Help OCA-GLA Win $12,500 By Voting for APCF
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Please support the Asian Pacific Community Fund & OCA-GLA in reaching the #1 spot!
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Transform the Lives of Thousands of Low-income Asian Pacific Americans
OCA Serves with Asian Youth Center
Saturday, September 11, 2010 @ 10 AM – 3 PM
Asian Youth Center
232 West Clary Ave
San Gabriel, CA 91776
Come join OCA in cleaning up and beautifying the Asian Youth Center as a part of OCA Serves month in September. State Farm has generously offered to donate cleaning supplies and equipment for OCA-GLA and its members to improve the Asian Youth Center’s facilities. After the event, the Asian Youth Center will be able to keep the materials.
The Asian Youth Center is a non-profit, community-based organization serving the social services needs of youth and families, with a focus on Asian immigrants. Their programs enable those they serve to adapt and contribute to a multi-cultural society.
Refreshments will be provided!
To sign-up, please email jennifer.ju@oca-gla.org or call (213)250-9888.
OCA-GLA is Calling for Volunteers – LA18 Harvest Moon Festival
LA18′s Harvest Moon Festival is one of the biggest festivals celebrating Asian Pacific American heritages and cultures in Southern California. This year, the event will be held on September 19, 2010, from 10am to 5pm at the Arcadia County Park, Arcadia, California. Over 100 booths and top-notch performances will be there.
INSTRUCTIONS to Sign up for Volunteering
1. Each volunteer is to sign up for one shift: 10am to 2pm (arriving at 9:30am) or 1pm to 5 pm (arriving at 12:30pm).
2. Volunteers will be asked to help with information booth, game booths, production-related tasks or special event booths.
3. Volunteers will receive one food coupon to sample food as well as drinks. It is a requirement for all volunteers to wear an event T-shirt, to be given upon check in.
4. Please sign up by September 5
EVENT INFO:
Sunday, September 19, 2010, 10am-5pm
Arcadia County Park
405 S. Santa Anita Ave., Arcadia at Huntington Dr. and Santa Anita Ave.
Themed-pavilions include the Auto Square, Business & Community Square, Children’s Village, Town Square, Taste of Asia, Financial Solutions Expo,and Healthy Families Expo, offering an impressive array of food and entertainment. Top-notch Asian musical performers, cultural performances, entertainment for kids, contests, foods, sampling, arts & crafts, and giveaways galore all await you!
Free Festival Admission! Bring the entire family!
Please sign up to be a volunteer by Sept. 5, 2010.
Colleen Seto at beanseto@flash.net or 213-250-9888.
Southern California Edison Awards $25,000 to OCA’s Leadership Development Programs
10 August 2010
CONTACT
Victoria J. Rumsey | Development Manager
202 223 5500 | vrumsey@ocanational.org
Washington, D.C. – OCA, a national organization with 80 chapters and affiliates dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) is pleased to announce securing a $25,000 grant from Southern California Edison (SCE) to support local chapter leadership development programs.
APAs still remain one of the most under-served populations in the Southern California landscape–linguistically and culturally disadvantaged in the areas of access to educational and economic opportunities. Local chapter leadership development is one of the key strategies for addressing the socio-economic gaps in the communities served by OCA chapters and SCE.
“With this grant, Southern California Edison enables OCA to support these leadership programs which aspires to achieve greater equity and equality for all APAs,” stated OCA President, Ken Lee.
SCE’s commitment through this grant represents their continued dedication not only to their customer communities, but the APA community and their families. An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.
“SCE is proud to support the vital work that OCA does to help empower the Asian Pacific American community. SCE’s support of OCA and other organizations that assist underserved populations is rooted in longstanding partnerships with the communities we serve,” said Veronica Gutierrez, SCE’s vice president of corporate communications.
OCA-Orange County (OCA-OC) serves communities in Orange County such as Santa Ana, Westminster, and Garden Groves. OCA-OC strongly believes in educating APA professionals in the areas of leadership, community building, advocacy, and environment. OCA-OC recently held a workshop as part of their OCA-OC Professional Development Series which touched on professional development skills. This series will continue with OCA leadership programs such as Bamboo and Mentoring Asian American Professionals (MAAP).
