CHAA offers a rigorous clinical internship for graduate students interested in community mental health. Practicum students and MFT interns from various Bay Area doctorate & masters graduate programs provide collaborative psychological assessments along with individual & group therapy at Oakland Public Schools.  This year’s interns include Justine Fan and Joanne Wong whom we are grateful to acknowledge in these Intern Profiles.

Justine Fan – CHAA Intern

Justine was born in America to two educated Taiwanese parents, her Dad came to the U.S. at age 14 and her Mom earned two Masters here.  Justine feels she lives precariously in the balance between being a fluent Mandarin speaking Asian and a U.S. citizen where her identity lies somewhere between the two countries.  She has absolutely no discernible Asian accent and speaks flawless English but is not “white” enough to be American. On the flip side, she speaks fluent Mandarin worthy of praise, but cannot read or write it and therefore is too “Americanized” for her Taiwanese family and friends. She is the anomaly who grew up in Maryland and lived in New York in a predominately Jewish & Catholic environment. She did not get to attend summer camps as a child, but traveled to Taiwan every summer to be with her cousins and family which adds to her feelings of displacement as searches for own internal definition of who is Justine? Awesome and delightful comes to mind as Justine explains that life is “not a Bingo card, where we get to stamp all the answers.”  Many questions remain unanswered as she finds her way through psychology and therapy bringing her thankfully to CHAA’s welcoming doors!  It was the curiosity, ethnicities, stigma and anxieties; trying to figure it out that brought her to the world of psychology. She states that it is not “black or white” and the very question of who we are in the diversity of it all brings her back to that eternal quest. Justine’s family consists of 9 Aunts and Uncles and 22 cousins whom in their eyes Justine feels she has somehow failed them by not fitting into the “norm” of settling down, getting married, having children because she has chosen her career, while her Mom downplays her psychology pursuits as not being a “real doctor.” We get this, we’re Asian but at the same time there is unwavering support in her family for all her endeavors.

Justine came to California to attend Mission College and then entered the P3 program at Palo Alto University for the two year under graduate degree. She wanted to be a teacher and taught pre-school and was a camp counselor but then realized that there is only so much one can do as a teacher. As a psychologist she could be the advocate for change, be more than the referral person but implement and follow through with behavioral plans. Justine was drawn to CHAA for the communities we serve, the use of her language skills, demographics and the desire to help immigrants; simultaneously she sees the challenges put forth to us because there are no easy or patterned ways to address each problem or dilemma. When asked about her future, Justine would like to work as a Clinical supervisor in a non-profit similar to CHAA vs. private practice.  She likes how CHAA encompasses both the school based and adult level therapy and the process of referrals to case management.  It was somewhat of a culture shock to come from Maryland to California where Justine can go the entire weekend and not speak a word of English. In the Bay Area she has found home in the diversity, ethnicities, resources here and a niche she is comfortable with and will continue to strive towards success. “You’re as good as you try to be,” Justine states and her “good” is pretty great in our eyes.

Joanne Wong – CHAA Intern

Imagine being eleven years old and traveling 6,000 miles by yourself, solo and completely alone to a land where you don’t know anyone or the language?  While most eleven year olds are extremely dependent; Joanne Wong braved a new country and culture to become the fiercely independent and strong woman she is today. It is with pride that CHAA embraces and encircles Joanne, one of our 2014 Practicum Clinical Interns as she goes forth with her life’s ambition and calling.

Joanne was born in San Francisco and moved to Hong Kong at age 2 attending school until age 11 when her parents sent her to live in the U.S. with her grandparents and Aunt.  When Joanne left for America, her two siblings were born; a little sister and a brother with a disability. Both babies were born preemies and under 2 lbs. Her brother only spent 6 months in the womb and was later diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. It was difficult for Joanne to be away from her family at this time, not to mention the myriad of struggles she was experiencing in the U.S. Her brother continues to have speech deficiencies and is one of the inspirations behind Joanne’s life choices. She lived in Oakland and Alameda, attending Alameda High and graduating from U.C. Merced with a Psychology degree in three years. She describes her U.C. days as “great times.” Joanne worked at the Career Services Center at UC and founded the Photography Club, which is still one of her hobbies today. She also likes reading and traveling. Joanne travels to see her family once a year and maintains a good relationship with her parents and siblings.

