ACRS Turns 45 in 2018
Stories are being written every day at ACRS – stories of hope and opportunity, stories of recovery and healing, stories about building a new life in a foreign land, stories of immigrants and refugees who are working to achieve their American dreams, and stories about finding one’s voice, sometimes in another language. These are just some of many stories about our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities that are often overlooked in the national conversation about immigrants, refugees, communities of color, women, Muslims and countless others.
As an agency, our story officially began in 1973, when a small group of students, activists and community volunteers came together to answer the question of “what can be done” to remove barriers for AAPIs when seeking mental health support and counseling.
ACRS is turning 45 years old this year. Over the last four and half decades, we have grown from a handful of volunteers serving about 30 clients to nearly 270 staff who speak over 40 languages and touch nearly 32,000 community members each year. Throughout the years, we have evolved and grown to meet the needs identified by the communities that we serve.
One thing that remains constant is our commitment to social justice. We continue to speak up, take action and fight for what is right. What makes it all possible is the support and conviction of our community. It is each of you, especially in these times, who fuels the hope and opportunity that ACRS represents to our community. ACRS was founded by the community and continues to exist for the community.
During our 45th anniversary year, we look forward to sharing stories with you. We will be honoring the progress that we have achieved together and the people who made it possible. We will look at the issues that we have taken up and fought for, and we will learn about the individuals behind these efforts during a yearlong digital and video campaign. We hope you will join us through our journey of reflection and celebration, and that you will share your own stories and memories with us and with our community. We are so excited to share our first video with you in February – so stay tuned!
With deep gratitude and appreciation,
Angelie Chong
President, ACRS Board of Directors
P.S. Our future is made stronger when built on a strong foundation of our past. We would love to publish your memories, stories and photos of ACRS. Please take a moment to share them at acrs45@acrs.org, or call our development director, Candace Inagi, at (206) 774-2404.
