Chaldean American Ladies of Charity - Murad-Brikho

The Chaldean American Ladies of Charity (CALC) was founded in 1961 by 20 women from refugee and immigrant households seeking to support other new Americans in rebuilding their lives. Chaldeans are Iraqi Catholics from Iraq. CALC has since grown from an all-volunteer agency into a robust organization providing wrap-around social services. In 2016, the Board adopted the name United Community Family Services (UCFS) to represent our goal of supporting the broader community as a whole. Over 60 years since its founding, UCFS continues to carry out its mission of providing programs that guide, support, and empower individuals to achieve self-sufficiency with dignity and hope. 

UCFS-CALC has been supporting refugees for 64 years, giving us a deep understanding of why long-term help really matters. Many resettlement services, while crucial, end just nine months after arrival in the U.S., making it difficult for refugees to ensure their own well-being and become productive members of their new community. As the “next step” for our clients, we focus on post-resettlement support to facilitate long-term integration.

While we primarily serve refugees, UCFS-CALC strives to embrace all clients by providing resources to those who do not meet other funding criteria. This enables us to serve a broader range of people in need, as we believe that if someone takes the step of asking for help to reach their goals, they need and deserve our assistance to do so. 

UCFS-CALC serves over 12,000 people in Michigan annually with the vast majority being immigrants, refugees, and asylees. From the beginning, clients get to choose their goals and create their plans for success. We work with children, adults, and elderly clients, customizing our programs to appropriately support each family and individual.