Newsletter
AACI Newsletter May 2011
Welcome to the January 2011 edition of AACI’s newsletter!
On behalf of AACI’s Board of Directors and staff, I would like to wish you a happy Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage month! While the month of May is a time for us to celebrate the many great contributions Asian and Pacific Islanders have made towards our country, this month also inspires us to keep working towards our mission of improving the health and well-being of our community. Despite facing city, county, and state budget cuts to our programs, we remain resolute about our work’s importance. In the midst of these economically challenging times, our community needs us more than ever. This issue features AACI’s latest news and highlights how our clients, volunteers, and supporters continue to contribute to AACI’s mission. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
Sincerely,
Michele Lew
TOPAACI Youth Speak Out Against Budget Cuts!
On May 12th and 17th, AACI joined other Santa Clara County community based organizations at city and county budget hearings to oppose the drastic budget cuts to senior nutrition and youth programs. If funding cuts are passed by the City of San Jose and County of Santa Clara, the main sources of funding for AACI’s services to seniors and youth are at risk.
Speaking out against the cuts, AACI youth clients shared the impact AACI has made on their lives. The youth are current clients of Project PLUS, a program of AACI Youth Development Services that offers group life skills sessions, one-on-one mentoring, self improvement projects, and field trips. Read more about the meeting here.
If you are interested in helping preserve AACI’s Seniors and Youth Programs, please contact members of the San Jose City Council and Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors regarding these budget cuts. To help AACI maintain services that impact the lives of youth every day, please contact Darcie Kiyan or donate online.
AACI Volunteer Spotlight: Uncle Bill Yee
While AACI hosts a number of volunteers in each of its programs, few have had the same level of involvement as Bill Yee, better known to the staff as “Uncle Bill”.
In 1993, Bill contacted AACI at the behest of his friends. After seeing all the excellent work AACI provided for the Asian community, Bill became an ardent proponent of AACI’s mission. From 1997-2004, Bill served on AACI’s Board of Directors, and spent 3 years as Board Chair.
Medical Director, Dr.Lynn Liu has this to say about Bill – “Uncle Bill is a model of strong work ethics and a knowledgeable father figure who brings great comfort to those he meets. He has worked tirelessly for many years to improve the quality of life for underserved populations. We at the AACI Health Center look forward to his weekly visits. Uncle Bill’s volunteer assistance relieves our staff allowing them more time to be spent directly attending to our patients’ needs. It is always a pleasure to have Bill Yee involved in the AACI organization.”
Bill’s tireless efforts continue even after his tenure on the Board; he currently helps in the AACI Health Center with various projects, such as aggregating and tracking mammogram statistics, productivity management, and data entry. He comes in every week to assist with whatever the AACI Health Center has need for. “I have an interest and love for our people, so I wanted to do whatever I could for them”. Bill continues to provide for the public in his free time, and AACI is grateful for his many years of service. Read more here.
AACI Fundraising Luncheon a Success!
AACI held our annual fundraising luncheon at the Doubletree Hotel in San Jose. Thank you to the 500 community members who attended! Your support helped AACI raise over $180,000. This money is greatly needed to sustain AACI’s array of services for the community. When so many in our community are in such great need, we want to ensure AACI can continue to provide the care and support so many rely on every day. Support from non-governmental sources is becoming increasingly essential. Those who attended learned more about AACI and heard directly from some of our clients.
AACI seniors performed a special song that they wrote to thank AACI. AACI clients shared their stories about how AACI helped their families in times of need. One client, whose family was helped by the AACI Center for Survivors of Torture, gave a moving testimonial about how AACI helped his family connect with legal assistance to navigate the asylum process, health care, and counseling resources needed to start new lives together in the United States.
“Without AACI, I’m not sure what my family would have done. Being new to this country, we wouldn’t have known where else to get the help that we needed.”
The 2011 Gordon N. Chan Leadership Award was presented to Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren for her work as a champion of immigrant rights. The 2010 award recipient, Congressman Mike Honda, presented the award. Representative Lofgren was out of the country but provided videotaped remarks, and her Chief of Staff, Sandra Soto, accepted the award on her behalf. The AACI annual fundraising luncheon is made possible by the sponsorship of many local businesses and organizations, with major support from PG&E Corporation Foundation, the Gordon N. and Anita Chan Family Foundation, Comcast, and Hewlett-Packard Company. If you were unable to attend the AACI luncheon, you can still contribute to help AACI maintain services for families in need. Donate now
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