“OCA-OC is honored to have this partnership with Southern California Edison. We are grateful for the company’s generous support of our social justice, community building and professional development events and programs in Orange County,” says Lisa Akiyama, OCA-Orange County chapter president, “because of SCE we are able to continue to serve, empower and mobilize the APA Community in Orange County.”
OCA-Greater Los Angeles (OCA-GLA) has fostered active participation of APAs in both civic and national matters since its inception in 1991 by instilling a sense of social responsibility in the APA community through leadership opportunities and community empowerment activities. OCA-GLA continues to impact the Los Angeles community through community service, community organizing, education and leadership development.
“OCA-GLA is extremely grateful for SCE’s generosity and partnership. We are very pleased to continue to partner with SCE in expanding our programmatic capacity to meet the increasing needs of the APA community in the greater Los Angeles area during this period of great economic difficulty,” states Bryant Yang, OCA-GLA chapter president.
This grant will directly support professional development and social justice advancement programs for OCA-OC and OCA-GLA. Both chapters are in areas where there is a large population of SCE customers. More specifically, the SCE grant will support professional leadership programs such as Bamboo and MAAP, as well as other advocacy and cultural public programming for which both chapters have been known for.
In 2010, OCA-GLA will continue to deliver high impact programs such as Mentored Path to Citizenship Grant, which provides financial and legal assistance for an eligible immigrant to naturalize and become a U.S. citizen, and “Imma Be,” high school career talks that connect first-generation students with leaders in different fields. OCA-OC will host Bamboo on September 16th at the Montage Laguna Beach, where over 50 aspiring APA professionals will have the chance to network and participate in a professional development session.
APPLICATION for the Mentored Path to Citizenship Grant
DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION AND INSTRUCTIONS HERE
OCA-Greater Los Angeles is proud to present its 2nd annual Mentored Path to Citizenship Grant. OCA-GLA is awarding a $675 naturalization grant to provide assistance to a qualified individual in L.A. County seeking U.S. citizenship. It is a one-time grant that will provide financial assistance towards application fees, while also giving the recipient the opportunity to receive assistance from the Asian Pacific American Legal Center throughout the application process.
All interested individuals are asked to complete a written application available at www.oca-gla.org or by calling the OCA-GLA office at (213) 250-9888. Applicants must show proof of residency in Los Angeles County and demonstrate eligibility to become a U.S. citizen. Viable candidates will be interviewed in a confidential screening process by OCA-GLA with assistance by APALC. More information can be found on the OCA-GLA website.
Deadline to apply is SEPTEMBER 17, 2010.
Press Release: 2nd Annual Citizenship Grant Offered by Los Angeles Asian Pacific American Nonprofit
Citizenship Grant Offered by Los Angeles Asian Pacific American Nonprofit
LOS ANGELES – Organization of Chinese Americans-Greater Los Angeles chapter (OCA-GLA) is awarding a $675 naturalization grant to assist to one qualified individual in the L.A. County in applying for U.S. citizenship. This one-time grant will provide financial assistance towards application fees, while also giving the recipient the opportunity to receive assistance from the Asian Pacific American Legal Center throughout the naturalization process. “OCA-GLA is proud to be able to offer the Mentored Path to Citizenship Grant again this year. The Great Recession has affected so many in our nation, including working-class immigrants. Now more than ever, financial assistance to worthy and deserving immigrants is needed to ensure that the American Dream is still attainable.” said OCA-GLA president Bryant Yang. “Applying for citizenship can be a complicated process. We want to do what we can to help all interested individuals ” said APALC executive director Stewart Kwoh. Mrs. and Mr. Cabobos, who were last year’s recipients of the grant, felt that the grant was incredibly helpful to their path of citizenship, and welcomed the collaboration of the two Asian Pacific American non-profit organizations. “Mentored Path to Citizenship Grant is a great way to acquire U.S. Citizenship. OCA-GLA in partnership with APALC really helps less fortunate immigrants like us.” The written application, which may be found on www.oca-gla.org or by calling the office at 213-250-9888, is due on September 17th, 2010. Applicants must show proof of residency in Los Angeles County and demonstrate eligibility to become a U.S. citizen. Candidates will be interviewed in a confidential screening process by OCA-GLA with assistance by APALC. Founded in 1973, Organization of Chinese Americans is a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans in the United States. Since its 1991 inception, OCA-GLA has worked with partners like APALC to assist the greater L.A. area in community projects while also fostering a sense of civic duty and awareness. For further questions, please contact OCA-GLA’s office at (213) 250-9888. Written inquiries may be sent to 1145 Wilshire Blvd., 1st Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017 and emails may be directed to info@oca-gla.org.
