M Ai Family Services

Adapting to life in a different country with a diverse culture and language barriers can be a challenge for anyone. To face this challenge, Mai Family Services was established in 1986 as a support system by a group of concerned community leaders. These community leaders identified that there were many entities such as religious, cultural and Professional groups belonging to the South Asian community in Michigan but none of them offered help and guidance to individuals in crisis.
In more than two decades that MaiFS has been working in the community the population of South Asians in Michigan has grown considerably. According to the 2010 US census data, metro Detroit is home to over 67,481 Indians. This increased numbers has resulted in a growing demand for services that are culturally sensitive and geared to the specific needs of this population.
The services provided by MaiFS fall into two categories:
Intervention – these services include providing direct help to clients such as language services, temporary housing, legal counseling (family law and immigration), transportation, medical help, mental counseling, grief and bereavement support, workplace challenges, family counseling, dealing with issues around elder care, and collaborating with other organizations to provide education and training workshops for empowerment of clients, and job-specific vocational training.
Prevention – these services include awareness training workshops for community members, and free legal aid clinics
MaiFS got its 501© (3) status in 1987. It operates with a skeletal staff of two paid personnel and an army of volunteers. Though the scale and scope of the services provided to clients over the last two decades have grown, fundraising remains a critical issue and one of profound concern to the Board.
Our main source of funding is contributions from members of the South Asian community in metro Detroit. This is supplemented by modest grants from local businesses and industries. However, as the only organization in the entire state that meets the unique and specific needs of the South Asian community, providing effective services on limited funds is a continuing challenge.