| MinKwon Center's 36th Anniversary Virtual Gala
2020 RE:VISION Make Good Trouble Thank You! |
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 | | Watch the full virtual gala program on Vimeo! |
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Last Thursday, over 464 people watched our 36th Anniversary Gala live, for our first time ever on a virtual platform. Our community members, youth members, tenant members, volunteers, staff, board, supporters, and sponsors had the opportunity to watch the amazing work we've done in the midst of incredible uncertainty and turmoil.
2020 was one of the most remarkable and challenging years for the MinKwon Center. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced all of us to live and operate differently, and has had devastating impact on the Korean American, APA, and immigrant communities. Some of our most vulnerable community members have passed, and tens of thousands lost work and found trouble affording rent and basic necessities. Despite making up a majority of essential workers in New York City, undocumented and marginalized immigrants have been largely overlooked by the State and Federal government and were excluded from COVID-19 related relief.
2020 was also the year of the decennial U.S. Census that has seen unprecedented attempts to exclude immigrant communities from the count. This was also the year of one of the most important presidential elections in our lifetime - the people's response to four years under the Trump administration - and a resurgence of Black Lives Matter protests and movement nationwide.
The MinKwon Center rose up to defend and empower our communities throughout this challenging year. We raised and distributed over $1 million in direct cash assistance to undocumented immigrant families. Our social services team provided over $2.5 million worth of free services to community members. We successfully co-led the NYC Asian American Complete Count Committee and the Korean American Census Task Force.
We directly reached over 150,000 immigrant voters, conducted exit polling and poll monitoring at six poll sites on Election Day, and joined our former sister organization NAKASEC to conduct voter outreach to APA voters in Pennsylvania. We are continuing to lead the fight against unjust gentrification practices, including the Special Flushing Waterfront District, that will lead to the displacement of many low-income immigrant families and small businesses in Flushing.
As the year begins to wrap up, and a new administration prepares for the White House, we must reenvision this country into one that works for all of us, where all of our voices are protected and everyone is given the rights, dignity, and justice they deserve. Our struggles for human rights and democracy, as the late Georgia Rep. John Lewis reminds us, requires vigilance and getting in "good trouble." Your continued support for our communities' recovery and resilience will be invaluable for 2021 and the decade ahead. Together, we will build a new normal and a just society for all.
Congratulations to our Standing Up for Justice Honorees! Thank You Gala Sponsors!
Legacy
Anonymous - $25,000
Champion
Dae Son America, Inc.- $10,000
Pacesetter
Charles Yoon, Korean American Association of New York (KAAGNY) - $6,000
Anonymous - $5,000
Chul Pak - $5,000
Roger & Jennifer Park - $5,000
Tiger Baron Foundation - $5,000
Advocate
Marianne Yang - $2,500
Mee Eun Chang - $2,500 |
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