Vietnamese American Initiative For Development Inc

VIETNAMESE AMERICAN INITIATIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT, INC. WAS FOUNDED IN 1994 AS A GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. THE MISSION OF THE AGENCY IS TO BUILD A STRONG VIETNAMESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND A VIBRANT FIELDS CORNER NEIGHBORHOOD. THE FOUR BASIC GOALS OF THE MISSION ARE: TO INCREASE CIVIC PARTICIPATION, PROMOTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SELF SUFFICIENCY, TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR RESIDENTS IN FIELDS CORNER AND THE GREATER DORCHESTER AREA AND TO FOSTER YOUTH LEADERSHIP.

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT - AS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, VIETAID'S PRIMARY GOAL IS TO DEVELOP AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO SUPPORT STABILIZING THE WORKING CLASS CORE OF DORCHESTER. ONE WAY WE HAVE WORKED TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL IS BY BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS AND DEED RESTRICTING THEM IN PERPETUITY TO CREATE STABILITY AMONG HOUSING OFFERINGS IN THE COMMUNITY. VIETAID HAS DEVELOPED FIVE SIGNIFICANT, MIXED-USE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS, ALL OF WHICH ARE LOCATED WITHIN A HALF-MILE RADIUS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN DORCHESTER. VIETAID HAS HIRED TRINITY MANAGEMENT, LLC, A COMPANY THAT SPECIALIZES IN MANAGING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN AN URBAN SETTING, TO MANAGE OUR PORTFOLIO OF 123 AFFORDABLE RENTAL UNITS THAT PROVIDE AFFORDABLE AND QUALITY HOUSING TO OVER 123 FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS. WE HELP APPLICANTS NAVIGATE LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS (LIHTC) AND THE MASSACHUSETTS RENTAL VOUCHER PROGRAMS (MVRP).AS A MASSACHUSETTS HOMEOWNERSHIP COLLABORATIVE APPROVED COUNSELING AGENCY, VIETAID SUPPORTS FAMILIES THROUGH THE PROCESS OF RENTING A HOME OR ACQUIRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, INCLUDING UNDERSTANDING TENANT AND LANDLORD'S RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND NAVIGATING THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE HOUSING AGENT, LANDLORD, AND TENANT. VIETAID'S FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER TRAINING TEACHES ABOUT BASIC HOME PURCHASING, FINANCING APPLICATION PROCEDURES, BUILDING CREDIT, MORTGAGE QUALIFICATION, FINANCIAL LITERACY, AND HOMEOWNERSHIP. VIETAID IS THE ONLY PROGRAM IN MASSACHUSETTS THAT PROVIDES HOME BUYING COUNSELING IN VIETNAMESE. WE HAVE ASSISTED OVER 400 FAMILIES THROUGH HOUSING COUNSELING PROGRAMS AND CERTIFIED APPROXIMATELY 600 LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT INDIVIDUALS IN OUR TEN-HOUR WORKSHOPS. VIETAID HELPS LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IMPROVE THEIR INCOME AS WELL AS ACCUMULATE AND EXPAND FAMILY WEALTH BY EDUCATING 250-300 PROSPECTIVE HOMEBUYERS/HOMEOWNERS ON THE HOME-BUYING PROCESS AND HOMEOWNERSHIP, ASSISTING 40-50 GRADUATES IN PURCHASING THEIR FIRST HOMES, AND ASSISTING 100 HOMEOWNERS TO ACCESS RESOURCES TO RETROFIT OR REPAIR THEIR HOMES.

VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY CENTER LLC - IN 2001, VIETNAMESE RESIDENTS IN DORCHESTER DECIDED TO BUILD A CENTER AT THE HEART OF THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY IN MASSACHUSETTS. THE CENTER WOULD BE A BRAND NEW COMPLEX WITH A NON-PROFIT TENANT GROUP PROVIDING A COMPREHENSIVE MIX OF SERVICES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS. THE VIETNAMESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY CENTER (VACC) WAS A MAJOR COMMUNITY PROJECT COORDINATED BY VIETAID STAFF AND A 28 MEMBER COMMUNITY CENTER STEERING COMMITTEE. THIS COMMITTEE INVOLVED 100 ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEERS, WHO SUCCESSFULLY RAISED MORE THAN $140,000 FROM OVER 1,000 INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES FOR THE PROJECT. THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE ULTIMATELY RAISED $5.1 MILLION FROM GRASSROOTS, MAJOR CORPORATE AND FOUNDATION SUPPORTERS, AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO FUND THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN ITS ENTIRETY. THE CENTER'S PLANNING PROCESS BUILT LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY BY ENGAGING VIETNAMESE-SPEAKING RESIDENTS TO IDENTIFY ISSUES AND NEEDS, MOBILIZING OTHER RESIDENTS' SUPPORT, AND ASSISTING VIETAID TO INCORPORATE THE COMMUNITY'S INPUT IN THE CENTER'S DEVELOPMENT PHASES. TO THIS DAY, THE COMMUNITY CENTER REMAINS A SAFE AND WELCOMING SPACE WHERE DORCHESTER RESIDENTS CAN CELEBRATE, ORGANIZE, GATHER, AND ACCESS NEEDED SERVICES. THE VACC SERVES A PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER AND TAKE PART IN OR LEARN ABOUT PROGRAMS THAT CAN HELP THEM IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH, EDUCATION, FINANCIAL WELL-BEING, AND MORE. THE VACC HOUSES VIETAID'S DAY-CARE PROGRAM, WHICH SERVES 45 PRE-SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN, AS WELL AS OUR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AND DROP IN DAY PROGRAM FOR AGING ADULTS. VIETAID IS JUST ONE OF SEVERAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT OPERATES OUT OF THE VACC. ON ANY GIVEN DAY, AS MANY AS 200 CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND ADULTS ACCESS SERVICES IN THE BUILDING.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND SUPPORT - VIETAID PARTICIPATES IN AND HOSTS A NUMBER OF EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, RECOGNIZING THAT THE CELEBRATION OF A VARIETY OF OCCASIONS ARE KEY TO BUILDING A SENSE OF UNITY AND BELONGING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. SOME OF THESE INCLUDE: TET, THE VIETNAMESE LUNAR NEW YEAR; DORCHESTER DAY PARADE; AND MANY MORE. IN ADDITION TO VIETAID LED EVENTS, WE ALSO COLLABORATE WITH A WIDE RANGE OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTNERS TO HELP BROADEN OUR REACH IN ENGAGEMENT. WE PARTICIPATE THROUGH VARIOUS MEANS SUCH AS BEING PART OF OTHER HOSTED EVENTS OR COMMUNITY MEETINGS. SOME OF THESE INCLUDE: A TET TALK AT THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS; LOVE YOUR BLOCK (A CITY-WIDE CLEAN-UP INITIATIVE); AND MORE.BEYOND CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE, VIETAID IS COMMITTED TO PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ADVOCATING FOR AND WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES. OVER THE YEARS, OUR ORGANIZATION HAS LED CANVASSING EFFORTS FOR INCREASED CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, ENGAGED IN ACTIONS AGAINST DISPLACEMENT, AND SUPPORTED MANY OTHER MOVEMENTS THAT IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY.OLDER ADULT PROGRAM: IN 2018, VIETAID TOOK OVER A DROP IN DAY PROGRAM FOR OLDER ADULTS IN THE DORCHESTER NEIGHBORHOOD. THE ONLY FREE PROGRAM, THIS PROGRAM PROMOTES HEALTHY AGING THROUGH WELLNESS AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. BETWEEN 85-120 PARTICIPANTS VISIT THE PROGRAM ON A DAILY BASIS.

EARLY EDUCATION - FOUNDED IN 2005, AU CO PRESCHOOL IS THE FIRST AND ONLY VIETNAMESE BILINGUAL AND BICULTURAL PRESCHOOL PROGRAM IN MASSACHUSETTS. AU CO IS A MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE CERTIFIED PROGRAM. MOST CHILDREN ARE SUPPORTED WITH TUITION SUPPORT FROM THE GOVERNMENT OR OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. RUN BY SEVEN, EXPERIENCED BILINGUAL AND BICULTURAL DAYCARE PROVIDERS, AU CO PREPARES OUR STUDENTS TO ENROLL IN KINDERGARTEN IN THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH AN APPROACH TO EDUCATION THAT SUPPORTS PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT. SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE SUPPORT ALSO AVAILABLE. OUR CLASSROOMS HAVE A STUDENT: TEACHER RATIO OF 8:1.