OCA-GLA ANNOUNCES NEW CIVIL RIGHTS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
LOS ANGELES – OCA-Greater Los Angeles (OCA-GLA) chapter will launch its inaugural Civil Rights Fellowship Program for 2010-2011. Applications will be accepted until May 14, 2010.“OCA-GLA is proud to offer this fellowship as an opportunity for the next generation of Asian Pacific Americans to develop their leadership skills, and to increase a deeper understanding of social justice issues that face our community,” said Ed Lew, OCA-GLA vice president and head chair of the Civil Right Fellowship Committee.Upon selection, the OCA-GLA Civil Rights Fellow will receive a stipend of $25,000 and will work with the chapter for 12 months. The Fellow will have an opportunity to work on advocacy issues critical to the Asian Pacific American community, participate in professional and leadership development programs, receive hands-on experience managing a community based non-profit organization, fundraising, website management, and media relationFor further questions, please contact OCA-GLA’s office at (213) 250-9888 or info@oca-gla.org.
Submit the entire package to the attention of Bryant Yang, OCA-GLA President.
· If by mail, please send to:
OCA-Greater
Attn: Bryant Yang, President
· If by email, please send to: bryant.yang@oca-gla.org.
All submissions must be postmarked no later than
Successful Census for OCA-GLA & APABA
LOS ANGELES – OCA-Greater Los Angeles (OCA-GLA) and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association (APABA) successfully outreached to approximately 900 community members about the Census and the importance of being counted. OCA-GLA and APABA also obtained 205 commitment forms from individuals who pledged to fill out their Census forms or, if they had already done so, to remind 5 other people to fill their forms.
The Census count, which occurs every 10 years as required by the U.S. Constitution, is probably the single most important data source for the country. The Census data determine how public funds are allocated for services like schools, hospitals, emergency services, police and fire fighters. The Census is also used for reapportionment of Congressional seats and redistricting of both state and federal electoral districts. In 2000, close to 180,000 individuals were undercounted in Los Angeles, which caused the county to lose over $635 million dollars in public funds. Studies have shown that the neighborhoods with the highest undercount rates tend to be poor and predominantly minority.
“OCA-GLA’s theme for 2010 is ‘Making Our Community Count’. We, along with APABA, want to prevent the undercount that occurred in 2000 from happening again, not just for the Asian Pacific American community, but for all of Los Angeles. Getting everyone counted will ensure that more of our tax money returns here to serve our communities,” stated Bryant Yang, President of OCA-GLA.
To combat the historic undercount in Los Angeles, especially among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, OCA-GLA and APABA organized “Dim Sum Census.” Volunteers tabled in front of Empress Pavilion, a well known restaurant in Los Angeles Chinatown, on March 27and 28 from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM. OCA-GLA and APABA members talked to Empress Pavilion patrons about the Census, handed out Census materials, and answered questions on how to properly fill out the Census forms. Trained Census workers were also present; the event was designated an Authorized Assistance Center. Free Census paraphernalia and gift certificates to Empress Pavilions were handed out to encourage participation.
“Dim Sum Census was extremely successful. APABA and OCA-GLA organized the event to target monolingual, first-generation Asian Pacific Americans. We believe our member volunteers who were bilingual and culturally sensitive were effective in helping people fill out their forms and in raising awareness about the Census among community members that are difficult to reach,” said Shirley Lee, APABA Board member.
