• Project Achievement
• Pathways to Prosperity
• Get Tickets - Easter Party
• Easter Food Drive
• Womens History Month

• Become a 2024 Member
• WBI's Mentorship
• Food Pantry Volunteers
• Help Provide Basic Needs
• We pick up furniture!

Project Achievement Takes Flight!

Last Tuesday, our PA students built airplanes out of clothespins and popsicle sticks. This STEAM activity was simple, but there was so much to learn! Students learned about the Wright Brothers, the math and science of flight, and the history of aviation. They also had the opportunity to get creative with the design of their plane.

We'd like to thank Robert Esshaki for his CALC Kids Membership, which supported this week's Project Achievement activities.

If you’d like to sponsor a week of Project Achievement or youth sports, become a CALC Kids Member today!

Pathways To Prosperity Program

On Friday, over 60 refugees joined us at UCFS-CALC offices for a workshop presented by Alliance Catholic Credit Union. As part of our new Pathways to Prosperity Program, clients learned how to build their credit in the U.S. to purchase a car or home, their different financing options, and things to consider when making the best decisions for their families.

Each individual and family enrolled in our Pathways to Prosperity Program has a savings goal to purchase a home, a vehicle to get to work, invest in their education, or to start a small business. UCFS-CALC will be matching over 240 clients' savings up to $6,000, providing financial education, and guiding them toward reaching their goals.

Reaching the milestone of purchasing a car or home is an amazing accomplishment for newly arrived refugees. It helps them integrate into their new community and ultimately achieve self-sufficiency with dignity.

We'd like to thank Justin Gabbara and Andy Dombrowski from Alliance Catholic Credit Union for coming to the UCFS-CALC office to help our clients better understand how to build their financial stability and well-being.

Eggsceptional Easter Party

JOIN US THIS WEEKEND!

Eggsplore our annual Easter Party this Sunday, March 24th, 2024, where our valued UCFS-CALC Members will enjoy Photos with the Easter Bunny, an Easter Egg Hunt, a Brunch Buffet, Raffles, Music, Dancing, and much more!

This year, our Eggsceptional Easter Party will be held from 11 am to 2 pm, and tickets are available to UCFS-CALC Members only.

Tickets are now available and will not open to the public. Not a 2024 UCFS-CALC Member? Become a 2024 UCFS-CALC Member today!

Members will receive a custom ticketing link to their emails.

Seats are limited, hop to it!

Looking For Ways To Give Back?

Support Our Food Drive!

Your contribution, no matter the size, can ignite hope and inspire change in the lives of those seeking refuge and opportunity. Together, let us embody the true essence of Easter by extending a hand of compassion and love to our neighbors in need.

As a proud women-founded, women-led, and women-run organization, we are honoring the women behind our mission. Meet Julia Hakim, one of our original Members and former President & CEO, Jane Shallal.

About Julia Hakim

Julia has been with CALC from the beginning. She was the fourth Chairwoman of CALC and served a total of three terms. She dedicated decades of her life, volunteering countless hours to help those in need. The Senior Home next to Mother of God Church was her idea, and she worked tirelessly for four years writing proposals to the government for funding. Once, when Bishop Ibrahim saw Julia at a meeting for yet another project, he said, "Would you please leave this woman alone? She has enough to do!"

In addition to all of her work in the community, Julia was a dedicated wife and mother of six and worked at Central Alarm Signal, Inc., the family's business that’s been around since 1969. We are so grateful to Julia for all of the foundational work she contributed to making CALC who we are today.

About Jane Shallal

Jane was Chairwoman of CALC from 2000-2004 and served as CALC's CEO for many years. Jane passed the torch to our current CEO in 2021 and then served UCFS-CALC yet again as our Grants Manager. She led the organization into and through several transitional periods and finally took a well-deserved retirement in 2022.



When asked what CALC means to her, Jane says, "CALC provides an opportunity for refugees and low-income families, who have lost everything, to rebuild their lives after terrible traumas. It is so fulfilling to see them progress toward success in their new home here in Michigan, and I was able to lend a helping hand in their progress and well-being after all they have been through."

Jane's favorite memory during her involvement with CALC was getting to know the women behind our mission. "They taught me so much about what service means. I miss them a lot, but I know that these women - Rosemary Antone, Margarett Sarafa, Julia Hakim, Rosemary Hakim, and many others - are gleaming with pride at the organization it is today and how far it has come in carrying out their original vision and mission of serving the community."

Jane was such a driving force behind CALC's growth into what it is today. For decades CALC was an all-volunteer organization - small but mighty. "I am proud to have been part of the effort to raise the funds for staffing and purchase a large facility for CALC's growing programs. Today, CALC can boast a wide array of programs and resources, a staff of 19 individuals, an 11,000 square foot facility, and a huge volunteer force of hundreds that continues to carry out the mission of its founders." Thank you, Jane, for decades of selfless service to CALC and our community. We wouldn't be us without you.

UCFS-CALC is seeking volunteer tutors and reading specialists for our Project Achievement afterschool tutoring program. Help children improve their reading skills, academic performance, and their future!

Volunteers are needed on Tuesdays, 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

If you would like to get involved with Project Achievement, please reach out to Arjan Kallou at

(248)528-0262 or at akallou@ucfamilyservices.org.

Dress warm and comfy and show up ready to work! We'll have you fill out a short form when you get here, and that's it!



The Sharehouse Food Pantry is located at

2033 Austin Drive in Troy

Make a donation to a program of your choice or a general donation to be used where it's needed most. Our community's trust in us and our mission make it possible for UCFS-CALC being able to continue to serve our neighbors in need with dignity and hope.

While we do accept gently used items in our Sharehouse, we provide our Clients with brand-new items as well. We do this for many reasons, such as the longevity of the item or for hygiene purposes, but most importantly, because our Clients deserve a dignified experience.

You can help us do this by purchasing new items from our Wishlist below, where they'll ship directly to us. Click the button below and share with your friends and family!

1. Create a digital account

2. Link your Card to UCFS-CALC

Search for "Chaldean American Ladies of Charity"

3. Your Kroger purchases support UCFS-CALC

Questions or Interested in Becoming a Sponsor?

Contact our Events Coordinator, Melissa Siba, at

248-251-1164 or email msiba@ucfamilyservices.org