Joanne’s experiences coming to America are the driving forces guiding her to Therapy and Psychology.  Most of her emotions and hardships, she overcame singly and by herself. There were no resources for outreach, support or services. Her needs for a deeper understanding coming from a majority to the realm of being a minority has become her goal in expanding on those resources for the future and youth. “Asian’s generally don’t talk about what bothers them and their opinions are held within,” Joanne states. She wants to work on developing, encouraging and enabling speaking out for the underserved and “unserved” communities of Oakland. She also feels that Oakland is home, where diversity ranks high and she sees the influx of immigrants in the bay area and their needs. She feels that Oakland has a bad reputation but we should work together to rebuild and establish a better Oakland. Joanne worked at JFK in Developmental Disabilities, along with a “soft spot” for her brother’s disabilities has brought her to psychology. She was drawn to CHAA and Oakland from the scope of what CHAA does and stands for. She was impressed with the initial interview with Dr. Julia Moon-Bradley and wants to continue down this path she feels passion for. Joanne’s work revolves around youth and family therapy. To see her in action is to see someone at ease with the process, with an outstretched hand and heart. Youth gravitate and are receptive to her calm resolve.  Joanne finds her incredible inner strength from family, friends and from values her parents have taught her over the years. We are extremely lucky to have Joanne’s expertise, experience and substance of strength from which CHAA is the most grateful of recipients. 

ACHA’s first Benefit Concert on November 4, 2013 – Joyful Heart Through Precious Tibetan Mantras brings you Bay Area’s Joanna Macy and Jennifer Berezan, and features Dechen Shak-Dagsay from Europe. All of the profits from the concert will go towards supporting women and girl’s education in higher studies and towards health programs in Eastern Tibet. ACHA-Himalayan Sisterhood is a grassroots Tibetan women’s group supported through CHAA’s Sisterhood for Wellness and API Connections programs. The women of ACHA, born and raised in the Himalayan region, are driven by a mission to create safe, supportive and inclusive spaces for women to empower each other. Through partnerships with local nonprofits, ACHA promotes health and wellness, and transition into the United States by organizing acculturation workshops in the Bay Area for immigrant and refugee women from the Himalayan region. In the Himalayan regions, ACHA supports existing women-led initiatives that promote women and girls’ education, health and leadership. The concert will begin at 7 pm at Rudramandir, 830 Bancroft (on 6th St.) in Berkeley. Doors open at 6 pm. Delicious Tibetan food available for sale. For more information on ACHA or to make an inquiry about the event, please write to achaofbayarea@gmail.com or call (510) 409-9162. https://www.facebook.com/AchaTibetanSisterhood

CHAA’s Tibetan Community Wellness Advocate, Tsering Yangkey, appeared in an article in Contra Costa Times about a pop-up garden she has helped establish in El Cerrito’s Fairmont Park. As the article notes, some of the most active Fairmont Park gardeners include 10 to 15 Tibetan immigrant families who work with Tsering through CHAA’s API Connections program. El Cerrito, Albany, Berkeley and Oakland have a small but thriving Tibetan community.

As many of you may remember, 10 years ago on October 13th, Chan Bounkeut and her father Gwai were shot through the door of their home and Chan lost her life. Out of this tragedy, the West County Southeast Asian community, public system and community organizations came together to address the issues of violence impacting their and other communities. Southeast Asian young people also played a big role in creating an active youth group that came to be known as Southeast Asian Young Leaders, or SEAYL. We have had other losses including Alan “Ace” Lee, as well as members of the Viengvilai family who were tragically lost in a fire. In the spirit of remembrance and celebration, we are hosting a 10-year SEAYL Anniversary and and a Candlelight Vigil on Saturday, October 12th, 2013 at Nicholl Park. The reunion will be a space for SEAYL supporters and members, both past and present, to reconnect with one another, and for those connected to the Bounkeut, Lee and Viengvilai families who wish to mark this time of loss and hope.

The reunion will be held from 3-6pm at Nicholl Park in Richmond, CA, and will include a BBQ, games, and networking. The candlelight vigil will honor the memory of SEAYL youth and families that have experienced tragedy and loss. There will be space for honored guests to say a few words. The vigil will be held from 6-7pm also at Nicholl Park. If it rains then the vigil will be moved to the CHAA office on 207 37th St. in Richmond.

This event is open to the public and we encourage you to invite anyone you think should come to the event. Please call SEAYL co-coordinators if you have any questions: Nadia Hussain (510) 559-0033 or Nga Le (916) 261-1123.

One of the greatest challenges faced by advocacy efforts is the lack of connection between government bodies that make decisions about priorities and resource allocation, public agencies that
provide services and resources, and marginalized communities. The communities that need the most help and who have the most at stake are often left out of crucial policy discussions. For years, non-profitslike CHAA have worked with communities on the ground through direct services
and programming in an attempt to address some of their most pressing needs. Though these efforts are crucial in providing much needed services, they are sometimes unable to provide an avenue for community voices to be heard by federal agencies

Click to read complete article at CHAA’s blog

Community Health for Asian Americans (CHAA) and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) are co-sponsoring "A Town Hall – Connecting with Emerging Communities from Bhutan, Burma, Mongolia and Tibet" on Saturday, April 28, 2012 in Oakland, CA. President Obama reestablished the WHIAAPI in October 2009 to increase access and participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in programs and services across the Federal government. The town hall/listening session is a unique opportunity for these diverse new communities to share the challenges they face in establishing and supporting their communities in the Bay Area directly with Obama Administration officials and representatives of Federal Departments. Partners include the Tibetan Association of Northern California, Mongolian Student Nonprofit Organization in America, Ger Youth Center, Bhutanese Community in California, and leaders from Bay Area Burma refugee communities.

Date: Saturday, April 28, 2012

Time: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm

Location: Cesar Chavez Educational Center Auditorium, 2825 International Blvd., Oakland, CA 94602

If you have questions or want more information, please contact Sean Kirkpatrick, Associate Director, Community Health for Asian Americans at (510) 282-7550 or by email at sean.kirkpatrick@chaaweb.org.

About the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/aapi

On October 14, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Executive Order reestablishing the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (Initiative). The Initiative, co-chaired by U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan and U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, is housed within the U.S. Department of Education, and led by Executive Director Kiran Ahuja. The Initiative works to improve the quality of life and opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by facilitating increased access to and participation in federal programs where they remain underserved. The Executive Order also established the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the Federal Interagency Working Group.

Working in conjunction, the Commission and Federal Interagency Working Group are comprised of individuals, executive branch departments, agencies, and offices representing a broad spectrum of fields and programs impacting Asian Americans and Pacific Islander communities. The Initiative works collaboratively with the White House Office of Public Engagement and the designated Federal agencies to increase Asian American and Pacific Islander participation in programs in education, commerce, business, health, human services, housing, environment, arts, agriculture, labor and employment, transportation, justice, veterans affairs and economic and community development.

The Initiative seeks to highlight both the tremendous unmet needs in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities as well as the dynamic community assets that can be leveraged to meet many of those needs. The Initiative focuses on crosscutting priority areas that may reach across all issue areas and agencies, including, for example, advancing research, data collection, analysis and dissemination for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, and ensuring access, especially linguistic access and cultural competence, for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and encouraging Asian American and Pacific Islander involvement in public service and civic engagement opportunities.

This historic Executive Order initiates another avenue of access to the federal government for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and affirms President Obama’s commitment to Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

Commission Members

President Obama established the President’s Advisory Commission to work with all the agencies of the federal government to improve the health, education and economic status of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Hailing from all over the nation and from a wide range of disciplines, the Commission members represent the diverse AAPI community.

Daphne Kwok, chair of the Commission, is currently the Executive Director of Asians and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California. She was also the Executive Director of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation from 2005 to 2007, the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies from 2001 to 2005, and at the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) from 1990 to 2001. During her term at OCA, Ms. Kwok was elected the first Chair of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans. Ms. Kwok’s work with federal agencies has included being appointed to the Secretary of Energy’s Advisory Board (2000-2005); testifying before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; and being a grant reviewer for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration. She also currently serves on the board of trustees at Wesleyan University, where she earned her B.A.

