• Win A Dior Bag!
• Maternal Health Education
• Client Easter Party
• Womens History Month
• Timeless Hope Gala

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

Win a Dior Small Lady Bag!

What is the Power of The Purse?

Inside this box is an opportunity to help your community!

For $50, you can enter our Power of The Purse Raffle, where you will have a chance to be the owner of a brand new Small Lady Dior Bag. But we didn't stop there! Our second-place winner will receive a $500 Visa Gift Card.

Every ticket counts! Join the raffle and show the community the Power of The Purse!

1 Ticket = 87 Nutritious Meals for Families In Need

2 Tickets = 330 Diapers for New Moms With Infants

3 Tickets = 2 New Microwaves for Our Basic Needs Center

Maternal Health Education Program

We were excited to have such a great turnout at our most recent Maternal Health Education session, where new mothers took a deep dive into the importance of nutrition before, during, and after pregnancy.

During the lesson, we debunked nutrition myths and provided small, sustainable changes the participants can make to improve their health and the health of their families.

As always, refreshments and childcare were provided, giving the moms a chance to connect with one another. MHEP is not only a health education class but also an opportunity to build community and find support among each other.

If you’d like to support a mom with baby essentials such as a car seat or stroller, diapers, and wipes through our Maternal Health Education Program, become a CALC Moms Member Today!

UCFS-CALC Celebrates Easter With Clients

Last Wednesday, over 100 clients joined us at the office for an early Easter celebration!

Our clients enjoyed Easter crafts, treats, and pictures with the Easter bunny, and every child received an Easter basket!

We'd like to thank our anonymous sponsor for being a CALC Celebrates Member to spread joy to so many families today!

If you'd like to be a CALC Celebrates Member, we only have one left, so don't wait!

Save The Date!

Timeless Hope Gala

Each year, our annual Timeless Hope Gala brings our community together in support of UCFS-CALC's programs and services that help our community members in need achieve self-sufficiency. Last year, guests had an absolute blast at our Oktoberfest Timeless Hope Gala! This year, we are bringing the heat with our upcoming Havana Nights Timeless Hope Gala on

Thursday, September 26th, 2024

Guests will enjoy live entertainment, dinner, a premium open bar, a live auction, raffles, and much more. We hope that you are as excited as we are! Get ready to make an impact while connecting with others in the community. Sponsorship opportunities are now available! Please contact our Events Coordinator, Melissa, msiba@ucfamilyservices.org.

As we wrap up Women's History Month and kick off Chaldean Heritage Month, we are highlighting two Chaldean women who have shaped our organization.

Meet Arjan Kallou, our Director of Program Operations, and Yara Shadda, the youngest member of our Executive Board.

About Arjan Kallou

Arjan started at CALC in 2019, right before the chaos of the pandemic hit. "I wanted to support the members of our community who are in need," Arjan says. "CALC is a place where those who need support can come and feel welcome as if their own family is taking care of them. We become their family."

At CALC, Arjan is responsible for implementing all of our programs, hiring and managing all program staff, and making everything run smoothly behind the scenes. We often joke about how long her job title really should be, and honestly, we could do a whole series on Arjan and her contributions alone. She was instrumental in ensuring CALC thrived through the pandemic and in all of the improvements we've seen since. She built our customized database from scratch, doubled the size of our team, makes sure that staff and volunteers have the best experience with CALC, and so much more.

Our favorite thing about having Arjan as a leader is the balance of hard, HARD work and sincere compassion that she brings to our team. Arjan is most proud of the growth in the programs we offer and of being able to serve the broader community. She is especially proud of the development and improvement of our food pantry - serving more people with more and better food without burdening our staff's time or resources.

When we asked her about her hopes for CALC's future, Arjan dreamed out loud of continued growth. "I'd love to see CALC continue to expand and grow into a larger space! I'd love to have a gym and more programs for youth and employment opportunities."

Yara began at CALC as a volunteer in our food pantry in 2021 on her own. "I was a little nervous at first, but Raghad and the rest of the staff were so welcoming. Right away, I felt at home at CALC," Yara tells us. From there, Yara volunteered at the gala, other events, and in our office, and she quickly worked her way up to coordinating all of the other volunteers at our events - sometimes more than 100 at a time.

Fifteen years ago this month, Yara and her family came to the U.S. as refugees right before her 8th birthday, giving her a deeper understanding of the impact CALC is making in the community than most. "Growing up as a refugee, I wish we had connected with CALC, especially when I see all of the amazing youth programs CALC has now," Yara tells us. "I've made a commitment to be the person I needed when I was growing up. CALC is that commitment. To give back in a much more holistic way, as we help people from so many different backgrounds, means so much to me."

If you ask us, Yara has stuck to that commitment. In the few short years we've known her, she has had an amazing impact on CALC. As the youngest Executive Board Member, Yara has already opened so many doors for our agency, connecting us to state and local politicians and really shining a light on the importance of engaging with them. Her proudest contribution has been connecting us with Congressman Andy Levin and coordinating a visit to the office. "CALC having the opportunity to showcase what we do and make sure we have those relationships is crucial to our sustainability and growth."



As Yara continues to grow with CALC, she hopes to contribute to CALC continuing to expand to serve the broader community. We are so grateful for all Yara has done already, and we can't wait to see what her future holds with CALC.

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