THANK YOU for joining us in standing for a brighter future
This year’s Annual Fundraising Banquet was a great success!
Over 360 community members came together to celebrate KCSC’s 44 th Anniversary! Participants heard from inspiring community leaders like the evening’s keynote speaker, Steve Park, Founder and Executive Director of Little Lights Urban Ministries. They demonstrate on a daily basis what it means to be true agents of change. Every day, he and many others strive to support the well-being of their neighbors and transform the neighborhoods where they live. We also heard from immigrant families who have overcome many challenges and are working hard to reach their fullest potential. We applaud their achievements and resilience.
The generous support of individual donors is critical to realize KCSC’s mission to change the lives of Asian residents and community for a much brighter future.
Thanks to your meaningful support and generosity, together, we were able to raise $120,000 at this year’s Annual Fundraising Banquet!
KCSC’s 44th Annual Fundraising Banquet was held on Sunday March 18th at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, 7920 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA 22102. The Reception started at 5:00PM followed by the Dinner and Program beginning at 6:00PM.
You are agents of change
Ms. Park described her marriage as a “living hell” but she stayed with her husband all the same, afraid of being a single mother and worried about how she’d be able to make a living all by herself. Eventually she had had enough and, together with her son, left her home and moved across the country to Virginia. At first she lived in a shelter for victims of domestic violence.
Everything was new and felt strange – there was a language barrier with the shelter staff and she was uncomfortable eating American food at every meal. Luckily, she remembered that a police officer had suggested she contact KCSC. At last, she was able to share her story with someone spoke the same language and understood her culture.
"After I met with my DV coordinator at KCSC, I was able to sort out the confusion of my life and begin to move forward. KCSC helped me to organize my thoughts and emotions and put together a detailed and practical plan for the future."
Rebuilding her life was still very challenging! After leaving the shelter, she had to move several times to find affordable housing. Every time she moved, her son had to transfer to a new school district. He started to act up in school and was referred to KCSC’s mental health counselor for therapy. Meanwhile, during this time, KCSC established “Bodeum House”, a supportive housing program for victims of crime. While documenting her legal immigration status caused some delays, eventually she was able to move in.
KCSC connected her with the Fairfax County Public School parent liaisons who worked closely with her and helped her son to stay in the same school. Through the support of KCSC’s mental health counseling services, she and her son got the h peacefully in the US as lawful permanent residents.elp they needed to recover from their trauma. KCSC helped her to get professional legal advice and to prepare for her day in court. As a result, she and her son are now able to reside peacefully in the US as lawful permanent residents.
Ms. Park is truly grateful to KCSC for lifting her up when she was down and for showing her the love and care she needed throughout her recovery. She is still in the process of finding stable permanent housing and solving some other issues, but now she is confident that she will continue to be successful thanks to the support she received from KCSC.
