WASHINGTON, D.C., May 2, 2016: Shubhada Saxena is among the ten nominated for Asian American & Pacific Islander Community Hero Awards by AARP. Shubhada Saxena is a leader at SAIVA (South Asians’ International Volunteer Association) in Austin, TX.
AARP’s inaugural Asian American and Pacific Islander Community Hero Awards has been established to acknowledge the hard-working staff and volunteers of non-profit organizations serving AAPIs age 50-plus. One can visit facebook.com/AARPAAPICommunity to cast the vote during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month until May 31, 2016 at 11pm ET. Three heroes and their organizations will each receive a $1,000 cash prize when the winners are announced in June.
“We’re thrilled with the caliber of all the nominees who were submitted for consideration by their colleagues, friends and family,” said Daphne Kwok, AARP Vice President of Multicultural Leadership, Asian American and Pacific Islander Audience Strategy. “Each and every one of the nominees provides invaluable service to our community. Many have been serving for decades. We’re proud to recognize this outstanding group of individuals for their commitment to making a difference in the lives of older adults and ask that you vote now! We hope that by highlighting these community members we will inspire people to either volunteer or to work for our older adults.”
The ten AARP Asian American and Pacific Islander Community Hero Award finalists are: Katty Chow, Kin On Community Health Care in Seattle, WA; Enoch Fung, Chinatown Community Development Center in San Francisco, CA; Julie Kimiyo Hubbard, Yu-Ai Kai Japanese American Community Senior Service in San Jose, CA; Shiao-Lin D. Hui, Chinese Community Center Free Clinic at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of Chicago (CCBA) in Chicago, IL; Rose Kim Ly, Vietnamese American Community Center of the East Bay in Oakland, CA; Fay Chew Matsuda, Hamilton-Madison House in New York, NY; Soon Do Paik, Penn Asian Senior Services (PASSi) in Philadelphia, PA; Dongwoo “Joe” Pak, Korean-American Seniors Association of Orange County in Garden Grove, CA; and, Lourdes Santos Tancinco of the Veterans Equity Center in San Francisco, CA.
The finalists were selected from the 77 submissions AARP received from around the country including California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, DC. The stellar nominees included executive directors, staff, and volunteers who work in healthcare, social services, education, technology, and the arts.
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. . The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.
