Sands Announces Funding to Help the Asian Community Development Council Provide Vital In-Language Social Services
Continuing our company commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, Sands has announced a $75,000 donation to the Asian Community Development Council (ACDC) for establishment of a language bank and resource hotline to facilitate access to critical social services for the Filipino, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai communities in Southern Nevada. The donation, the largest to date in the Las Vegas community, will help ACDC kickstart the local funding campaign.
The In-Language Client Success Advocacy Program aims to break down language barriers between non-English speakers and social service providers by recruiting and training a team of in-language specialists to assist Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community members with limited English proficiency in navigating the social service infrastructure. Ultimately, this will lead to improved access to food, healthcare and rental relief for basic needs support, and help mitigate the effects of COVID-19; and provide resources for addressing discrimination and hate crimes targeting AAPIs, and citizenship and voter registration guidance to ensure AAPIs are represented in civic and political processes.
“Most social services are facilitated in English, but with more than 40 different languages spoken in Nevada, our community has a demonstrable need for bilingual service providers,” said Vida Lin, founder and president, ACDC. “With the support of companies like Sands, we can realize our goal of opening more doors for people in need.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Nevada had the nation’s fastest-growing population from 2017 to 2019, with AAPIs constituting the fastest-growing minority population during that time. ACDC correlates this tremendous population growth to an exponential need for services, especially during the pandemic and as more AAPIs have become targets for discrimination and hate crimes.
ACDC has been an advocate for protecting the wellbeing of the AAPI community in Southern Nevada since 2015, and its critical response efforts have greatly intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization has distributed food to more than 1,500 local families, administered hundreds of flu shots at drive-up clinics and provided rental assistance for people facing eviction.
“ACDC plays a critical role in Southern Nevada as the primary advocate for ensuring AAPI voices are heard, critical needs are met and the community’s wellbeing is promoted and protected,” said Ron Reese, Sands senior vice president of global communications and corporate affairs. “We are making this investment during AAPI Heritage Month to help this community overcome the specific hardships and discriminatory behavior associated with the pandemic and for the long-term health of the community. We encourage our corporate peers and the public to follow our donation with whatever amount they can commit to make this campaign a success.”
Community members who wish to donate to the capital campaign can take advantage of the last days of “Give In May,” a nationwide effort in honor of AAPI Heritage Month to support the work of AAPI nonprofits that provide vital services to vulnerable people. Donate to ACDC through the “Give In May” fundraising platform here.
Sands’ partnership with ACDC represents its ongoing commitment to removing systemic barriers to advancement for minority groups. In response to the race-related events impacting the African-American community over this past year and the increase in hate crimes against AAPIs associated with the pandemic, Sands has accelerated its support to community organizations serving all minority groups. The ACDC funding commitment builds on Sands’ $400,000 investment in community diversity organizations announced at the end of 2020.
