On its 20th year, FAHSI to report on FilAm socioeconomic profile on Nov. 16

FAHSI seniors perform a traditional dance at a Diversity Day celebration

FAHSI seniors perform a traditional dance at a Diversity Day celebration

The Filipino American Human Services Inc. (FAHSI) will be hosting a forum to present the findings of the Community Needs Assessment and to discuss issues of concern to the community.

The forum will be held on November 16th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Philippine Center.

FAHSI Co-Founder and Board Member Dr. Jean Raymundo Lobell said, “The community needs assessment will help FAHSI and the community rethink and refocus its social service programs and priorities. The underserved population in our community deserves the highest quality social service and we are hoping that FAHSI can contribute to that.”

Lobell, a senior managing director at the NY-based CRE Consulting, chairs the Community Needs Assessment Advisory Committee.

Filipinos in the Tri-State Area of Connecticut, New Jersey and New York account for the third largest concentration of Filipinos in the U.S., or 8 percent of the Filipino population.

“To better serve the Filipino American community, we need to revisit its demographic and socioeconomic profile. We hope community leaders and interested individuals will also take advantage of the November forum to express their concerns,” said Zultan Bermudez, FAHSI’s Chairman of the Board.

The Community Needs Assessment is made possible by a grant from the Asian American Federation.

FAHSI is a nonprofit social service organization whose mission is to bridge the service gaps for low-income, disadvantaged Filipinos with culturally and linguistically appropriate services, by engaging youth, women and seniors in identifying the needs of their respective groups. The Philippine Consulate General is co-sponsoring the community forum.

FAHSI is undertaking the Community Needs Assessment to commemorate its 20th anniversary. The Community Forum which will present the findings of the assessment will launch FAHSI’s 20th anniversary celebration. The celebration over the course of the next year will include a Holiday Anniversary Dinner, the unveiling of FAHSI’s new programs and services, and a Gala Anniversary Event. Details of the other events will be announced at a future date.

FAHSI’s partners in the Community Needs Assessment are the Kalusugan Coalition and the Filipino American National Historical Society.

Other members of the committee are Dr. Kevin Nadal, associate professor of Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and president of the metro New York Chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society, and Rhodora Ursua, former project director at the NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health and co-founder of the Kalusugan Coalition. The Community Needs Assessment project is being directed by Dr. Josie Atienza, former assistant director of Research at The Foundation Center and former executive director of FAHSI.

The current Board officers of FAHSI are Zultan Bermudez, chair; Jennifer Celio, secretary, and Brian Tan, Treasurer. The other board members are Mia Fernandez Ayala, FAHSI co-founders Dr. Jean Raymundo Lobell and Atty. Reuben Seguritan and former FAHSI Board Chair Laura Lopez.

The Flipside Theatre Project involves the community’s aspiring actors

The Flipside Theatre Project involves the community’s aspiring actors



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