Press Releases
HAP receives $13,000 grant from Comcast Foundation
Award to Help At-Risk Hmong Teens
Prepare for Agricultural and Environmental Careers
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ST. PAUL, MN (October 2012) – St. Paul-based HAP (Hmong American Partnership) is the recipient of a $13,000 grant from the Comcast Foundation. The grant will support HAP’s Project GROW program, which helps at-risk Hmong teens become leaders in their community as they prepare to graduate from high school, pursue post-secondary education/training and enter the workforce.
Hmong teens today live in a complex multi-cultural environment, and they often face multiple barriers in their pursuit of higher education and employment. Project GROW is a creative program that helps students engage in a year-long service learning program to give them hands-on experience of setting and achieving goals. Developed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Project GROW focuses on agriculture, the environment and conservation.
Each student is connected to a professional adult who works in agriculture or conservation to provide mentoring. HAP also works with the USDA to connect students to internships at USDA or similar organizations.
“Through a focus on education, life skills and leadership, Project GROW is helping to build an educated, inspired, diverse group of Hmong youth leaders,” said Dr. Mai Moua, HAP’s acting chief operating officer. “With support and encouragement, these youth will soon transform the workforce that supports our local economy and make a significant, positive impact on the health and well-being of our Twin Cities community.”
About The Comcast Foundation
The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs intended
to have a positive, sustainable impact on their communities. The Foundation has three community investment priorities—promoting community service, expanding digital literacy and building tomorrow‘s leaders. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated more than $90 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com/community.
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Media Contact:
Mary Beth Schubert, Vice President, Corporate Affairs
651-493-5775 / marybeth_schubert@cable.comcast.com
Gail Shore, Shore to Shore Communications, Inc.
952-925-6102 gshore@winternet.com
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HMONG AMERICAN PARTNERSHIP OPPOSES TWO MINNESOTA STATE AMENDMENTS
SAINT PAUL, Minnesota – July 30, 2012 –On July 19, 2012, the Hmong American Partnership (HAP) Board of Directors, voted to oppose the proposed Minnesota constitutional amendments to require Voter ID at the elections and to ban marriage for same-sex couples. These proposed amendments are on the ballot for this November. The Board felt strongly that both amendments were counter to the mission and values of HAP. HAP’s mission is to empower the community to embrace the strengths of our cultures while achieving our potential. We are committed to serving all members of our local community and providing holistic support to children, youth, families and elders.
The Board voted to oppose the amendment to the Minnesota Constitution requiring photo identification to vote in a Minnesota election. Our communities already struggle with issues of transportation, housing, access to resources and language barriers. An amendment which requires specific types of photo identification in order to vote, even after one has already registered, presents additional barriers to our communities in the electoral process. This amendment further disempowers us.
The Board voted to oppose the amendment to the Minnesota Constitution banning marriage to same-sex couples. An amendment which would ban marriage to same-sex couples would only hurt our communities and families. Not only does this amendment limit the freedoms of Minnesotans, it also impedes important conversations regarding gender, sexuality, marriage and family that our communities are only beginning to have. Intentional conversation and additional support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members of our community are needed in order to understand the needs and issues facing this community.
In a recent report conducted in part by Shades of Yellow (SOY), a Hmong lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) organization, they assessed the issues facing over 300 LGBTQ Southeast Asian across the country, including 70 Hmong LGBTQ from Minnesota. The findings were disheartening, detailing stories of youth being physically attacked, disowned and kicked out of their homes and fearful of losing their jobs simply because they are LGBTQ. HAP recognizes that a Minnesota state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage would thwart productive dialogue around the needs of these members of our community and only serve to further ostracize them.
HAP President/CEO Bao Vang stated, “HAP stands firmly in opposition to these amendments and remains committed to serving all members of our diverse communities and ensuring they have access to their rights and freedoms. For many in our community, these issues touch upon areas that we have not talked about openly. These conversations need to be had without such drastic amendments becoming law.” |
If organizations wish to use HAP’s name in opposition to either amendment, they may request and seek approval of HAP’s President/CEO.
For more information contact Bruce Thao at 651-495-1517 or at brucet@hmong.org. Download a copy of the press release here.
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Hmong American Partnership receives $156,893 grant from the Minnesota Department of Health’s Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative
Saint Paul, Minnesota – June 20, 2012 – Hmong American Partnership (HAP) is pleased to announce that it has received a $156,893 grant from the Minnesota Department of Health’s Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative to close the gap in racial and ethnic health. HAP will use the grant to address breast and cervical cancer issues in the Hmong population. While incidences of breast cancer remain the highest in Caucasian women, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are more likely to die from breast cancer than any other ethnic group, and Hmong women of all Southeast Asian groups have the lowest screening rates for breast and cervical cancer.
