Faith And Community Empowerment

FAITH AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT (FACE)'S MISSION IS TO ADVANCE THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY'S PARTICIPATION, CONTRIBUTION, & INFLUENCE THROUGH FAITH & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. TO ACHIEVE OUR MISSION, FACE SERVES AS A LIGHT & BRIDGE BETWEEN THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY & THE GREATER COMMUNITY AT LARGE BY CONNECTING & CREATING PRIVATE & PUBLIC COLLABORATION, MAXIMIZING THE CAPACITIES OF FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS & OTHER COMMUNITY NON-PROFITS, INCREASING ACCESS TO RESOURCES & FUNDS, & ASSISTING LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS & REVITALIZING NEIGHBORHOODS. TO DATE, WE HAVE GARNERED OVER 800 PARTNERS ACROSS THE NATION, RANGING FROM THE WHITE HOUSE TO FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES, LOCAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, & KEY INSTITUTIONAL STAKEHOLDERS. FACE TRANSFORMS LIVES & COMMUNITIES BY ADDRESSING COMMUNITY CHALLENGES, ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF SERVICES FOR LOW-INCOME, IMMIGRANT, & DISENFRANCHISED INDIVIDUALS WHILE CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE FOR THE KOREAN/ASIAN AMERICAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY.

HOMEOWNERSHIPAS A HUD-APPROVED HOUSING COUNSELING AGENCY, FACE ASSISTS FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS IN THEIR HOMEOWNERSHIP PROCESS THROUGH HOMEBUYER EDUCATION, FINANCIAL LITERACY, AND COUNSELING. PROSPECTIVE HOMEOWNERS LEARN ABOUT GOVERNMENT DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, ESCROW, AND RELATED TOPICS THAT WILL EQUIP THEM TO PURCHASE A HOME AND BE AN INFORMED, SMART BUYER. TO DATE, FACE HAS CONNECTED OVER 12,000 POTENTIAL BUYERS WITH OVER $1.8 MILLION IN DOWN PAYMENT AND OTHER ASSISTANCE. ADDITIONALLY, FACE PROVIDES EXISTING HOMEOWNERS WITH MORTGAGE RELIEF AND FORECLOSURE PREVENTION COUNSELING, SAVING OVER $93 MILLION IN MORTGAGES FROM GOING INTO FORECLOSURE.

CHURCH & NON-PROFIT LEADERSHIP & ADVOCACY TRAININGC2 LEADERSHIP INSTITUTEC2 LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE IS A TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM THAT EMPOWERS LEADERS AND AWAKENS THEM TO NEW POSSIBILITIES AND SUSTAINABILITY FOR THEIR MINISTRIES BY STRENGTHENING CHURCH AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY. THROUGH THE C2 LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE, C2 FELLOWS GAIN THE TOOLS, SKILLS AND RELATIONSHIPS TO CREATE SUCCESS AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THEIR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES. OVER THE COURSE OF THE INSTITUTE, EACH FELLOW LAUNCHES OR STRENGTHENS A COMMUNITY PROJECT. FELLOWS ARE MENTORED BY VARIOUS LEADERS, INCLUDING FUNDERS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, MEDIA, FAITH LEADERS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT EXPERTS. FELLOWS DEVELOP THEIR PROJECTS USING THE SKILLS THEY ATTAIN SUCH AS FUNDRAISING, MEDIA AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, PARTNERSHIP BUILDING, NETWORKING, FINANCIAL LITERACY, GRANT WRITING, EVENTING, ADVOCACY, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, OUTREACH STRATEGIES, AND COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENTS. FINALLY, FELLOWS RECEIVE ONGOING ONE ON ONE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THEIR PROJECT.+FACE NATIONAL LIGHTING THE COMMUNITY (LTC) SUMMIT THIS NATIONAL CONFERENCE, HELD AT WASHINGTON D.C. AND LOS ANGELES, CA, BRINGS TOGETHER POLICY MAKERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, CORPORATIONS, PASTORS, MEDIA, COMMUNITY LEADERS AND OTHERS COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. IT PROVIDES A FORUM FOR COLLABORATION, ENGAGEMENT AND DIALOGUE, AS WELL AS TRAINING/WORKSHOPS TO ADDRESS KEY ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ISSUES, SUCH AS HOUSING, SMALL BUSINESS, MENTAL HEALTH, IMMIGRATION REFORM AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING, AMONGST OTHERS. CHURCHES AND NONPROFITS LEARN OF THE MANY AVAILABLE FUNDING, PARTNERSHIP AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES. IN ADDITION TO THE PLENARY SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS, OTHER CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE THE NATIONAL ASIAN AMERICAN PRAYER BREAKFAST, AWARDS GALA AND DINNER, AND WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING. PREVIOUS SUMMITS HELD HAVE INCLUDED NOTABLE SPEAKERS AND HONOREES FROM GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, CORPORATIONS, FOUNDATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

