Newsletter

Fall 2012

Ask-A-Thon 2012 Raises Over $200,000The Cameron House 2012 annual campaign launched last December with the announcement of the Day Camp Reunion concluded with the Ask-A-Thon this fall. Many alumni and supporters of Cameron House signed up to be campaigners by setting up personalized websites, writing to their friends and families, and reaching out to their personal and professional network to help us meet our $100,000 goal by September 30, 2012, the end of our fiscal year. We are happy to report that additional gifts and pledges are still coming in for the Ask-A-Thon. With a dollar for dollar challenge match, up to $100,000 by an anonymous family foundation, our efforts raised over $200,000! The dollars raised will allow Cameron House to continue providing its social services to immigrant families and the legendary youth leadership program.

Yulanda Kwong is currently the Interim Executive Director of Donaldina Cameron House. Born and raised in San Francisco, Yulanda grew up going to schools in the City and knowing the ins and outs of Chinatown. She says, ”You can take the girl out of Chinatown, but you cannot take the Chinatown out of the girl.” Chinatown was the root of her childhood.Before Yulanda stepped into the Interim Executive Director position, she served as the Director of Social Services Ministry at Cameron House for 9 years. She started her relationship with Cameron House as a volunteer for the Bilingual After School Tutorial Program (BAP) in 1996. Initially, she wanted to pursue teaching as a career. Her first teaching experience was with the Bilingual Youth Summer Program (BYP) at Cameron House. She taught Chinese American History, since she was an Asian American Studies major from the University of California at Berkeley. Later, she was on staff as the BAP and BYP Coordinator for over 3 years. After her first experience teaching and years of working with children and youth, she saw that youth were experiencing many issues in their lives that did not only impact their academic performance, but their whole well-being. There were issues of peer pressure, family or community violence,

adaptations to a new country as immigrants, self-identity, parent expectations, and others. She wanted to assist children, youth, and their families with a more holistic approach. Therefore, she became a social worker. Yulanda received her Master’s Degree from UC Berkeley’s School of Social Welfare with a specialization in Management and Planning.Yulanda has been working with children, youth and families in the San Francisco Chinatown community for over 15 years now. She has volunteered and worked with low-income Asian immigrants and native-born children and youth and their families in community-based organizations, such as Asian Perinatal Advocates, Asian Women’s Resource Center, the Chinatown YWCA, and NICOS’ Chinese Health Coalition. As the Interim Executive Director of Cameron House, Yulanda hopes to learn from and work closely with staff, the Board, community partners, and individuals to help carry out the mission and values of Cameron House during this interim period. She expresses her gratitude and appreciation to many folks in the community who have offered their support, blessings, and trust in her leadership.

Introducing Yulanda Kwong, Interim Executive Director

She sat there with one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen. She sat across the table from her daughter, enjoying light conversation at our Annual Friday Night Club Thanksgiving Dinner. When I see her, she is an example and model of hope and perseverance. She is a single mom of two teens. She remembers her first visit to Cameron House more than ten years ago: she was outside pacing the sidewalk, trying to decide whether or not to keep her appointment with Reverend Dr. Ernest Wu. Ultimately, fear and hesitation prevented her from setting foot inside the building. Rev. Wu later called her to see why she had missed her appointment. With his patience and encouragement, she finally came to meet with him and started her journey of healing. She first walked through our doors because of a domestic violence situation. She continued to come to Cameron House because of the courage and strength nurtured by the staff and new friends made in the Cantonese Women’s Support Group. Later, her daughter would benefit from individual counseling as well, and then participate in our Youth Ministries’ Bilingual Afterschool Program (BAP) and Summer Programs. The younger brother has also grown-up in the afterschool and summer programs, and just experienced his first year at Westminster Woods. He is also a regular Friday Night Club participant, and is thoroughly enjoying the activities and fellowship there.

