Asian Counseling and Referral Service will hold its 20th Annual Walk for Rice for its Food Bank located in the International District Seattle, WA at Seward Park in Seattle on June 19, 2010 beginning at 9:00 am. All are invited to attend.
BECAUSE EVERY GRAIN COUNTS the 20th Annual Walk For Rice for Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) in Seattle, WA will be held at Seward Park, along the shores of Lake Washington, on Saturday, June 19, 2010 beginning at 9:00 am.
ACRS is a human services organization dedicated to improving the lives of Asian-Pacific Islanders living in and around the Puget Sound region. The agency's mission is to promote social justice and the well-being and the empowerment of Asian Pacific individuals, families, and communities.
In 1991 I joined ACRS' Mental Health program as an Administrative Assistant Manager. At that time our staff numbered less than 80 and we were located in a rented space on top on a Vietnamese supermarket in Seattle's International District. The staff spoke over 22 different Asian Pacific Islander dialects. I was proud to be affiliated with ACRS. During my tenure I was on a team that put together Federal, state, and municipal funding support to renovate a home in Seattle for six chronically mentally ill Asian Pacific Islanders. In those days, the agency's focus was on seniors, mental health, vocational training, Information and Referral, Food Bank, and offering Day Activities to members of the community who were mentally challenged. Of special note, ACRS served newly arriving immigrants from Southeast Asia who had suffered severe trauma from war, including Vietnamese, Cambodian, Hmong, among others. Back then very few culturally-appropriate services dedicated to serving clients with PTSD were available anywhere in America.
Coming directly from active duty as an officer in the United States Navy into my job was an irony of sorts and the challenges were immense, but the rewards were certainly worth my efforts. I learned a lot about myself and the world around me. I have been a volunteer with and contributor to ACRS since leaving the agency to eventually land a position with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services here in Seattle. I remember working in the Food Bank, joining staff in conducting outreach to seniors in their homes and learning about vocational training and other culturally-appropriate human service models. There was a strong link between the Univ of Washington School of Social Services and ACRS, where the agency offered real-life training for MSW candidates and agency staff sometimes were guest speakers at the University.
I presently serve as a volunteer with ACRS working 1.5 hours each week, teaching U.S. History and American Civics to immigrants preparing for the immigrant examination. Also, I gear up each spring to heighten awareness about the WFR. It is extremely rewarding work. I sense I am contributing something positive here.
ACRS has grown considerably over the years, its staff now well over 200 strong. In August of 2008 it moved into its brand new $17 million dollar home near the intersection of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Rainer Avenue in Seattle's Rainier Valley. The program has expanded to included offering substance abuse counseling, working with youth on gang violence and other self-esteem issues, and it has become a strong advocate for the API (Asian Pacific Islander) community in Puget Sound (these are but a few of the critical services provided by the agency here in western Washington). The agency has received national recognition for its work.
Food Bank Facts: * More than 45% of people utilizing Food Banks in Seattle have some type of post-secondary education; * 6 out of every 100 persons in King County (Seattle area) do not know where their next meal is coming from; * ACRS' Food Bank serves 3,000 households annually, and between January and March 2009 it accepted 3,100 new clients seeking assistance; * two-thirds of Food Bank clients are below the age of 18; * the cost of rice has increased 60% in a year and a half; * ACRS' Food Bank is the second highest utilized facility in King County, distributing 1.6 million pounds of food in 2009 alone.
In the 2009 WALK FOR RICE over $170,000 was raised. This year our goal is $200,000.
One tradition related to the WFR is that contributors often give unopened bags of ethnic rice instead of cash, usually in 25 or 50 pound bags.
My association with the WFR goes back to the second year it was held (when I first joined their staff). We raised just over $1,300 that year. This year my team HUNGER HIRTZ is looking for walkers and for contributions.
Certainly, we see need everywhere we look. All non-profits are seeking help, and making the ask in these tough times is especially difficult. But I believe in ACRS and I know through personal experience how great the need is, and how well this agency steps up to meet these needs.
REMEMBER: June 19th at Seattle's Seward Park. Join team HUNGER HIRTZ and let's get some people fed.
Link to Contribute to Team HUNGER HIRTZ
Look for the SPONSOR PARTICIPANT button, then put my last name in the search engine [HAYNES].
Blessings to all.
R. Haynes
Limerocker1@yahoo.com