2023 Appreciations & Gratitude

At APANO, we work towards a more just and equitable future. That work is made possible by the shared strength of our community. As we welcome 2024 and bid farewell to 2023, we want to express our deep gratitude to each and every one of you for helping us Light the Way Together last year. 

In partnership, we are lighting the way to more joy, more connectedness, more of all the things that help our communities grow and thrive. It is truly an honor to do that with you.  

Thank you for your generous support over this past year, whether through a financial donation or one of your precious time and energy. With your help, we accomplished so much together! To close out the year, you all made it possible for us to raise nearly $30,000 through the annual Willamette Week Give!Guide, helping us to continue our mission of uniting Asians and Pacific Islanders to build power, develop leaders and advance equity.

So much has happened in just a year, and we hope you'll enjoy some of these highlights below.

Together, we:

• Launched a yoga series for community building for our Chinese mother’s group;

• Connected with more than 60 community members for our PCC training program, introducing participants to relevant career opportunities;
• To build community with Vietnamese- and Chinese-speaking families, we visited the Oregon Zoo and offered a Youth Summer Camp;

• Worked with skilled contractors to install 230 energy efficient cooling units in community members’ homes during the heat wave;
• Supported the resilience of Jade District small businesses with over $135,000 in rapid repair and store improvement grants;
• Welcomed thousands of attendees for the revival of the Jade International Night Market to support local small business and performance groups (see the full photo gallery here);

• Hosted our first Small Business Resource Fair and legal clinic with Small Business Legal Clinic;

• Installed a place-making art project to honor the history and legacy of the Japanese American farming community led by Midori Hirose;
• Brought together 15 youth to grapple with big topics and build community with one other;
• & so much more.

All of this work would not have been possible without your support.

As we ramp up for all that 2024 has in store, we invite you to stay connected with happenings at APANO! Witness the positive impacts of your contributions and be part of our work for change. Follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), sign up for our newsletter, or attend a community event to see firsthand how your support is changing lives.

Thank you for all that you do, friends!