Featured Volunteer & Community Service Opportunities
The following organizations participated in the Weatherhead East Asian Institute’s Undergraduate Volunteer Open House on September 26, 2006. The WEAI has copies of materials from all the organizations listed below. Please come by room 914C of IAB if you’d like to pick up an application or browse the brochures.
Asian Professional Extension (APEX) Mentorship Program
Chinese American Planning Council (CPC) Volunteer Program
Chinatown Manpower Project Business Outreach Program
Chinese Progressive Association Volunteer Program
Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans Seeking Volunteers for Asian American Heritage Festival in May
New York Asian Women’s Center Volunteer Program
Asian Professional Extension (APEX) Mentorship Program
http://www.apex-ny.org/
APEX is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the development of disadvantaged Asian and Asian American youth by providing them with adult role models, educational programs, social services, and career guidance. Undergraduate students who become mentors are paired with a compatible middle school student in New York. The program is designed to create long-lasting relationships that foster the social and personal skills of Asian American youth. After receiving mentor training, undergraduates meet with mentees for two hours every two weeks at a mutually convenient time to help them with homework, talk with them, or play games.
Contact: Jill Chen at (212) 748-1225 ext.104, or Jill.chen@apex-ny.org for more information on how to apply.
Chinese American Planning Council (CPC) Volunteer Program
http://www.cpc-ny.org/
The Chinese American Planning Council aims to improve the quality of life of Chinese Americans in New York City by providing access to services, skills and resources toward the goal of economic self-sufficiency and integration into American society. CPC’s activities include workshops for the Chinese community, child care services, workforce development, youth services, senior services, housing management, and an arts council. CPC has over 100 volunteers helping in its various programs.
Contact: PJ Fleury at (212) 400-2090 or Steve Yip at (212) 941-0920 ext. 129, syip@cpc-nyc.org for more information.
Chinatown Manpower Project Business Outreach Program
www.cmpny.org
Chinatown Manpower Project provides the New York City immigrant community with vocational training and employment assistance. Through its programs and workshops, CMP sponsors an English literacy program, computer trainings, grant programs, and a business outreach center. The Business Outreach Program provides free business consulting to help Chinese immigrants build their own businesses. They assist in identifying loan opportunities, developing business plans, obtaining licenses and permits, and much more. Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks, including CMP’s ESL program and its Business Outreach Program.
Contact: Tommy Wu, tommywu@cmpny.org, ( 212) 966-7328
Chinese Progressive Association Volunteer Program
http://www.volunteersolutions.org/uwnyc/org/8717778.html
The Chinese Progressive Association, based in New York’s Chinatown, aims to obtain social and economic equality for Chinese persons in America. CPA brings Asians and Chinese of various backgrounds together to work towards this goal. The Chinese Progressive Association sponsors programs on immigrant rights, youth activities, environmental health and justice, political empowerment, as well as a dragon boat team at the HK Dragon Boat Festival every summer. As a volunteer-based organization, CPA has many opportunities available for interested students.
Contact: Mae Lee, cpanyc@att.net, (212) 274-1891
Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans Seeking Volunteers for Asian American Heritage Festival in May
http://www.capaonline.org/
CAPA hosts the annual Asian American Heritage Festival in Union Square each spring. The organization brings Asians and Asian Americans from all backgrounds together to organize and plan the cultural festivities for the greater New York community. Short-term volunteers are needed on Sunday, May 6, 2007, to help with set-up, staffing the information booth, assisting stage performers and martial artists, and clean-up.
Contact: Bibs Teh, bteh@capaonline.org to sign up for any of these activities.
New York Asian Women’s Center Volunteer Program
http://www.nyawc.org/
The New York Asian Women’s Center is an advocacy organization for battered women in the New York Asian communities. NYAWC’s programs include a multilingual hotline, an emergency shelter, counseling services, support groups, public education, information referrals, English trainings, and mentoring for children in abusive families. Volunteers provide many services to NYAWC’s clients, including tutoring, babysitting, translating, and event organization. Fluency in at least one Asian language is helpful but not required. Training sessions are offered for volunteers.
Contact: Xue Yi Zhen, xzhen@nyawc.org, (212) 732-0054 ext. 127