Other Commissioners include:

Amardeep Singh

Apolo Anton Ohno

Debra T. Cabrera

Dilawar A. Syed

Doua Thor

Dr. Tung Thanh Nguyen

Farooq Kathwari

Frances Eneski Francis

Hector L. Vargas, Jr.

Hines Ward

Hyeok Kim

Kamuela J. N. Enos

Khampha Thephavong

May Y. Chen

Ramey Ko

Rozita Villanueva Lee

Sefa Aina

Sunil Puri

Unmi Song

For their bios, please visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/aapi/leadership/commission-members

On Monday, April 2nd, seven innocent lives were abruptly ended in a horrific shooting at Oikos University in Oakland, CA. Monday’s tragic incident was particularly shocking and unprecedented for the Tibetan and Sikkimese communities here and everywhere as we mourn the untimely deaths of Sonam Chodon (Tibetan) and Tshering Rinzing Bhutia (Sikkimese). Sadly, these were also the two victims whose nationalities were dissolved into "Nepal" and/or "India" in earlier media reports, reflecting how without a sovereign statehood we are vulnerable to ethnic invisibility even in death.

The other students who were killed were of Nigerian (Doris Chibuko), Filipino (Kathleen Ping), Guyanan (Judith Seymour) and Korean (Lydia Sim and Grace Kim) ethnicity. The shooter, One Goh, was Korean and is in police custody. My heart and prayers go out to all the families and friends of those impacted by this horrific act and to their communities. Many of us have heard and seen reports of random shootings in the US or elsewhere. Be it two senior high school students’ mass shooting in Columbine, Colorado; a 17-year old boy’s consecutive shooting sprees at his secondary school and a car dealership in Southern Germany; a deranged shopper’s random shooting in a Dutch mall; a disturbed American GI’s shooting rampage in an Afghan village; or a 43-year old Korean immigrant’s madness at Oikos University Oakland this week – horrific shootings resulting in multiple innocent deaths are always a shock to our system and psyche. No matter what the circumstances, these acts are inconceivable each time they happen. It reminds us of how we, humans, can crack somewhere so deep inside that it can lead to incredible suffering for oneself and other innocent beings.

That said, Monday’s incident represents a tragedy for many of us, particularly those of us living in the United States and its immigrant communities.

Tragic because it is the worst case of senseless shooting in the Bay Area involving mostly Asians. Tragic because it exemplifies how a system failed to support a new immigrant to this country troubled by his own loss of a mother and a brother last year under different circumstances. Tragic because it is yet another example of how this country’s laws around gun control do more harm than good for society. Contrary to the proponents of laws against tighter gun-control laws, America’s "right to bare arms" ended seven promising lives and set in motion a likely lifetime of incarceration for one on Monday. Tragic because it shattered dreams, broke hearts and forever separated families from their loved ones.

We are all impacted by a deeply sad and tragic set of circumstances that led to the loss of these 7 precious human beings, including our very sister, Sonam Chodon, and our cultural brother, Tshering Bhutia from Sikkim. As I learned from surviving siblings and close friends, they were two lovely aspiring human beings with dreams to do good in this sometimes crazy world we live in. A soft-spoken nurturing Sonam Chodon was deeply committed to serving her community, which she did for five years on the staff of Department of Education within the Tibetan exile government in Dharamsala, India. She was on her way to completing her nursing courses at Oikas University and had been in the US for just under two years. She was poised to do more good in the world with her nursing degree at age 33.

Incidentally, both Sonam Chodon and Tshering Bhutia had no living parents so their surviving siblings are bearing yet another personal loss. Arrangements are being made to fly Tshering Bhutia’s body back to Sikkim for ceremonies in his homeland. He was a cheerful and hardworking man who would’ve turned 39 this month! He was on his way to apply for US citizenship this year.

