LOS ANGELES – The Asia Pacific Community Fund (APCF), headed by executive director Debra Fong, recently held its 7th Annual Giving for All Seasons Gala at the posh Los Angeles Music Center in Downtown LA, where APCF honored an individual and three organizations for their contributions and long-term commitment to the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.
Fong said in a statement that the event was not only a celebration of APCF’s accomplishments, it also served as a venue to bring awareness to the needy members of the AAPI community.
“Each year, we recognize those who are making a difference in AAPI communities, to encourage others to follow in their footsteps.Together we can build a brighter and better future for the generations to come,” Fong said.
Wednesday’s gala also served as a fundraising event to raise general operating funds for the APCF so that the organization can continue its work in the AAPI community, Fong said.
Among the awardees were Mega Toy Co-Founder and CEO Charlie Woo (for the Philanthropy Leadership Award), Toyota (for the Corporate Philanthropy Award), Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center (for the Diversity Leadership Award), and the Asian American Professional Association or AAPA (for the Spirit of Giving Award).
“I want to commend their [APCF’s] leadership in promoting philanthropy,” Woo said.
While Asian American communities are known for doing well in life (with their high median income rates and high rates of education among ethnic groups) these circumstances only further perpetuates the “Model Minority” myth and draws attention away from the challenges and difficulties that they face.
Asian American communities also happen to have one of the higher rates of people living in poverty. In some of the South East Asian communities, many of them are among the lowest in college graduation rates. This shows that a large portion of Asian American communities are being “left behind,” said Woo.
“We are fortunate to have nonprofit groups that are willing to step up to really serve the needs of the community. And it’s an honor to be receiving this award,” he added.
APCF Board of Directors Chairman Michael Chee compared the AAPI community to the Latin American immigrant communities here in the US. Unlike Latin American communities, which are tied together by a common language (Spanish), AAPI communities are a “variation of languages, cultures, and faiths,” Chee said.
“Oftentimes, those languages, cultures, and faiths prohibit our people, our families, friends, loved ones from asking for help. And that’s why APCF is here,” Chee said. He emphasized the importance of the APCF’s role in funding agencies that provide positive life services and life help that are sorely needed by the Asian American communities in Southern California.
On Wednesday, APCF gave away as much as $150,000 in grants to its 29 affiliate agencies, which provide health and human services to AAPI and other ethnic communities throughout Los Angeles and beyond.
According to a statement, the funds were raised from various workplace giving programs in Southern California that are tied to the APCF.
Scholarship grants given out
Aside from the recognition of community advocates, APCF, through the Verizon Scholarship program, gave out $1,000 grants to deserving young students, who are pursuing higher education in science, technology, engineering, and math related fields of study. The Verizon Scholarship program gave out a total of $20,000 for 2013 alone.
“In a time when students are faced with significantly rising costs of obtaining a college degree, it is important that there is support for students in the Asian and Pacific Islander communities,” the APCF said in a statement.
The APCF added that it will be awarding an additional $20,000 in scholarships through its other programs.
“I’m extremely honored to be here,” Meagan Shinbashi of Capistrano Vallley High School said.
Shinbashi, a recipient of a $1,000 scholarship grant, said that she will be using her grant money to pay for her college fund. Shinbashi will be attending Stanford this fall, and is currently leaning towards taking up a degree in the life sciences, like biology.
“I’m hoping to be an optometrist, for now. I interned at one and it was a lot of fun,” Shinbashi gushed.
Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) Trustee Mike Eng said that providing financial support for the AAPI students is also a way of investing in our future.
“This is so important, this is the future of our community. They’re future leaders, future elected officials, future teachers, future heads of nonprofits, future corporate [leaders], you name it. This is where it all starts,” Eng said.
“I’m happy that the Asia Pacific Community Fund serves 29 different community groups, and this is a way for us to maximize the impact on many, many of the Asian and Pacific Islander communities. I’m thrilled to be a part of it,” the LACCD district trustee added.
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Weekend August 3-6, 2013 Sec A pg.8)
