nutritional health. The E’rootha Dance Troupe is a group of young performers who dance traditional Chaldean, Assyrian and Syriac dances to the rhythm of ethnic instruments such as the dohola and zorna. The performers are dressed in handmade ethnic and traditional garments. E’rootha is also known for its annual Evening of The Arts, which showcases Chaldean visual and performing artists. E’rootha P.O. Box 4961 Troy, MI 48099 (248) 270-8390 Erootha.org charity continued on page 24 DECEMBER 2013 CHALDEAN NEWS 23