On Tuesday April 3rd, the Tibetan Association of Northern California (TANC), a nonprofit that oversees the wellbeing of the local Tibetan community, hosted a beautiful prayer ceremony for all the victims and their families at the Tibetan community center, De-Shi Phuntsogling, in Richmond. Tibetans and Western friends chanted Buddhist prayers led by maroon-robed monks from the Gyuto Vajrayana Center in San Jose and Nechung Buddhist Center in El Cerrito.

I have never seen the Tibetan community center so full with people as that night, with an estimated 150 in the audience. The show of community support for the victims and their families was moving and quite a number of non-Tibetans were there as well. Six of my own colleagues from Oakland-based nonprofit, Community Health for Asian Americans (CHAA), were present also. CHAA’s Executive Director, Beatrice Lee, read a heartfelt condolence letter on behalf of her organization board and staff. TANC President Tenzin Tsedup gave an emotional memorial to his former classmate, Sonam Chodon, and acknowledged Tshering Bhutia, with full commitment from TANC’s side to do whatever is necessary to show support to his bereaved family in Sikkim as well as that of Sonam Chodon’s. At the end of the ceremony, people went up to Sonam Chodon’s brother to express condolences (Tshering Bhutia had no relatives or family in the Bay Area). It was a deeply emotional time for everyone regardless of how personally we knew Sonam Chodon or not during her life.

There was a momentary merging of Eastern and Western cultures in the openly public display of tears, sorrow and physical embraces of solidarity against a more stoic cultural backdrop. I watched how gracefully Sonam Chodon’s brother acknowledged quietly each person’s condolence and accepted the embraces despite the personal grief. He later shared with me that that night’s show of community’s solidarity was something he will cherish and felt deeply grateful for.

Four Tibetans were involved in this incident, three were women. Sonam Chodon’s classmate and friend narrowly escaped death by hiding under a table in the class, another Tibetan woman in a separate room actually saved herself and her colleagues from potential fatality by locking their class door and turning off the light just before the shooter got there. Tragically, Sonam Chodon was killed.

In many ways both the Tibetan and Sikkimese communities are blessed to have Buddhist spiritual principles to draw strength from and keep spirits hopeful. Customary to Buddhist tradition, community members at the dedication that night offered donations via TANC for the families of Sonam and Tshering as contributions toward butter lamp offerings and prayer ceremonies throughout the first 49 days following their demise. People poured hearts and purses in a generous show of support.

My heartfelt prayers to ALL the families, friends and communities impacted by this tragedy including that of the perpetrator. May those deceased rest in peace and may their surviving loved ones move through their painful loss with compassion and forgiveness.

We are all the same in that one day we all have to bid farewell to this life! When and how we get to do that is unpredictable and beyond our control. So treat each day like a gift from the universe to do good in this world!

Om Mani Padme Hum….,

Dechen

Berkeley, CA

FYI: This piece was shared and approved by Sonam Chodon’s brother and Tshering Bhutia’s best friend and nephew before going public. For tax-deductible donations toward memorial costs of the Tibetan and Sikkimese victims, please send checks to Tibetan Association of Northern California (TANC) with "memorial" in the memo and mail to TANC, 5200 Huntington Avenue, Suite 200, Richmond, CA 94804.

photo credit: Thepo Tulku

We are pleased to announce that the Asian & Pacific Islander Report for the Statewide California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP) is ready for public comments from 04/06/12 to 04/26/12. Information on the CRDP API Strategy and the draft of the API report are available on the CRDP website (http://crdp.pacificclinics.org/resources).  For comments, please email to crdp@pacificclinics.org by 04/26/12.

The California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP) is a key statewide policy initiative funded by the California Department of Mental Health (DMH) as means to improve access, quality of care, and increase positive outcomes for racial, ethnic, and cultural communities. Launched in 2009, this two-year statewide Prevention and Early Intervention effort utilizes $3 million in Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) state administrative funding.

The CRDP is focused on five populations to which each will encompass its own Strategic Planning Workgroup (SPW):

• African Americans
• Asian/Pacific Islanders
• Latinos
• Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender, Questioning (LGBTQ)
• Native Americans

• Download the detailed roster.