Family in Crisis Finds Hope and Support at Cameron HouseA Reflection by Laurene Chan

More and more, whole families are benefitting from the programs and services of both the Social Services and Youth Ministries. For the past five years, staff from both departments have been working more closely together, collaborating and consulting with one another for the common benefit of a child and his/her family, or a mom and her children. What we are seeing more of now, are individual family members - from the same family unit - benefitting from several of Cameron House’s programs and services. Families that access the support and help from both of our Ministries are creating stronger and healthier relationships. The work that staff is doing together fosters our vital mission of empowering our community to fully participate in and contribute positively toward a healthy society.The woman mentioned above is now an active participant of the new Social Services’ group – the Friends of Cameron House. This is a group of courageous and hope-filled women who have received support and help through the most difficult of times, and who are now in a place to give back in return. The circle of life is a powerful force to witness – at Cameron House, we are blessed to see it each day.

Editor’s Note: We share this story with you about a family served by both Social Services and Youth Ministires through the reflections of one of our staff that served this family. Names were not used to respect the family’s desire to be anonymous and for confidentiality with victims of domestic violence. The family initially came to Cameron House to receive social services, and over a decade later, the family remains connected to Cameron House: with involvement in our afterschool program, summer daycamp, Westminster Woods, and the “Friends of Cameron House.” Youth Director, Laurene Chan reflects upon this family’s journey to belong to a larger Cameron House family discovering faith, hope and love…and the spirit to give back.

On Sunday October 14, 2012, over 100 people joined in a very moving and profound celebration. With a “buzz” in Culbertson Hall and throughout Cameron House, a sense of God’s light and healing power was present. Participants witnessed a significant milestone in the Healing Journey that officially began over 10 years ago; a much needed journey to work toward healing primary, secondary and tertiary victims from the sexual abuses committed by former Executive Director F.S. Dick Wichman.Those of us present at the celebration gained an appreciation of the Healing Journey from Doreen Der-McLeod. We were challenged by Dr. Bradford Woo to see the good with the bad. We felt the struggle and beginning transformations of survivors from Dr. Benjamin Tong (unfortunately Dr. Satsuki Ina was unable to make it due to illness). We were moved as we listened to therapist Brenda Wong read the letter she wrote to the partners and families describing the “ripple effect” on their lives. Reverend Calvin Chinn recollected the faith community’s struggle to forgive, and reminded us that forgiveness is not forgetting but rather empowering and freeing. We were inspired by artist/poet Noël Chun who shared his journey as a survivor through sculpture and poetry, and who called upon us all to speak the truth and advocate for those unable to speak their own truth aloud. We witnessed the commitment of Cameron House to the ongoing Healing Journey for “the sake of the survivors, victims and their families, as well as the community and future generations”, and Cameron House’s dedication to “encourage conversations and help liberate people out of darkness and into the light.”

We had an opportunity to express the impact of the celebration through contributing our thoughts to the Community Healing Artwork, a sunrise with stars, moons, and sunbeams reflecting the light shining brightly amidst small shadows of darkness awaiting their transformation to light. We reflected upon the Healing Journey and its meaning as we sat in front of the sculpture and poems, “Stepping Out of Our Darkness, Into Our Light” and “In the Light”.We connected with one another and continued the celebration over delicious hors d'oeuvres and homemade cookies. Although the journey is not over and daily struggles are still occurring, this was a major milestone! Thanks be to God for all who contributed their time and efforts to “From Darkness into Light” Healing Celebration and for all who were present and supported the event. HUGE thanks to the Healing Art Project Task Force for planning the event: Laurene Chan, Jeannie Choy Tate, Noël Chun, Kimberly Elliot, Shar Hall, Heidi Wong, and Bradford Woo. *Although the bronzed sculpture was not ready in time for the October 14th Celebration, it since has been installed. You are invited to come to Cameron House and experience the artwork and poems. **The Healing Journey of Cameron House thus far is being documented in a commemorative booklet to be published by Spring 2013. The booklet will include the history of the journey, the activities lending themselves toward healing, and the celebration presentations.

From Darkness into Light: A Healing Celebration

More pictures from the Healing Celebration can be found on our online photo gallery at www.cameronhouse.org