Mayor Bowser Announces FY2019 Asian and Pacific Islander Community Grant Awards

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Bowser and the Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPAI) awarded a combined $247,750 in grant funding to nine community-based organizations that serve Washington, DC’s Asian and Pacific Islander residents. Grants were made in amounts between $4,000 and $45,000 to each organization.

“We are proud to partner with these community-based organizations that are advancing DC values and helping us build a safer, stronger, and more inclusive Washington, DC,” said Mayor Bowser.

The Fiscal Year 2019 Asian and Pacific Islander Community Grant awardees are:

• Chinatown Service Center will be providing essential social services for improving the daily lives of Asian immigrants.
• Hepatitis B Initiative will help with reducing Hepatitis B and C infections among Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) through awareness raising and health screenings.
• Asian American LEAD will be supporting low-income and underserved AAPI youth with educational empowerment, identity development, and leadership opportunities through after school, summer and mentoring programs.
• Asian and Pacific American Legal Resource Center will be providing critical legal services for Asian and Pacific Islander Immigrants.
• Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project will provide domestic violence/sexual assault outreach in AAPI communities.
• Washington English Center will provide English language skills and job prep services.
• Housing Counseling Services will provide outreach and education services to AAPI tenants to support efforts to preserve existing affordable housing options.
• Asian Pacific American Film will encourage the development of talent, arts and films within the AAPI community.
• Metro DC Community Center will build connection and community among Asian and Pacific Islander LGBTQ residents.

The grant funding is aligned with the Bowser Administration’s priorities and is intended to enhance existing community programs focused on education, job and economic development, public safety, civic engagement, health and wellness, youth engagement, and arts and the creative economy. Organizations were selected based on the degree to which they meet these priorities and target their efforts toward underserved Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Current projects include: supporting low-income and underserved AAPI youth with educational empowerment and leadership opportunities; preserving affordable housing through outreach and education services to AAPI tenants; providing English language skills and job preparation services; and offering a mobile unit for Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C screenings.