ADVOCACY/RACE RELATIONS/YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FACE HAS BEEN A STRONG ADVOCATE IN LIFTING UP THE AAPI AND FAITH VOICE FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNDERSERVED AND VOICELESS ON NUMEROUS ISSUES LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY. SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE FACE IS ENGAGING INCLUDES HOUSING & HOMEOWNERSHIP, IMMIGRATION REFORM, ELECTRIC CARS/CLEAN ENERGY, PEACE ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA, AND AN INCLUSIVE ETHNIC CURRICULUM, AMONGST OTHERS. FACE HAS ALSO HOSTED MANY CONVENINGS WITH GOVERNMENT/CORPORATE DECISION MAKERS AND STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY TO FACILITATE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WOULD ADDRESS CHALLENGES FACED BY THE COMMUNITY. SOME PAST CONVENINGS HAVE INCLUDED WITH SBA, METRO CEO, LAPD, LAHSA, VARIOUS ELECTED OFFICIALS, WHITE HOUSE, SAMHSA, HUD, US. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR SECRETARY, AMONGST OTHERS. BLACK/ASIAN SOLIDARITY & STOP AAPI HATE INITIATIVEWITH THE SURGE IN ANTI-ASIAN HATE CRIMES FACE HAS WORKED TO BRING SOLIDARITY BETWEEN THE BLACK AND AAPI COMMUNITY THROUGH SEVERAL INTIMATE MEETINGS BETWEEN BLACK AND ASIAN CLERGY AS WELL AS SEMINARS AND AAPI TOWN HALLS TO DISCUSS MODEL MINORITY MYTH THAT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN USED AS A BARRIER BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS. AS PART OF OUR STOP AAPI HATE INITIATIVE, FACE HAS ALSO WORKED TO SHED LIGHT ON THE OPPRESSION AND NEEDS OF THE AAPI COMMUNITY. THIS YEAR, FACE CEO HYEPIN IM AND REV. MARK WHITLOCK OF THE AME CHURCH WROTE AN ASIAN LIVES MATTER OP-ED DISCUSSING THE DIFFICULT BUT POWERFUL JOURNEY TO SOLIDARITY. AAPI CAREER PATHWAYS INITIATIVE THE AAPI POPULATION MAKES UP 17% OF THE COUNTY POPULATION, YET ONLY 3% OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE LA COUNTY'S PAID JOB TRAINING/INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, YOUTH@WORK, ARE AAPI STUDENTS. THE AAPI CAREER PATHWAYS INITIATIVE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LA COUNTY WDACS, IS AIMED TO ADDRESS THIS GAP. THROUGH FACE'S INITIATIVE, AAPI YOUTH (14-24) WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THESE PAID INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL AS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH MENTORS AND TO ATTEND MONTHLY MENTORSHIP LEADERSHIP SEMINARS.

COVID-19 EDUCATION & ASSISTANCE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, FACE HAS BEEN A LIFELINE PROVIDING TIMELY INFORMATION TO BUSINESS OWNERS, FAITH LEADERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO ACCESS RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO HELP THEM SUSTAIN DURING THE PANDEMIC CRISIS. FACE HAS SENT OUT NUMEROUS EMAIL BLASTS WITH FREE COVID RELIEF RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY INCLUDING TESTING SITES, CHILDCARE, 800+ FOOD BAGS, 20,000 FACE MASKS, EDUCATION, MENTAL HEALTH CARE, SUBSIDIZED HOUSING, HOMELESS RELATED RESOURCES, FAITH RELATED RESOURCES UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, EMPLOYMENT, COUNSELLING, DISASTER READINESS, SBA LOAN PROGRAMS AND MORE. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE US SBA ASSISTANT DISTRICT DIRECTOR FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TERRI L. BILLUPS, FACE HOSTED 4 WEBINARS (TWO IN KOREAN AND TWO IN ENGLISH) FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, CHURCHES AND NON-PROFITS TO LEARN AND ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SBA'S LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAMS.