亲爱的华协理事及社区朋友们大家好！
感谢对Connie Liao和Diana Chang 的信任与支持，推举我们共同出任亚市华协2020-2021 届的会长。我们希望能向前辈会长和理事们学习，牢记华协的桥梁使命，秉持义工精神，吸收更多的爱心志工，一同为社区服务。2020年是艰难的一年，在这一年里，我们一起经历了COVID19 病毒大流行，森林野火，地震，以及总统大选。面对各种突如其来的灾难和前所未有的挑战，我们提出了以Caring，Compassion，及Solidarity(关怀、同情与团结)为年度活动的主题，我们不但一如既往地承担起了社区桥梁的责任，还更多地关注社区由于疫情和火灾而产生的各种需求，对以往的活动做出顺应时势地调整，在被隔离的状态下，以新的方式新的形式，继续尽最大的努力服务社区。
2020年1月，当我们知道童子军营地修缮急需资金的时候，利用年度庆典专门为童子军营地修缮募款$35,000.
3月13 号，在川普总统宣布全国进入病毒流行紧急状态之后，美国各州医院都出现了医疗防护用品的严重短缺。当华协了解到这些情况后，立即带头发起了为医护人员募捐购买防护用品的活动，并率先捐赠$10,000 美元，华协理事们纷纷慷慨解囊，捐赠活动也得到了亚凯迪亚高中家长以及社区华裔居民的积极响应，在短短两三个星期里就募集到了价值$40,721 的捐款和捐物。华协理事们冒着被感染的风险，迅速购买了数十箱医用手套、医用防护服、N95 口罩、医用口罩及额温枪，分别将防护物资送到了亚市美以美医院，洛杉机县医院及周边四家医院，亚市警察局、消防局、Foothill Unified Center, 以及亚市四家养老中心。
4月至5月，在收到二十多位亚市高中优秀毕业生的申请后，华协理事们认真审阅了每一份申请文案，公正地评选出四位获奖者，并在5月底向每位获奖者颁发了奖状证书及$750 美元奖学金，以鼓励他们在努力完成学业的同时，为服务社区，促进多元文化的交融所做出的努力。
9月份燥热的天气导致国家天使森林公园爆发山林野火，成千上万顷的森林植被和野生动物被熊熊大火烧毁，部分亚市居民被迫撤离家园。为了保护社区的财产与生命安全，亚市消防员日夜奋战在扑灭野火的战斗中。为了表达对消防官兵的支持与敬意，华协再次举行网上募捐，并在短短的一个星期内募集到了大约$12,000 美元，并代表亚市华裔居民向亚市消防协会捐赠$10,000 以支持他们购买消防物资，同时两次为一线消防员送去暖心午餐。
10 月，为了帮助新老移民了解美国总统大选文化，鼓励更多的华裔公民参与大选投票，华协特别组织了一次网上大选讲座，邀请了亚市新当选的市议员Paul Cheng 律师用中文来讲解加州12 项法律提案。为了便于不懂英文的华裔居民深入理解提案的内容，华协专门把英文讲稿翻译成中文。讲座吸引了220人参加，听众积极提问，反响热烈。会后还不断有听众要求观看讲座录像。
11 月，在感恩节即将到来之际，尽管疫情依然严峻，华协再次为战斗在第一线的亚市警务人员、消防官兵分别送出一年一次的感恩与致敬的午餐。与此同时，华协不忘关怀弱势群体，向低收入老年中心Naomi Gardens101户老人家每户赠送一盒防护口罩。
12月，华协与亚市高中家长的合唱团舞蹈队共同举办了一场别开生面的云端圣诞联欢晚会。疫情期间，虽然大家都被困在家里无法欢聚，但是，华裔家长合唱团一直坚持每周一次的网上训练，华协也为这种活动提供了云端服务的支持。并与舞蹈队一起开发出免费网上舞蹈课瑜伽课，让大家在孤寂隔离期间，仍然可以与朋友交流、保持运动、学习音乐和艺术，乐观地面对生活。联欢晚会上丰富多彩的才艺表演令人目不暇接，与会者纷纷称赞说是一场令人身心愉悦的视听享受。
无论岁月如何变迁，华协的公益精神永驻。亚市华协将继续围绕着关爱，同情，团结的主题开展各项活动，服务社区。感谢华协前辈会长和理事们的鼓励和指导，感谢所有支持和帮助华协的赞助组织与朋友们，真诚地欢迎更多的关心社区、热爱公益的朋友加入华协，大家一起为把我们的家园建设得更美更强更合谐而努力奋斗。
Dear ACA Board Members and Friends,
Thanks to the Arcadia Chinese Association for their trust and support to Connie Liao and Diana Chang, and for electing us to be the Co-Presidents of the Arcadia Chinese Association for the 2020-2021 session. We hope to learn from our predecessors and directors, keep the mission of the ACA top of mind, uphold the spirit of volunteerism, recruit more volunteers, and serve the community together. 2020 is a difficult year. In this year, we have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires, earthquakes, and the presidential election. Facing various disasters and unprecedented challenges, we put forward “Caring, Compassion, and Solidarity” as the theme of annual events. While being quarantined at home, we have not only assumed the responsibility of the community bridge as usual, but also paid more attention to the specific needs of the community that have arisen due to the epidemic and wildfire, adjusted our traditional activities, and continued to do our utmost to serve the community in a new way and a new form.
