Pay it forward

. . .

VIETNAMESE ASSOCIATION OF ILLINOIS 2014 Annual Report

From Our President . . .Kính thưa Quý vị,

Trước hết chúng tôi thay mặt Hội Đồng Quản Trị, ban tổ chức, nhân viên điều hành và tập thể thiện nguyện viên Hội Người Việt Illinois xin hân hoan chào đón và kính gởi đến Quý vị lời chào trân trọng nhất. Chúng tôi cũng xin chân thành cám ơn Quý vị đã dành thời giờ quý báu đến tham dự và cổ vũ cho buổi Dạ Tiệc Thường Niên đêm nay, một truyền thống mà Hội Người Việt đã duy trì liên tục trong 38 năm qua. Thưa Quý vị, như đã ước hẹn, hàng năm cứ vào thời khắc này, khi tiết trời bắt đầu báo hiệu một mùa Đông, chúng tôi lại được vinh dự tiếp đón Quý vị trong bầu không khí giao hòa đầm ấm tại hội trường trang trọng này để chia sẻ quá trình sinh hoạt của Hội trong năm qua. Lời ước hẹn ấy hôm nay đã trở về, cho chúng ta cơ hội hạnh ngộ để ôn lại kỷ niệm, để chia sẻ buồn vui trong mạch sống nơi đất khách quê người. Cuộc hành trình trải dài gần bốn mươi năm thăng trầm của Hội Người Việt, điều hiển nhiên là nhờ vào tâm huyết và bàn tay của chính Quý vị đã dày công vun bồi để giờ đây chúng tôi đang tự hào tiếp tục kế thừa. Nghĩa cử chung lòng chung sức đó là vốn quý, là tài sản vô giá cần được thăng hoa tạo điều kiện nâng đỡ những người thật sự cần quan tâm để họ tìm thấy tương lai và hy

vọng trong cuộc sống mới. Chúng tôi tin rằng sự tiếp tay hỗ trợ của Quý vị sẽ tác động lớn lao đến tinh thần nỗ lực sáng tạo trong việc điều hành, và sẽ mang lại những thành quả khả quan xứng đáng trong tương lai. Tinh thần tương trợ quý báu đó cũng là trục xoay chính mở ra cánh cửa thành công trong sứ mệnh phục vụ cộng đồng, phù hợp kế hoạch mà Hội đã đề ra kể từ khi thành lập vào năm 1976. Trong ý hướng đó, chủ đề được chọn cho đêm Dạ Tiệc Thường Niên năm nay là "Pay It Forward”. Chúng tôi muốn nói đến sự đền đáp tiếp nối trong đời sống và lòng biết ơn. Khi chúng ta nhận được sự giúp đỡ của tha nhân, chúng ta không quên trợ giúp người khác. Ý thức và cảm nhận được ý nghĩa quan trọng mang đậm tính nhân văn đó, chúng tôi cảm thấy cần phải làm nhiều hơn nữa nhằm duy trì và phát triển tốt công tác phục vụ xã hội, trọng trách mà chúng tôi xem như bổn phận thiêng liêng để xây dựng cộng đồng ngày một vững mạnh. Chúng tôi cũng mong ước đón nhận thêm nữa sự đóng góp về nhiều mặt từ Quý vị để Hội tiếp tục thăng tiến lên một tầm cao mới. Sự đa dạng trong cách suy nghĩ và đóng góp ý kiến sẽ tác động tích cực đến cách thức phát triển và sức sáng tạo trong công việc phục vụ xã hội, kiện toàn tổ chức. Kính thưa Quý vị, một lần nữa, xin chân thành tri ân đến tất cả Quý vị đại diện các Hội Đoàn, Quý cơ quan truyền thông báo chí, Quý ân nhân, Quý tân khách, các thành viên Hội Đồng Quản Trị, nhân viên điều hành và các bạn thiện nguyện viên đã hỗ trợ thời gian, công sức để sự kiện trọng đại này được

thành công tốt đẹp. Kính chúc Quý vị một buổi tối an bình và hạnh phúc.

Rất trân trọng,

Bs. Hoàng Đức HiềnChủ Tịch Hội Đồng Quản Trị Hội Người Việt Illinois

Pay it forwa

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From our CEO . . .

Dear Friends,

As I reflect on the year just ended and the many ways the Vietnamese Association of Illinois (VAI) has opened its doors to people in need, a quote comes to mind by Mahatma Gandhi…”the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” At the VAI, we try very hard to follow this example with gentle care, opening our arms and our hearts to every human need.

