Yasmine El-Baggari, age 22, is doing her utmost best to make a widespread impact on the world, one person at a time. Through her tech start-up Voyaj, she seeks to help travelers make lasting, meaningful connections with hosts in different countries. The Voyaj service, which is preparing for its official launch, uses a matching algorithm…
The city of Flint, Michigan is facing an extreme crisis, as their drinking water has been contaminated with toxic amounts of lead, rendering it extremely dangerous and unsafe and leaving thousands of families and individuals without clean water. CAAP is responding to the crisis by recommending groups that are working to help the people of…
For Stephanie Abraham, giving is in her blood. Her mother comes from an Irish Catholic family and her father’s family emigrated from Lebanon and Syria, where they were Maronite Catholics. For Stephanie, philanthropy wasn’t an option but a given. Her parents gave 5% of their income to the Church and 5% to other charitable causes,…
Omar Shehabi didn’t always identify with his Palestinian-Arab identity. A first-generation Arab American born in Warren, Ohio, Omar was cognizant of his ancestry growing up, as his mother is of Lebanese descent and his father immigrated to the U.S. from Palestine in the 1960s. The Shehabi family has its roots in Jerusalem, in the Old…
The Network of Arab-American Professionals (NAAP) is currently accepting applications for the Arab-American Scholarship, the deadline to apply is December 30. The scholarship is open to currently enrolled college students who have demonstrated excellent academic achievement and an appreciation, understanding and promotion of his or her Arab American identity to the student community at large….
From November 7-8th, the youth in our Teen Grantmaking Initiative (TGI) attended the Arab American Summit hosted by the National Network of Arab American Communities (NNAAC). The Arab American Summit is a two-day convening of leaders, advocates, students and allies from across the country as they honor the work that has been done to build…
With fall well underway, we would like to take the time to highlight some of the awesome upcoming events and programs from our 2015 grantees! If you find yourself in the East Coast, a couple of our grantees are hosting some exciting events! In Philadelphia, be sure to check out Al-Bustan’s “Music in Practice” on…
A few months ago, I found myself at a convening for Youth Advisory Council (YAC) advisers. The day saw numerous fun events meant to help the advisers grow and develop their skills. Towards the end of the day, the light, upbeat atmosphere was toned down in favor of a more serious, somber one, as we…
A new exhibit at the Arab American National Museum features work from photographer Somali-born Mohamud Mumin. CAAP had a chance to sit down with Mumin and discuss his inspiration for The Youth//Dhallinyarada. The exhibit, made up of large-scale black and white portraits of Mumin’s friends and other members of the Somali American community in Minneapolis,…
Back in February, the Arab American community was rocked by the tragic and senseless killing of Deah Barakat, 23, his wife Yusor Mohammad, 21, and Yusor’s sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19. These three individuals were generous and kind, having been involved in numerous charitable endeavors and other activities meant to help and give back to…