Dear ACCESS Family,

These are unprecedented times, and our shared fears and concerns for our loved ones have connected us to communities across the globe. We cannot allow misinformation or biased reporting to drive us towards the panic, racism or xenophobia we have already seen surface.

Our 49-year commitment to serving communities remains at the heart of our response to this global pandemic. We have been continuously monitoring the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) and World Health Organization’s (WHO) information on COVID-19 and are balancing the safety of our staff, while ensuring the ever-changing needs of those most vulnerable among us are met.

We are doing much of this work in coordination with essential partners, including school districts, universities, physician’s groups and other nonprofits, to ensure we are leveraging resources and filling gaps.

• We have taken precautions to protect our staff and promote social distancing by rotating essential staff and having non-essential staff work remotely, as we seek ways to strengthen our IT capacity.
• To protect staff and clients, we have increased the number of daily and weekend cleanings and are regularly disinfecting surfaces and common areas throughout the day.
• Beginning early next week, we will be providing dinners at multiple sites in Dearborn and Detroit, to supplement breakfast and lunch services being provided by school districts.
• We have repurposed our closed Hope House Clubhouse facility to serve as a food pantry for the elderly and those with disabilities and/or exhibiting the greatest need. We are utilizing our drivers to deliver to those who don’t have access to transportation.
• We have contracted with certified Arabic translators to regularly provide fact-based materials on COVID-19, to share with the communities we serve.
• Our K-12 educational programs have shifted to online instruction and engagement, including opportunities for virtual one-on-one tutoring. Due to lack of access to high-speed internet, we are also helping families attain free or low-cost digital connectivity.
• Our workforce development and social services programming remain fully operational, as demand for unemployment, public benefits and basic needs services increases.
• We are aggressively advocating for equitable funding to ensure that high-needs districts are allocated resources to meet the needs of their students.

ACCESS National Institutions

• The Arab American National Museum (AANM) is creating opportunities for remote social connectivity and cultural engagement.
• The National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) has coordinated a rapid-response infrastructure to share information, guides and resources with its 27 Arab American community-based member organizations across the U.S.
• The Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP) is fully operational and is assisting fundholders, as they seek opportunities to provide support during this pandemic.

For accurate information on COVID-19 and its spread and symptoms, visit the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.