“We are proud to partner again with MDH,” said Bao Vang President/CEO of Hmong American Partnership. “Without this critical support we would not be able to provide the level of navigation and education services necessary to help women who are at the greatest risk for breast and cervical cancer.”
MDH funds will support HAP’s current breast health project funded by Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance and expand education and navigation services in cervical health.
For more information please contact: Dr. Mai Moua at 651-495-1565 or at maim@hmong.org.
Hmong American Partnership receives $25,000 grant from Youthprise
Saint Paul, Minnesota - July 1, 2012 - Hmong American Partnership (HAP) is pleased to announce that it has received a $25,000 grant from Youthprise, a non-profit organization that champions learning beyond the classroom so that all Minnesota youth thrive. HAP was one of 101 grantees receiving a total of $2.1 million approved by the Youthprise board to Twin Cities organizations serving youth for out-of-school time programming.
The $25,000 grant will enable HAP to strengthen its high-quality after-school services to teenagers and children.
"Hmong American Partnership is ver honored to be selected for this grant," says President/CEO Bao Vang, "HAP will be able to serve a much greater number of youth and children from refugee families, more comprehensively, thanks to Youthprise's support."
"Youthprise exists to accelerate leadership and innovation in the out-of-school time field," explain Youthprise President Wokie Weah. "Making sure our youth have great learning opportunities during the more than 2,000 hours they have outside of school each year is a top priority. We want to see all Minnesota youth thrive-- no matter their background or circumstances. The achievement gap is the result of an opportunity gap and a key task for Youthprise to fill that gap."
Hundreds of Comcast volunteers to serve
24 area nonprofits on April 21
Volunteers to work at 3 area Hmong American Partnerships
ST. PAUL, MINN. (April 2012) – Xee Reiter, Valerie Just and Mike Randall are building their volunteer teams at Comcast. They are serving as project site coordinators for Comcast Cares Day on Saturday, April 21, and are leading a team of colleagues and friends on an ambitious community project that includes three Hmong American Partnerships (http://www.hmong.org/) in Minneapolis and St. Paul. They and 33 other site coordinators will lead more than 1300 Comcast employees, their families and friends for a morning of volunteering for 24 nonprofits in the Twin Cities area. This is the 11th annual event for Comcast to reach out and work for nonprofits.
Nearly 50 volunteers will gather at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 21 and tackle inside and outside work at three Hmong American Partnerships (1075 Arcade St. and 379 University Avenue in St. Paul; and 1206 42nd Avenue N. in Minneapolis). Volunteers will decorate the inside the buildings, including hanging artwork, and provide a fresh, spring cleanup to the outside of the property.
"We are proud to work along with Comcast employees and their families and friends on Comcast Cares Day," said Bao Vang, president and CEO of Hmong American Partnership. "Their services will enhance our facilities to be more welcoming, inviting and reflective of the many different community members we serve. Comcast has been a valuable partner in our programs and services, and their contributions have enabled our communities to sustain its cultural heritages while thriving in a new country. This type of service is very important during these economic times."
For more than two decades, Hmong American Partnerships (HAP) has provided programs and services designed to empower Hmong families to acculturate to life in America, as well as to build the knowledge and skills needed to become successfully educated and employed, while retaining their cultural heritage and identity.
"Our employees look forward to Comcast Cares Day because they are excited to volunteer with social service nonprofits, whose missions and programs are key to the stability and health of the communities where we live and work," said Mary Beth Schubert, Comcast's vice president of corporate affairs. "We know budgets continue to be tight for nonprofits. Our projects are well planned and fully staffed with volunteers who are ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work."
At 34 separate project sites, Comcast employees will spring clean, power wash, complete landscape projects, paint, sort donations, restock warehouses, restore playgrounds, and host events. Comcast Cares Day is the company's national day of service. It has become one of the largest single-day corporate volunteer efforts in the country with more than 62,000 Comcast employees volunteering at 620 nonprofit sites to improve the communities they serve throughout the nation.
About Comcast Corporation: Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information and communications products and services. Comcast is principally involved in the operation of cable systems through Comcast Cable and in the development, production and distribution of entertainment, news, sports and other content for global audiences through NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential and business customers. Comcast is the majority owner and manager of NBCUniversal, which owns and operates entertainment and news cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, local television station groups, television production operations, a major motion picture company and theme parks.