On the 15th annual National Arab American Service Day, the Arab American Civic Council partnered with Pathways of Hope OC to beautify a family shelter home in Fullerton on Saturday, June 15, 2019. Pathways of Hope OC is a local non-profit that leads community efforts to provide food, shelter, and housing to those experiencing hunger and homelessness in North Orange County.

National Arab American Service Day is an annual event organized by the Michigan-based National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) and their partner organizations, that brings the Arab American community together in a national effort of community volunteering and engagement. This year, the Arab American Civic Council led the service day project in Fullerton with dozens of volunteers to beautify a family shelter home. More than 20 volunteers cleaned the two bedroom unit and cut the small trees and removed the weeds in the back patio. This work has touched the lives of almost 40 clients currently living at the shelter.

SEE: photos from the event on our Facebook page here.

Fullerton City Councilman Ahmad Zahra, the first Arab-American on the council, attended the service day and praised Pathways of Hope and the efforts made by Arab Americans to support this organization to help fight homelessness.

Transformative Leaders Fellow with the Arab American Civic Council Peter Aziz who led the effort to coordinate the project said, “Our homeless neighbors in Orange County are currently facing many challenges, which is why we chose this project on National Arab American Service Day – a day of service in which our diverse community comes together in order to give back and support our local families in need.”

This service day project was led nationally by NNAAC and co-hosted locally with TAKE ON HATE – CA, Coptic Voice, and Unheard Cries Charity.