This year, I have marveled at how tirelessly our staff and volunteers undertake their work. They embrace with great care those with disadvantages. Further, they wisely develop and implement solutions. I am truly blessed to work with a remarkable team determined to give back and pay it forward. The VAI staff, board members, and volunteers are comprised of individuals with a rich history of service. In fact, most of our staff and board members are former refugees themselves.

This year, VAI saw a great need for senior services. Our staff provided over 120,000 hours of in-home care to over 170 seniors. Most importantly, our staff prides itself on quality work to all clients. Our Adjustment Department saw an increase in need and served over 900 clients from all parts of the world. Our Health Program initiatives don't just educate our clients, but also partner with historic academic institutions such as Northwestern University and the Lurie Cancer Center to resolve healthcare issues.

Through our ongoing partnerships and evolving programs, we dedicate ourselves to examining the current landscape, understanding the perceptions, and stopping the cycle of continuing health afflictions before they pass on to the next generation. I am truly excited to see our Health Initiative grow and serve more individuals and families.

To those who have given their time, talent, and treasures we are eternally grateful for the hope we shared together in 2014. Together we served thousands of lives…paying it forward one heart, one life, one individual at a time.

With sincere gratitude,

Paul H. LuuChief Executive Officer

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“BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD.”

GHANDI

2014 YEAR IN REVIEW

136 Homemakers+

179 Clients=

123,158 Hoursof in-home care

COMMUNITY CARE PROGRAM

(CCP)

VAI’s COMMUNITY CARE PROGRAM is funded

through the ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT ON AGING to provide in-home care to the agency’s senior constituents. VAI Homemakers assist senior citizens by providing them with the assistance

necessary to remain in their homes and enjoy

their golden years.

VAI employs 136 Homemakers and in Fiscal Year

2014, the agency provided 123,158 hours of in-

home care to its 179 clients.

YOUTH PROGRAM

Fiscal Year 2014 was a successful year for VAI’s YOUTH PROGRAM, which increased its enrollment from the previous year. Most of our participants maintained high marks in school. Three students received the ASIAN AMERICAN YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARD from the STATE OF ILLINOIS COMPTROLLER.

VAI’s SUMMER PROGRAM enrolled 105 students, who learned English, Math, and Life Skills with the help of our 32 dedicated Youth Instructors from AFTER SCHOOL MATTERS.

But the VAI SUMMER PROGRAM is not just about work; it’s also about play. Our field trips included fun at:

• LINCOLN PARK ZOO

• CHICAGO CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

• FOSTER BEACH

• WAVELAND BOWL

• CHUCK E. CHEESE

In total, VAI served over 200 kids. We would like to thank the volunteers who supported VAI’s YOUTH PROGRAM with over 3,900 hours in FY14.

VAI offers a range of services for youth,

including: TUTORING

COMPUTER LITERACY

PERSONAL MENTORING

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

CULTURAL / RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM . . .. . . helps immigrants, refugees, and asylees acclimate to life in America.

Our CITIZENSHIP PROGRAM guides enrollees through the naturalization process. We help with the paperwork, and communicate directly with the U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICE on behalf of qualified immigrants.

VAI’s OUTREACH AND INTERPRETATION PROJECT provides education and assistance to immigrant communities on obtaining public benefits. 

OVERCOMING

Cultural and Linguistic Barriers

ACCOMPLISHMENTS At a GlanceACCOMPLISHMENTS At a Glance

IMMIGRATION SERVICES People Served

Citizenship Workshops 160U.S.C.I.S. Forms 437SOCIAL BENEFITS People Served

S.N.A.P., Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Counseling

35

TRANSLATION & INTERPRETATION People Served

Telephone Conversations Interpreted 9Face-to-Face Conversations Interpreted 60

Written Documents Translated 216

ADULT EDUCATION

PROGRAM

Many clients from our Community Care and Adjustment programs also enroll in our Adult Education courses, demonstrating VAI’s holistic approach to its services.

In Fiscal Year 2014, we updated our curricula and intensified volunteer recruitment, allowing us to serve more clients and exceed our goals. We added three new courses:

1. Advanced Reading2. United States History3. American Pop Culture

Volunteers are an integral part of this program. A majority provided at least forty-five hours of services this year.

Over 90% of our students increased their literacy level after 60 hours of instruction. 25 out of 27 students passed the citizenship examination.

