Newsletter

Welcome to the summer edition of AACI’s newsletter!

During summer, as many of our youth are home from school and are able to spend more time with their family, we have been reflecting on our own AACI family. The killing of a client of AACI’s during Memorial Day weekend was a tragic blow to our community. Like many of our clients, the impacted family are low income and could not afford funeral arrangements by themselves. We have found it inspiring to watch as the community rallies around this family to show their support. Thanks to your support the family was able to afford funeral arrangements and other expenses. This event served as a reminder that there is much more work left to do to ensure a brighter future for our community. AACI is working harder than ever to provide support to those in need. Thanks for reading, and thank you for your continued support of AACI!

Sincerely,
Michele Lew

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Annual Youth Talent Show

AACI’s Resilient Youth Striving for Excellence (RYSE) Afterschool Program held their Fifth Annual Talent Show on June 7, 2011.

Before an audience of about 50 people, the youth performed with passion and conviction to their respective art forms. Music and dance were the most popular acts in the show; an ensemble woodwind band was followed by a guitar/vocalist duo, and the show was closed with a dance team. The abilities displayed by the youth are exactly what the program intends to foster. Joma Briones, the RYSE Program Manager, stated, “I’m so proud of those kids. They practiced and gave a fantastic show. By performing in front of a live audience, they learned to move out of their comfort zone and achieve things they didn’t believe were possible.” While the younger program participants provided the talent for the show, the older youth contributed too. The older youth helped to organize the show itself, doing logistical preparation and working with the younger participants on their acts. Thu Nguyen, the associate RYSE program coordinator, was impressed with all the work that went into the show: “The youth leaders have planned everything from the stage layout to rehearsal schedules. Their persistence and attention to detail is truly inspiring.”

RYSE is a year-round afterschool program that provides recreational activities, development of leadership and social skills, homework assistance and a multicultural curriculum taught through arts, crafts, workshops, field trips and guest speakers. The RYSE Program is offered to residents of El Rancho Verde Apartment Complex in east San Jose. For more about RYSE and AACI Youth Programs click here.

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AACI Volunteer Spotlight: Lindsey Leong

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.

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AACI Wins an Award!

AACI has long been recognized for the excellence in services we provide to the community, but now AACI is also recognized as one of the top places to work. Bay Area News Group chose AACI as one of the Top Workplaces of 2011. Based on a survey with 109 participating companies, in which 16,249 employees rated their respective companies, AACI was ranked 17th in small companies in the Bay Area. This honor was bestowed upon AACI after careful deliberation of the ratings that AACI staff gave for its management, mission, and general satisfaction with work conditions. AACI scored consistently high in these sectors. The results of the survey were based solely on the input of employees.

The “small companies” category consisted of companies with fewer than 150 employees. AACI is honored to be recognized by Bay Area News Group for our commitment to fostering staff development and nurturing careers.