PACC 2022 Annual Report

Annual Report

Palestinian American Community Center

2022 Annual Report By the community, for the community paccusa.org @paccusa

2022

Sawsan Zaky

Annual Report 2022

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“As a second generation Palestinian American, when I was growing up we did not have any resources like the PACC center, we did not have a community of Palestinians where we can come and meet others like us and learn about our culture, learn about our heritage, learn about our country in the way that PACC teaches it to our children.”

PACC

Our Theory of Change

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Palestine Education

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Empowering the Community

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Civic Engagement

13

Social Services

15

2022 Milestones

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Annual Report 2022

A Word from the Executive Director and Board President 4

PACC Thanks to you, 2022 has been a year to write down in

outlets. You were there for those in need and hosted

the history books for the Palestinian American Com-

9 social service-oriented events and you were able to

munity Center (PACC). You made history by renaming

help over 1,500 people. Through your contributions

a part of Main Street into Palestine Way. You celebrat-

to our Mutual Aid events, you were able to help 120

ed the inauguration of Palestine Way with our first-ev-

families. Through Ramadan boxes and food vouchers,

er Palestine Way Street Festival which attracted over

you helped over 250 families with food insecurity. You

5,000 people from around the tri-state area. This

held 32 community outreach and civic engagement

was a moment that we will make sure to share with

efforts that benefited about 1,000 individuals. You

our great-grandchildren. Thanks to you we are able

hosted the only Board of Education Forum in Clifton

to continue to grow and improve with every passing

this year and you registered 70 people to vote. You

year. You have had a direct impact on our community

have accomplished much more than these numbers

by holding over 30 programs this year with over 600

can attest to; you have shifted our community culture

attendees. You made a real difference in the lives of

from one that may have shied away from its identity

many members of our community! You have helped 7

into one that is ready to speak out and speak for the

people pass their Citizenship test and attain their US

Palestinian struggle.

citizenship. You re-launched our community garden and have given our youth the chance to work with

Everything we do is centered on our theory of

their hands. Through our second Advocacy and Civic

change: If we empower individuals in our community,

Engagement cohort, you cultivated 8 youth leaders

then our community will be organized and stronger.

that are more engaged in their community and more

If we empower our community, then we will enable

aware of their role in the Palestinian struggle. You

positive change in our society here and in Palestine.

helped facilitate 50 different events that reached

If we empower change grounded in the pursuit of

over 10,000 people, 8 of which were part of our Pales-

equality and justice for all, then we will see a free

tine Monday series where you were able to nationally

Palestine.

spread awareness about different parts of the Palestinian struggle. Since the onset of the coronavirus

This model is what has always grounded and will

pandemic, we could only dream of large in-person

continue to ground us. Thank you for empowering

events and you changed that with our largest PACC

and organizing our community and actively working

Day to date, which had over 1,200 attendees. You

towards a positive impact on our society here and in

were able to host our first-ever Community Resource

Palestine. This is your community. This is your legacy.

and Health Fair that brought 19 organizations from

This is your Palestinian American Community Center.

around New Jersey to bring their diverse services to our Arab American Community. You engaged in

Gratefully,

14 marketing campaigns centered around the Palestinian struggle that highlighted our community.

Through these campaigns, you have reached over 40,000 people around the world on our social media

Rania Mustafa Executive Director

Diab A Mustafa

President of the Board of Directors

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Annual Report 2022

Our Mission

To sustain and strengthen ties to Palestinian heritage, while empowering the success and well-being of the entire community

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If we empower individuals in our community, then our community will be organized and stronger.

If we empower our community, then we will enable positive change in our society here and in Palestine.

If we empower change grounded in the pursuit of equality and justice for all, then we will see a free Palestine.

Our Theory of Change

PACC

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Fedah Mohammed

Annual Report 2022

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“Before I started working at PACC, I never really had a sense of belonging to the community or sense of belonging anywhere, but just within the last year of working at PACC I’ve gained a community that I can really relate to and rely on, and I’ve really gained a sense of purpose in my life that I properly wouldn’t found elsewhere. Working at PACC has made me truly see the importance of holding onto my palestinian roots and its genuinely made me prouder than ever to be Palestinian.”

PACC

You are leading Palestine education eJortstoensurethatPalestinianhistory, struggle, and resistance to presentday occupation are never forgotten or overlooked.

3 volumes of Falastin, our literary magazine 29 participants ages 18 and up for our Freedom is the Future Course 21 High School Students for the Holding onto Palestine Existence (HOPE) Course 67 students between the ages of 5 and 14 for our Junior HOPE course 16 Advocacy and Civic Engagement (ACE) future leader interns 8 Palestine Mondays that uplift different parts of the Palestinian struggle 2 Palestine Flag Raisings 150 participants from around the country for our annual PACC Conference 3 Sunday Series uplifting the voices of Palestinians on the ground 5,000 + attendees at our historic Palestine Way Street Renaming and Festival 3 Homeland Project participants 9 Palestine and Solidarity Marketing Campaigns 5 SJPs part of our SJP Convening and Advisory group 1 Student Fellowship launched to focus on Palestine legislative research 6 Workshops about the Palestinian struggle given to other organizations, schools and universities 10,000 + views on Facebook live and Zoom participants

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Jamalat Assaf

Annual Report 2022

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“I am very happy to be part of the PACC family. PACC gave me the opportunity to live a better life and they opened a path of success for me and they gave me new hope in life. I pray for them with all my heart.”

