Family Focus

Freedom House
Aids Asylum

SEVENTH ANN

S

OCTOBER 11, 2009

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70

September 24 • 2009

Di

ome of the most horrific
news stories from places
like Rwanda, Somalia,
Iraq, Honduras and Democratic
Republic of Congo have been lived
by people in Detroit. They are
residents of Freedom House, a non-
profit that provides comprehensive
services to political refugees seek-
ing legal asylum.
Freedom House will hold its annual
dinner 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at the
Max, 3711 Woodward, Detroit. Tickets
are $75 and include performances by
the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and
Odu Afrobeat Ochestra.
This year's speaker is Jack
Lessenberry, journalism professor,
senior political analyst for Michigan
Radio and Metro Times columnist.
Freedom House is the only organi-
zation in the country that provides a
full range of services to those seeking
asylum: shelter, clothing, legal aid,
mental health care, English language
classes, medical care for injuries suf-
fered due to torture, job training to
provide them with opportunities to
rebuild their lives and transitional
housing once asylum is won.
The strolling dinner will fea-
ture a cash bar and silent auction.
The honorary committee chair is
Florine Mark, president and chair
of the Farmington Hills-based
WW Group Inc. Other committee
members are Dr. Kimberlydawn
Wisdom, Michigan surgeon gen-
eral; Joe Kassab, executive direc-
tor of the Chaldean Federation
of America; Emery King, former
news anchor and Detroit Medical
Center communications director;
Wendy Wagenheim, director of
the Michigan Darfur Coalition;
Dr. Richard Krugel, board mem-
ber of the Metro Detroit Jewish
Fund; Richard Nodel, president of
the Jewish Community Relations
Council of Metropolitan Detroit;
Bankole Thompson, editor of
the Michigan Chronicle; State
Rep. Rashida Tlaib; and Leslie
Thompson, CEO of Affirmations.
Freedom House's legal staff has
maintained a 100 percent success
rate in its asylum cases for more
than two years, compared to the
national rate of 42 percent.
Tickets are available at (313)
964-4320, ext. 11, or ddrennan@
freedomhousedetroit.org. II