Rochester, N.Y. — Rochester Asian American and Pacific Islander organizations received a big financial boost Friday afternoon.
New York State lawmakers announced a historic $550,000 in state funding at the Indian Community Center in Macedon.
In addition to the funding announcement, lawmakers were joined by members of the AAPI community for a discussion on economic empowerment, mental health care and connecting upstate and downstate AAPI support infrastructure.
“It’s also really important to sit down together and figure out how we’re going to spend that money to have the most impact on our communities, the most vulnerable in our communities. How do we continue to build on the work that everyone is doing, and how do we share resources and ideas that way we can work smarter and not harder,” said Jo-Ann Yoo, Executive Director of the Asian American Federation.
Monroe County is one of the fastest growing areas of the Pan-Asian community. According to census data, the Asian American population grew over 40 percent in the last decade.
“It’s not just about writing a check and giving money,” said New York State Senator Jeremy Cooney. “It’s about making sure these groups have the resources to actually implement program in our local communities and be more visible.
About $30 million dollars in total funding was distributed to groups across the rest of New York State.
Read the full article here