PACC

You are providing cultural, social, educational, and recreational activities to our local community members to help them integrate into American society while holding onto their Arab heritage.

30 different

programs for our community with over 600 participants

7 people passed their US

citizenship test and became citizens

11 Women’s brunches

5 Community Oriented Marketing Campaigns

9,000+

views on Social Media

3 Game nights and 4 Blood Drives 7 networking 2 Community Trips 1 Community Garden 6 Large Community Events 3 Book Talks Workshop Wednesdays

1

PACC day

3 Parenting workshops 2 Book Club meetings

8,000+

people in attendance

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Eqab Hasouneh

Annual Report 2022

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“I get so happy when I see the Palestinian American Community Center. My heart is at ease because this is considered my community. In addition, everyone associated with PACC is pure-hearted and kind. I love PACC, the people in it and I love that we are doing something amazing in the name of Palestine.”

PACC

13 You are ensuring that our local Arab/Palestinian community’s voice is elevated and heard by local and national elected officials.

15 50 Arab American Community stories collected

2 650

Community members testified in 4 Redistricting Community Hearings proposing a community map of Arab Americns in NJ

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Community events that PACC tabled for

Community members mapped out their community

Clifton Election Forums

Phone calls made to our community members

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People registered to vote

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Atiyeh Suleiman

Annual Report 2022

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“PACC helps people with everything. They help with homework, they have soccer, basketball, dabka, arabic. I love the people who work here. They are very nice to me and help me with everything.”

PACC

YOU are engaging in social service and mutual aid support to provide both short-term and long-term sustainable relief both here and in Palestine.

In our community, you were able to provide: 7 students scholarships up to $1,000 through the Ayman Hamdeh Community Service Scholarship and the PACC Clifton High School Scholarship 200 families clothes and household items through our Mutual Aid events 250 families food boxes and food items during Ramadan 200 children Toys for Eid 400 families vouchers for meat and produce $10,000 in Zakat Assistance

For our community on the ground in Palestine, you were able to provide: $7,000 worth of wheelchairs for the disabled in Askar Refugee Camp in Nablus 10 vulnerable children in Palestine with financial relief for the year through Islamic Relief 500 students with backpacks and school supplies in Jalazone Refugee Camp in Ramallah

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Annual Report 2022

2022 Milestones Took on lead role in state level redistricting work by representing the Arab population in NJ

February January

March

Inaugurated into first Cohort of Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation’s new Momentum Fund

Hosted PACC Day, largest in-person event since the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic Attended council meeting to rename Palestine Way Presented with the Community Service Award from Congressman Pascrell’s office

Launched New Playground Brought back the Homeland Project after a 2 year hiatus because of Covid-19 Launched the Muna and Basem Hishmeh Endowed Student Fellow for Palestine in partnership with CSSR

August July Received Islamic Relief’s Community Service Award Recognized in NJ Alliance for Immigrant Justice Newsletter

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September Hosted the first ever Community Resource & Health Fair Launched a new advisory role for local Students for Justice in Palestine and held our first convening

PACC

Hosted the first ever Palestine Way Street Festival with over 5,000 attendees marking PACC’s largest event Presented with the “Making Democracy Work” Award by The League of Women Voters for demonstrating an extraordinary commitment to improving our democracy Completed renovation of fully functioning Commercial Kitchen

May June

Relaunched our Community Garden Held our Clifton and Paterson Palestine Flag Raisings Participated in the Immigrant Heritage Rally

Hosted our 1st Gala post Covid Hired Advocacy and Community Outreach Coordinator

Hosted our largest Fall Fest yet Launched our third ACE cohort with the best curriculum yet

October

December November Hosted the only Board of Education Forum in Clifton

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Amira Abdelhadi

Annual Report 2022

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“I am very grateful to PACC because without them I would not know how to make all these traditional Arab and Palestinian foods and I would not know as much about dabka as I had before. PACC has helped better my personal life because I have built personal relationships with a lot of people here and I made a lot more friends than I did before.”

Ameer Rabboh

PACC

“I am grateful for PACC because it has taught me where I came from and helped me understand my culture. I also enrolled in PACC’s course HOPE which has taught me about Palestine and the ways the general public can help. This course specifically taught me and opened my eyes, and showed me the side of Palestine that the media doesn’t cover.”

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Annual Report 2022

Feras Deeb

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SufianMahmoud

PACC

Rania Mustafa

Reem Qasem

Abire Sabbagh

Executive Director

Director of Operations and Logistics

Palestine Education Director

Fadia Alagha

Fedah Mohammed

Lialie Mustafa

Marketing and Design Strategist

Inas Rabee

Office Administrator & NNAAC Fellow

Program Coordinator

Wasayef Bsharat

Administrative Assistant Intern

Marketing Coordinator

Yousef Ziyadi

Civic Engagement Intern & NNAAC Fellow

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Thank You

Annual Report 2022

SpecialThankYoutoourStaJ,Volunteer Board of Directors and Donors Thank you to all our generous donors! PACC is your legacy. You are strenghening ties to Palestinian heritage while empowering the success and well-being of our entire community.

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PACC

Thank You for a Great 2022, and We Look Forward to an even Better 2023!

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388 Lakeview Ave, Clifton NJ 07011 | 973-253-6145 | paccusa.org @paccusa

Palestinian American Community Center