Ramah Awad honors her Palestinian family’s lineage of resilience by paying it forward through her many years of community organizing. As someone whose family experienced the Nakba, her story reflects the unbroken connection to homeland carried across generations, especially today, May 15, as we commemorate 78 years since the start of the Nakba.
The Center for Arab American Philanthropy is proud to share Ramah Awad’s story as we mark 15 years of our work, as she represents one of the many ways Arabs in the U.S. continue to care for their communities, make change, and preserve memory.
13 years. Nearly $170,000 granted to organizations. And our 100 Arab American Women Who Care giving circle is still going strong.
We’re excited for this year’s 100 Arab American Women Who Care gathering taking place on Sunday, June 7, 2026! This year, we’ll come together at one of Detroit’s most iconic spaces, @michigancentraldetroit .
Learn more and secure your spot through the link in our bio.
Even though #ArabAmericanHeritageMonth has come to an end, we continue to honor and celebrate Arab American contributions and history.
One of those contributions is the role of Arab American youth in shaping change and impact in the U.S.
The first picture above is from ACCESS’s (@accesscommunity ) summer youth program in 1996, where youth gathered to learn, build community and explore how they could create change.
The second picture is from the Center for Arab American Philanthropy’s (@centeraap , a national institution of ACCESS) Teen Grantmaking Initiative, a program that has been running for over a decade, where youth create impact by fundraising and awarding grants to organizations.
There is continuity in Arab American youth leading change across generations!
#ArabAmericanHeritageMonth
Dr. Rashid Abdu’s journey began in Yemen, and at just 12 years old, he made the journey by boat to the United States, arriving in 1948.
From that early chapter, he carved out a path that led to a remarkable career in medicine and a lasting philanthropic legacy. Over decades of service, Dr. Abdu became a respected surgeon and healthcare leader in Youngstown, Ohio, caring for patients through his work at institutions including St. Elizabeth Health Center and St. Joseph Health Center.
In 2011, he helped establish the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center, part of Mercy Health-Youngstown (@mercy_health ), in honor of his late wife, who passed away from cancer. The center continues her legacy by ensuring patients receive state-of-the-art breast cancer care, from early detection to treatment and support services.
Beyond his clinical work, Dr. Abdu has remained committed to sharing his knowledge and showing up for communities in the U.S. and across the world. He has advised Yemen’s Minister of Health, supported and mentored Yemeni medical students, contributed to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, and participated in medical missions in Guatemala and Mexico.
During Arab American Heritage Month, his story is a reminder that experiences like immigrating far from family or losing a loved one are not easy, but the possibility of building something meaningful through them is very real.
#ArabAmericanHeritageMonth:
Arab American women have been drivers of philanthropy in this country for over a century.
First pic: The Syrian Ladies Aid Society of Boston, founded in 1917, brought women together to fundraise for communities both locally and across their homelands. They later renamed themselves Lebanese-Syrian Aid Society of Boston, and the organization still exists today!
Second pic: CAAP’s 100 Arab American Women Who Care is a 13-year giving circle where women combine their giving power, raising more than $169,000 for nonprofits serving a wide range of important causes.
Thank you to the wonderful staff at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida (@cacswfl ) for welcoming our 100 Arab American Women Who Care Florida event committee and sharing more about your work with us.
❤️CAAP’s recent giving circle in Florida brought our local community together to pool their generosity into a $6,000 grant in support of this organization’s important work supporting children affected by abuse and neglect.
Learn more by following their page @cacswfl
At our recent 100 Arab American Women Who Care giving circle in Florida, participants combined their donations into one impactful $6,000 grant for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida (@cacswfl ). This incredible organization provides healing services, advocacy and protection to children affected by abuse and neglect.
We are grateful that our collective generosity will support such an important cause. Thank you to everyone who made this possible!
We are excited to invite you to mark your calendar for the eighth annual Threads of Giving Gala, an annual celebration of Arab American giving, hosted by the Center for Arab American Philanthropy. This year’s gala is taking place on September 20, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois, at @alhambrachicago
This national gala travels across the country each year, bringing together community members in the spirit of Arab American philanthropy, and has previously been hosted in Texas, California, New York, Ohio, Washington, D.C. and Massachusetts.
At our event, we recognize one individual whose generosity, leadership and dedication to others embody the spirit of Arab American philanthropy, honoring them as our Outstanding Arab American Philanthropist of the Year.
We are excited to bring our event to Chicago for the first time. Please save the date, and stay tuned for the announcement of this year’s awardee! More details to come.
In the face of unspeakable devastation, when words fall short, art becomes a powerful expression. The @palestinemuseum.us and @paltapestry are working with Palestinian women to create 100 tatreez panels that tell Gaza’s story. The collection will be presented to the world stage at the Venice Biennale. ❤️ Support this initiative by giving through the link in @centeraap ’s bio or via Venmo: CAAP2010.
Friends in Florida! Our 100 Arab American Women Who Care giving circle is just one week away. Click the link in our bio for more information, and to secure your tickets and sponsorships (bit.ly/100-women-florida)
Our Michigan event is coming up on June 7 and will be held at the Michigan Central Station, stay tuned for ticket sales opening soon!
🔔Only five days left to apply for our Winter 2026 scholarship applications! Learn more and apply through the link in our bio. (bit.ly/caap-scholarships)
The Younis Mansi Essa Scholarship honors the legacy of beloved community member, Younis Mansi Essa, by supporting students from all backgrounds pursuing careers in healthcare in Southeast Michigan.
This season of giving, help invest in the next generation of healthcare providers who will care for our communities and loved ones. ❤️ Donate through the link in @centeraap ’s bio (bit.ly/younis-essa-fund) or via Venmo: CAAP2010.
