Ground will be broken this week on a $3 million Chaldean community center in Sterling Heights.
The 11,500-square-foot project of the
Chaldean Community Foundation will replace a 2,400-square-foot building nearby and offer social services to Chaldean refugees, most of them relocating from Iraq. The new building will be located at 15 Mile and Ryan roads.
The goal, says Martin Manna, foundation president, is to provide "a vital, expanded resource for the community, primarily Chaldean refugees seeking sanctuary from persecution and new lives in Michigan."
Since 2011, the foundation has served more than 14,000 refugees annually from its existing 2,400 square-foot Sterling Heights location and the need for CCF’s services is growing as an estimate of 300 Chaldeans arrive in the region each month.
“With the ongoing tragic genocide and unrest in Iraq, we are continuing to see an ever-increasing influx of individuals seeking to regain their lives,” says Manna. “We continue to welcome them with open arms; providing the resources to help them acculturate, gain independence and succeed.”
The center is expected to open mid to late 2015.
Source: Martin Manna, Chaldean Community Foundation
Writer: Kim North Shine
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