These Strategic Planning Workgroups (SPW) are comprised of community leaders, mental health providers, consumers and family members – all of whom have worked together to identify new service delivery approaches defined by multicultural communities for multicultural communities using community-defined evidence. Their goal was to develop population-specific reports (strategic plan) that will form the basis of a statewide comprehensive strategic plan to identify new approaches toward reducing disparities.

For those of you who don’t know, the Himalayan Youth Leadership Summit (HYLS) was held for the first time in the summer of 2011. The support for the event was enormous – we almost ran out of space for all of the workshops and activities organized by our co-hosts and sponsors. Now, we want to build on this success.

As our goal for the 2012 HYLS is to include youth at ALL levels and in every stage of planning, this year’s summit will be spearheaded by a Youth Committee. Alongside the support provided by partner organizations, youth of the Himalayan communities will be put on the forefront of organizing an event that is by the youth, of the youth and for the youth.

We would like to encourage all young people from the Himalayan communities (Bhutanese, Nepali, and Tibetan) to participate and play their part in writing the next chapter of HYLS. If you are (OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS) an interested/interesting/talented individual, please request the application, fill it out and email it to us. To request a Youth Committee application, please email Jain Thapa at himalayanyouth@gmail.com.

The deadline for the application period is April 20, 2012.

A letter read by CHAA’s Executive Director, Beatrice Lee, at a memorial tsok ceremony at the Tibetan Association of Northern California’s community center in Richmond, CA, on April 3, 2012. Two of the victims were immigrants from the Himalayan region (Tibet and Sikkim), and most were Asian (Tibetan, Sikkimese, Filipino and Korean). A Nigerian and Guyanan student were also killed. For tax-deductible donations toward memorial costs of the Tibetan and Sikkimese victims, please send checks to Tibetan Association of Northern California (TANC) with "memorial" in the memo and mail to TANC, 5200 Huntington Avenue, Suite 200, Richmond, CA 94804.

Dear Families and Friends of the Victims of the Oakland Shooting on April 2, 2012.

On behalf of the board, staff and partners of the Community Health for Asian Americans, a nonprofit organization that offers services for the health and wellbeing of Asian and Pacific Islander communities, I send our heartfelt condolences to the surviving families, friends and community members of all the seven people whose lives were tragically ended by a random shooting at Oikos University on April 2, 2012, as well as those who survived but were injured. 

There are seldom words comforting enough to console those who experience the shock and grief of losing loved ones in the most unexpected of circumstances. We recognize that members of many Bay Area communities including the Tibetan, Sikkimese, Filipino, Korean, and Nigerian communities, will grapple in their own ways with the shock, sadness and the senselessness of this tragic incident. While some were here longer in the US than others, all the people who lost their lives were immigrants like you and me, with dreams and aspirations for a better life in the United States and specifically in our beautiful Bay Area. We have heard and read of enraged shootings in schools and university campuses across the United States over the years, but yesterday’s shooting has hit closer to home.

As an API organization based in Oakland, CHAA is deeply saddened. Our hearts go out to all the communities that are experiencing directly unspeakable pain while facing the challenges of living in a country and culture that is so different from where they came. Many dreams were shattered, many hearts were broken, and many families are forever separated from their loved ones. Those who were injured during or present to witness the terrifying events of that day are deeply traumatized, and will likely relive the fear and anguish they experienced for years to come. We also extend our hearts to the man who did the shooting, and his family and friends, recognizing the trauma they are experiencing as the result of his actions. It is almost impossible at times of such tragic news to make any sense of such violent acts that serve no purpose but to inflict pain and suffering on innocent people.

At CHAA, we have staff members from several of the communities impacted by yesterday’s event including the Tibetan and Filipino communities. We offer you their time in service to assist in any way with your cultural rituals around death, grieving and recovery at this time of need. Please also know that we are here for you in any ways you and your communities need us.

Once again, I express heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those affected by this tragedy. May the deceased rest in peace and may the surviving families and friends find the support and strength to move through this with peace and forgiveness.

 

Sincerely,

Beatrice Lee, Executive Director, CHAA