Dear Friends:

We have a new name:  Asian American Center of Frederick!

As the only Asian focused and led non-profit agency in Frederick County, Maryland, our Board of Directors has decided to adopt a new name to be more reflective of what we do and who we are. So, Asian American Center of Frederick, AACF, was newly incorporated into LIFE & Discovery effective September 2011.

We have redefined our vision:

Building a better Frederick community by integrating the Asian communities into the American way of life.

Our mission includes:

Enhancing access to services, Empowering through education and training, and Enriching Frederick County with the diversity of the Asian culture.

It has been seven years since we began our services helping immigrant children through an after school homework club at West Frederick Middle School. We then formed an extension between the community and the schools, then health providers, social services, housing advocates, workforce development and other entities. Through the years, our reaching out and being sought after has guided L&D’s direction, and at times, posted challenges along the course.

Looking back to the inception of this organization, we have had several “firsts” in the community at large and we are still only in our infancy stage.

AACF continues to experience the tremendous growth that L&D began. We started locally, then expanded to cross over jurisdictions, moved across state-lines and now we work internationally. We remain focused in serving Frederick County families, but we have received support through local, state, federal and global network entities. We have been able to leverage services far exceeding our actual resources.

Why does AACF continue to grow, to develop programs, to build networks, and to reach thousands of community members each year? The answer is clear – there are still a lot of unmet needs in our community. There is still a great need to reduce disparities.  And, there are still untapped resources that we can develop especially for youth. After all, the Asian communities grew more than 240% in Frederick County in this past decade, (2010 Census).

Through our programs, both the young and old examine how to improve their capacity in order to make their own contribution for the sake of our next generation. Our accomplishments, highlighted here, show the work we do through our Chinese Language Program, Asian Spring Celebration, Asian Heritage Month, Asian Health Fair, AmeriCorps Projects, and our most recent development…Interpreter Services.

As our County becomes more diverse, the responsibility rests on us to first eliminate our own barriers. We are committed to reach the Asian community and be reached by it. That is the reason why AACF works so hard to do outreach, across inter-ethnic groups, erasing that invisible line of intolerance that separates us. When we hold our annual Health Fair, it is our privilege to serve all members of the community that makes up our great County.  This is a commitment we take very seriously.

We sincerely thank the many foundations, individual donors, and above all, volunteers who have supported our efforts. We hope you enjoy reading our highlights and support our continued effort in being a meaningful bridge.
Sincerely,

Elizabeth Chung
Executive Director