Grant Goal Achievement

ADULT VOLUNTEER LITERACY80 Adult Learners

50 Volunteers129 Adult Learners

80 Volunteers

NEW AMERICANS INITIATIVE 125 Adult Learners 151 Adult Learners

I.C.C.B. -- E.L. / CIVICS 60 Adult Learners 74 Adult LearnersI.C.C.B. -- E.S.L. 35 Adult Learners 55 Adult Learners

I.C.C.B. = ILLINOIS LLINOIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARDBOARD

Providing quality learning opportunities to:

IMMIGRANTS

REFUGEES

ASYLEES

"LET US THINK OF EDUCATION AS THE MEANS OF DEVELOPING OUR GREATEST ABILITIES, BECAUSE IN EACH OF US THERE IS A PRIVATE HOPE AND DREAM WHICH, FULFILLED, CAN BE TRANSLATED INTO BENEFIT FOR EVERYONE AND GREATER STRENGTH FOR OUR NATION."

JOHN F. KENNEDY Pay it forwa

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VAI VOLUNTEERS

Caheri AguilarEmily BalentinSergio BalinoAraceli BarraganKiara BrooksDeana BuchananLydia ByrneSuzanne CafourosVivian CaoAnnie CauhijBristol CaveKieu CheBrittany ChiuTheavuth ChourbCari ColemanMatthias CookeCollin CousineasMontana CradyJoanna DaloisioSally DaoConnor DaulnyShannon DavenportTherenz EscobarScott EversonDayana FeeneyJames FeulutCarl GalasekCorey GilbertKatie GrahamKaitlyn GuareCharles HarperTira HepkerNathan HuynhNick InzeoCarey JennetteChristine KausalBob KazelBeau KedaColleen KeefeJennifer Komorowski

Michael KosmalaAllton KumontoyMinh LamLindsey LandisSeung LeeMary LeonardAlexandra LobenhereSilvia LopezHenry LuuKevin LuuPeter LyonDao MacKevin MaiDon MalkemesKarla MaradiagaMohammed MatarielKevin MathewsWill McChesneyDominique McClayPatrick McNamaraDan MooreAshley MuellerCheuk NeAnthony NguyenJenny NguyenMinh NguyenRosie NguyenThao NguyenThinh NguyenTrung NguyenTuong NguyenVung NguyenJulia NikolMackenzie NolanEli OrensteinJohn ParkJack PemberDeShawn PetersonEden PhamHelen Pham

Kevin PhamLin PhamLynda PhamTuan PhamKong PhanNga PhanAlyssa PilacElizabeth QuirkRegina RamosBriana RhodeCallen RuijPriya ShahLinda SherfickJennifer ShineGreg SilvaSoryane SongSuvat SoniMegan SpauldinAlexander SpirovskiRachel SpitzerStephanie StockAvidan TabakCarmen Tataru-EspinalAlex TaylorFrancesca TenczaWilliam ThomasHoa TranJoanne TranSusan TranTina TranKevin TrieuVincent TrieuTay TrongCharlie TuAlex UkgrogenMallory UrsulJessica VilaythongAshleigh Wiatowski

EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM . . .. . . helps immigrants and refugees achieve self-sufficiency through job placement services, vocational education, and working with other social agencies for job training.

During Fiscal Year 2014, our part-time Employment Specialist:

• Worked with 110 clients• Developed 60 resumés• Placed 10 people in jobs

He also assisted clients with:

• Computer literacy• Unemployment benefits• T.A.N.F.

(Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)

In F.Y. 15, we will work with a variety of Voluntary Refugee Resettlement Agencies and Mutual Aid Associations to extend our services to the current influx of refugees from the Middle East, North Africa and Asia.

Pay it forwa

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HEALTH PROGRAM

This service aims to improve the longterm health of refugee families by developing appropriate health education materials and by offering instruction and support through regular health fairs and health screenings.

In April 2014, VAI began a partnership with the ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH through a CAROLYN ADAMS TICKET FOR THE CURE COMMUNITY GRANT to design and execute a BREAST CANCER SERIES to the VAI community.

The goal of this project is to provide at least 150 Vietnamese women with a learning experience that will support healthier behavior choices regarding breast cancer prevention, including:

• a healthy diet• an active lifestyle• early screening

Pay it forward . . .

2014 FINANCIAL SUMMARY

During fiscal year 2014, the VIETNAMESE ASSOCIATION OF ILLINOIS spent $2,369,121 serving people, up $171,253 from the previous year. Ninety-one cents ($0.91) of every dollar spent, or $2,155,682, went toward program services. The remainder was accounted for by management and general expenses of $119,144, by fundraising costs of $21,281 and by parking lot expenses of $73,014.

