In the name of Allah, The Most Beneficent
and The Most Merciful
The Islamic Society of Greater Lansing
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In the name of Allah, The Most Beneficent
and The Most Merciful
The Islamic Society of Greater Lansing
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Family & Community Development Services  |
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About Us |
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Current Programs and Staff |
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How to volunteer |
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Muslim immigrants adjust to new home Activities |
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Contact us |
| Family & Community Development Services (FCDS) is a Lansing based Islamic, non-profit and tax exempt community agency that focuses on helping low income Muslim families increase their access to social and health services offered by the city of Lansing and Ingham County Health Department. Most of FCDS current caseload consists of refugee families of the Islamic faith. The city of Lansing has been designated as a host city for refugees; historically the resettlement of refugees has been the responsibility of local Catholic Social Services (CSS) with the assistance of Lutheran Social Services, which provide a bulk of the donation of services and goods that help refugees in their early days in the US. In the past 5 yrs the average number of refugees resettled per year has been about 600 people, about 50% of which are of the Islamic faith from various Islamic countries around the World. |
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1. Healthy Transitions to Health Care: This program offers new immigrant Muslim families in the Greater Lansing Area with the assistance they need in transportation and interpretation for health care appointment, as well as an assessment of their household needs, that can be donated by other established Muslim families. Outreach advocates act as a trusted Muslim adult who can be available to the client even nights and week ends. What makes this assistance superior to any other available services for refugees is the lack of bureaucracy and high level of tolerance and understanding that the new comers need to build a relationship with one constant personality instead of being shifted from one volunteer to another. Staff for 2001-2002: Lul Hassan - Full Time - Arabic/Somali Mahbouba Fidda - Part Time - Bosnian, Afghani, Russian New Staff for 2002-03 Lul was replaced by her sister Halimo Hassan. Funding: Ingham County Health Department Budget for the Year: $35,000 including mileage cost Funding Period: October 1, 2001 to September 30, 2002 2. Healthy Transition to High School This program offers youths of new immigrant refugees a school based cultural assistance as a way to increase their self confidence and keep their identity as Muslims in the public school while being helped improve their academic performance. Staff: Abu Bakr Zaid - Part Time - Muslim Boys - Jan-June 2002 Sairah Ahmed - Part Time - Muslim Girls - Jan-June 2002 Current Staff: Abdel Aziz Hasan - Part Time - Muslim Boys - Sept. 02-June 03 Marlon Salvia - Part Time - Muslim Boys - Sept 02-June 03 Sairah Ahmed - Part Time - Muslim Girls Sept. 02-June 03 School: Eastern High School Funding Source: Lansing School - Pilot project 2002 $15,000 WK Kellogg Foundation 3 years grant $ 116,400 3. Ingham Health Plan This is a program that has the potential to increases the number uninsured people who enroll in the Ingham Health Plan, by direct word of mouth outreach and special community programs. Staff: Olivia Taylor (Coordinator) Salamatu Abdul Kareem Aisha Gierdien Mahbouba Fidda Lul Hassan Funding Source: Ingham County Health Department - $1,500 per month 4. Muslim Immigrant Youths Research with MSU collaboration This is a small research grant that has been funded in 2002 by Families and Communities Coalition Together (FACT) at Michigan State University in order to increase our understanding of the issues that the Muslim immigrants have to deal with when they are growing up here in non Islamic public schools and to assess the level of their cultural pride in a non Islamic environment. This study also intends to inform us on how well educated and sensitive the teachers in public schools are regarding Muslim culture. Findings from this study will help the entire Muslim community and will help schools better prepare their teachers in providing essential training needed before they teach Muslim youths. The research team for this grant includes: Dr. Khalida Zaki, MSU Professor of Sociology- PI Dr. Deborah Johnson, MSU Professor Human Ecology Co-Investigator Dr. Janine Sinno, FCDS Director Co-Investigator Methods: Community Forum, Several Focus groups, Teacher Surveys, Muslim Student Surveys (Need more of these completed ASAP. We appreciate any referrals to Muslim students ages 9-15 who can be eligible. Please refer parents of these students to Janine or Khalida. Phone 887-4664.) Grant Period: October 2000 to December 2002 (possible extension neded) Total Funding 30,000 Since June 2001, the coordination for all these 3 programs has been based on 100% volunteering services to FCDS by Janine Sinno, Ph.D. who also has a full time job at the Ingham County Health Department as a Community Health Analyst, is a wife and an involved mother of 2. FCDS Accounting Services are provided since 1995 by qualified CPAs at Layton & Richerdsons. |
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Volunteers from the Islamic Community who are willing to offer 2-3 hours per week to help Muslim families are urged to sign up on the next volunteer orientation group workshop presented by Refugee Services at the Islamic Center. We hope to have a group of volunteers ready to arrange for a training date and time and then to be trained by Refugee Services.
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Contact Janine Sinno, Ph. D. Director Family & Community Development Services Tel: (517) – 887 – 4465 Email: hca_sinno@ingham.org |
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| Disclaimer: Views expressed in this site are those of individuals and not necessarily the express opinion of the Islamic Soc. of Gr Lansing. | |
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