March 2021 Monthly Newsletter

y l h t n o M S ’ C PAC r e t t e l s w e N

March 2021

e v ents game night We organized an in-person game night for young adults on March 19th. We wanted to provide a space for young people to gather with friends to play card games, board games and jeopardy and get to know others. In total we had 30 people in attendance and many expressed great interest in attending another game night in the future. With COVID-19 and the increase of events online, it was a nice refresher to have some safe in-person interaction. Special shout out to our three marketing interns who planned this event!

Workshop wednesday We provided the community with a free health education workshop hosted by a health educator from UnitedHealthcare Community. We focused on how to have a healthy heart, especially given that health issues such as diabetes, cholesterol, and blood pressure affect Arab communities at a higher rate than others. We had 269 views on facebook, and people were very grateful for all the information that was shared with them to ensure that they stay healthy and thriving!

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2021 Conference: Connecting to (our) Past, Contextualizing the Present, Creating the Future The theme for our conference this year aimed to highlight and learn from the untaught, rich heritage and tradition(s) of Palestine, and bridge the gaps between historical and present day anti-occupation and anti-Zionist efforts.

We had an amazing lineup of speakers, including Dr.Eman Ghanayem, Dr. Rashid Khalidi, Dr. Amaney Jamal, Rebel Diaz, Diana Buttu, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, Ali Abunimah, and our own Freedom is the Future students, who each hosted inspiring and powerful sessions. This was our largest conference to date with 220 total registrants from various parts of the world, 10 amazing local sponsors, and 3 young members of our Advocacy and Community Engagement team taking care of all the behind the scenes Zoom logistics.

We have received an overwhelmingly beautiful amount of amazing feedback from many people who attended, and even from some who couldn’t attend but heard great things from other people. We truly brought all generations together, brought people to tears, and brought awareness to the Palestinian struggle. People left the conference with more knowledge about the Palestinian struggle and with a greater passion to make a difference for all oppressed people in the world.

Dr. Marc Lamont Hill

Diana Buttu

Dr. rashid khalidi

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conference testimonials “Thank you for a beautiful program it brought me closer to my roots and gave me a clearer understanding of the work that must continue to be done to bring justice to Palestine.”

“PACC has proven itself to represent the community’s concerns and in a short time has claimed a central space on the national stage. This is truly what grassroots efforts are capable of achieving and it is evidenced by all the distinguished speakers accepting this invitation and platform.”

“Amazing work led by the new generation of Palestinian Americans. PACC rocks!”

Women’s Brunch Our first Women’s Brunch focused on Healthcare! Wellcare hosted a small focus group where women were able to share their concerns and needs regarding accessing healthcare. We had a total of 16 women join, both in person and online, and all enjoyed the event greatly and appreciated the opportunity to have this conversation and socialize with one another.

Our second women’s brunch focused on Nutrition! Our guest speaker, Aya Mustafa, led the women in an exercise and activity that explained the importance of eating and staying healthy. We had 16 people attend and all loved the topic and were very engaged!

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how to tuesday We taught people how to make a notebook! Fadia Alagha created a video that showcased the book binding process step by step, which we posted on all our social media platforms.

new serie s sunday series We launch a new hybrid series this month that aims to amplify the voices of Palestinians, specifically from or living in Palestine currently, and bring their stories to light to our local and national communities. These conversations will provide education about Palestine in Arabic!

The event will take place every third Sunday of the month, and for the first session we heard from Minister Walid Assad, the head of the Palestinian National Commission Against Annexation, Wall, and Colonies. We had 33 people tune in online and 10 people join us in person, and everyone was grateful for the opportunity to hear from someone on the ground in Palestine speak on these issues in Arabic.

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soc ia l s erv i c e mutual aid event Our community truly showed up for one another this month! We hosted a mutual aid event where people donated new or slightly used clothes, shoes, household items, baby formula and products, and more! After our PACC volunteers and staff carefully screened all donated items, about 100 families who are most in need came and picked up items that they and their loved ones benefited from. Special shoutout to two of our dedicated volunteers, Tara Unal and Feda Hassan! We were humbled by the power of community support, and thank everyone who took part in the event!

cash assistance With funds from the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund and help from CUMAC, we were able to distribute $22,500 worth of cash assistance cards to 29 families in need.

new case manager We are excited to announce that we hired an official case manager, Wakas Abusabe, to provide short term and long term support and relief to our social service clients. Wakas is a Palestinian American who has dedicated his career to helping those in need. Wakas has been working in the human services field for over 7 years now, and has a special interest in working to address the growing alcohol and substance abuse problem in our community He is relatable, hard working and professional.

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meat vouchers Through a generous donation, we were able to give out twenty $65 meat vouchers to families in need.

new programs

p r o g r ams

Computer and Google Drive classes Through IRUSA’s Community Grant, we were able to launch two new programs: Basics Computer Class and an Introduction to Google Drive Class!

Given the virtual world that has become our new normal, knowing how to use a computer and Google Drive is essential! We started our in-person Basics Computer Class and currently have 10 students enrolled that consist of older community members. They have started creating emails and getting comfortable with using a keyboard. Students will go on to more advanced training next session. We also have 12 students enrolled in our virtual Google Drive course. Students will hopefully complete the class having learned all the different ways to use and create google sheets, forms, and documents.

science club We launched a Science Club!

The demand was so high that registration closed within an hour which prompted us to open an additional class. Our 30 students have learned about lung anatomy, made famous slime, and exploded a volcano!

We will be starting our next session after Ramadan.

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CONTINUING PROGRAMS Our spring programs are sadly coming to an end, but all sessions are wrapping up with celebrations to look forward to!

Students in our Arabic program are rehearsing for their graduation video debut, where students will perform the song “Mawtani”.

Our Dabka students are perfecting their routines and getting ready to show off their newly learned skills for their virtual recital!

Through our Successful Students Program, we are helping students finish the school year strong with the help of our amazing tutors!

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Although our spring programs are coming to an end, we are excited to start our Summer Programs very soon. Lookout for more information on our summer programs!

Community Engagement Women’s History Month Campaign International Women’s Day, originally referred to as International Working Women’s Day, is celebrated across the world annually on March 8. Women have been at the heart of the Palestinian liberation struggle throughout our history. They have served the cause of Palestine in so many unique ways, resisting the occupation of their land and their minds with their art, writing, knowledge, political struggles, labor, and love.

In order to honor the broader resilience, courage, dignity, and strength of Palestinian women, PACC shared the stories of notable Palestinian women, both in history and present-day, throughout the month of March. We also circulated a form asking people to nominate the amazing, local Palestinian women who are part of PACC’s community and family and highlighted them on our social media platforms as well.

We hope the stories that we shared throughout the month filled the community with pride and inspiration!

New Partnership with the Arab-American Business & Professional Association (ABPA) The ABPA reached out to PACC to create a partnership that would benefit and prioritize Arab-American undergraduate and graduate students looking for internships. ABPA helps place students into internships that fit their field of study and interests, and PACC will be promoting their services to our local community and encouraging our youth to use their services.

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www.PACCUSA.org @PACCUSA Palestinian American Community Center @PACC_USA @PACCUSA