Approximately eighty-nine percent (89%) of these expenditures was funded by public and other operating support received during the year. Total public support--both operation and non-operation--was $2,407,157, an increase of $34,886 in 2014. It was comprised of $123,277 of general contributions, $12,833 gifts in kind, and $2,271,047 of allocations from city, corporations and similar funding organizations.

REVENUES REVENUES REVENUES

Government Grants 2,260,599

Private Contributions 10,448

Fundraising 12,833

Parking Lot 69,570

Monthly Magazine 34,097

Other Income 19,610

TOTAL REVENUES TOTAL REVENUES 2,407,157

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

135

91

For Every Dollar Spent

Program Services = 91%Administration = 5%Parking Lot = 3% Resource Development = 1%

EXPENSES EXPENSES EXPENSES EXPENSES

Program Services Program Services Counseling & Information 25,000 Employment 9,890 Youth 59,132 Health 15,902 Senior 1,963,117 Literacy 44,347 Magazine 38,294

Total Program Services Expenses Total Program Services Expenses 2,155,682

Supporting Services Supporting Services General Management

& Administration 119,144 Resource development 21,281

Total Supporting Services Expenses Total Supporting Services Expenses 140,425

Other Expenses Other Expenses Parking Lot 73,014

TOTAL EXPENSES TOTAL EXPENSES TOTAL EXPENSES 2,369,121

Net Income 38,036Net Assets -- Beginning of Year 1,839,702

NET ASSETS -- END OF YEAR 1,877,738

Naeem AliOanh CaoVinh CaoPhuc CongChinh DangCuong DangKiana DangAnh DaoThai DaoLe DinhTien DinhTran DipDania DissiDinh DoKevin DoKieu DoaLinh DoThanh DoDanh DoanMui GianMinh Chau HaMytruc HaislerSonny HangHanin HindiStephanie HarrisThay HoangAnn HuynhPhi HuynhPhilip HuynhPhuong HuynhAbdel KarajuHlum KsorMinh KsorhaCeline LamHen Lam

Oanh LamThanh LamBich LeHanh LeNghia LeNhu LeOak LeThomas LeTung LeMin LoCam LuongChi LuuDiep LuuHato Luu Nhan LuuPhat LuuRonda MurrarThuy NgoBe NguyenBichhan NguyenCan NguyenChristine NguyenDao NguyenDieu NguyenHanh NguyenKhanh NguyenKiet NguyenLan NguyenLieu NguyenLoc NguyenLy NguyenLynn NguyenLynn NguyenNgoc NguyenNgon Nguyen

Nguyen NguyenNhan NguyenNhuong NguyenNuong NguyenOanh NguyenPhung NguyenPhung NguyenTam NguyenThan NguyenThoi NguyenThu NguyenThu NguyenTinh NguyenTom NguyenTony NguyenTruc NguyenXuan NguyenMohammad NoufelMartha OlagueHanh PhamHong PhamKhanh PhamNhuyen PhamNicole PhamTam PhamThao PhamVinh PhamEmmy PhanLan PhanAnh PhuVinh PhuongNhi QuachLinda QuanPhom RooZelimir Stakic

Ieman RostomTrinh TaHy TanNguyet TatLu TongHoa TramAnna TranHuong TranJennifer TranJulie TranSang TranThanh TranThu TranTong TrieuChinh TrinhCuong TrinhHuy TrinhVan TrinhLoan TruongLoi TruongPhung TruongHa TuHong TuongMuoi VanDiem VoThuy VoTin VuMuon Vu Duoc VuongLynn WenShana Yeh

CCP HOMEMAKERSDr. Hien Hoang

PresidentDr. Hy Dang

VP Of Internal AffairsDr. Hoang Vu

VP Of External AffairsMs. Loan T. Nguyen

SecretaryMr. Michael Nguyen

Financial ChairDr. Karen WashingtonMr. Bryan Esenberg

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFFCaheri Aguilar Taif AlshakirJalal BelsifarShara ChauVan DuongGerardo FernandezFrancis KhucDennis MoralesDemi LeHung Le

Paul LuuDung NguyenLarry PandeNga PhanHomer PottsWatfa RazikGreg SilvaHanh TranLe Phuong TranThao Vo

Vietnamese Association of Illinois5110 N. Broadway St.Chicago, IL 60640-3004

ph. (773) 728-3700fx. (773) 728-0497

website: hnvi.orgemail: infovai@hnvi.org