In January 2020, we raised $35,000 for the renovation of the Boy Scouts Camp in the ACA 37th annual fundraising gala.
On March 13, after President Trump declared a national emergency of the epidemic, there was a serious shortage of medical protective equipment in hospitals in every state in the United States. After we learned about these circumstances, the ACA immediately took the lead in raising donations to purchase PPE for medical staff and was the first to donate $10,000 in aid. The directors of the ACA actively made donations, joined by the Chinese parents of Arcadia High School and the Chinese residents of the community. $40,721 in cash and PPE were raised within three weeks. The directors of the ACA took the risk of being infected and quickly purchased dozens of cases of medical gloves, medical protective clothing, N95 masks, medical masks, and forehead thermometers, and delivered the PPE to the Arcadia Methodist Hospital, LAC+USC Medical Center, the other three surrounding hospitals, Arcadia Police Department, the firefighters department, the Foothill Unified Center, and the four elderly care centers in Arcadia.
From April to May, after receiving applications from more than 20 outstanding Arcadia High School graduates, the ACA directors carefully reviewed each application and selected four winners fairly. Each winner was awarded a certificate of merit and a $750 scholarship to encourage them to make efforts to serve the community and promote the integration of multiculturalism while working hard to complete their studies.
The dry and hot weather in September caused a wildfire in the Angeles National Forest. Thousands of hectares of forest vegetation and wild animals were destroyed by the raging fire, and some residents of the city were forced to evacuate their homes. To protect the property and life of the community, Arcadia firefighters were fighting wildfires day and night. To express our support and respect for the firefighters, the ACA again raised $12,000 in just one week, immediately donated $10,000 to the Arcadia Firefighter Association for purchasing firefighting supplies and delivered heart-warming lunches twice to the frontline firefighters.
In October, to help new and old immigrants understand the culture of the presidential election and encourage citizens to vote in the presidential election, the ACA organized an online seminar and invited the newly elected City Council Member Paul Cheng to give a speech on the 12 California propositions in 2020 ballot. To assist non-English-speaking Chinese residents understand the propositions, the ACA translated the English speech into Chinese. The online seminar was successful with a total of 220 audience participating.
As Thanksgiving Day approached in November, with the pandemic situation still severe, the ACA once again delivered our once-a-year lunch of gratitude and tribute to the Arcadia police officers and firefighters. In addition, the ACA ensured care for disadvantaged groups by presenting a box of protective masks to each elderly family of the 101 Units in Naomi Gardens, a low-income retirement center.
In December, with the choir and dance teams of the AHS Chinese parents, the ACA jointly held a special Christmas party in the cloud. During the epidemic, although everyone was trapped at home and unable to physically gather, the choir of Chinese parents insisted on weekly online training, and the ACA provided online support for these activities. The ACA encouraged the dance team to develop a free online dance class and yoga class, to encourage members to socialize with friends, stay healthy with exercise, learn music and dance, and face the hardship of this current pandemic with optimism. The Christmas party was dizzying, and the participants praised it as a pleasing audio-visual enjoyment.
As we begin the new year of 2021, the pandemic is still severe. The ACA will continue to carry out various activities around the themes of “Caring, Compassion, and Solidarity” to serve the community. Thanks to the Ex-Presidents and Directors of the Arcadia Chinese Association for their encouragement and guidance. Thanks to all our sponsoring organizations, friends, and volunteers who have supported and helped the ACA. We warmly welcome more friends who care about the community and love public service to join the ACA. We will build our home with beauty, strength, and harmony – together.
Please choose one of the following pictures
Connie Liao President of ACA
Diana Chang Co-President of ACA
