PENINSULA – When the Peninsula Chinese American Association (PCAA) sees a need within the community, they do whatever they can to fulfill it.
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the United States last spring, PCAA went into action. They raised more than $16,000 in order to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care providers. As the demand for PPE continued to increase, members of PCAA reached out to their own connections and were able to provide 15,000 more pieces of PPE, including N95 masks, medical gloves, goggles, and protective coveralls. These pieces were then donated to local hospitals, various Peninsula-based physicians’ offices, and TPMG Family Medicine. The organization then donated 1,000 surgical masks to the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office.
And PCAA did not stop there.
Last June, they donated $5,000 to the Virginia Peninsula Food Bank.
In a note to PCAA from Tracy Hansbrough, community engagement coordinator for the food bank, she wrote, “We are grateful to receive this wonderful donation. Your donation will help us provide an estimated 20,000 meals to families throughout our community who are struggling with hunger.”
Yan Lin (PCAA President), Shirley Yan (PCAA Vice President), Angela York (THRIVE Peninsula Executive Director), and Elizabeth Tai (PCAA Outreach)
On Wednesday, March 10, PCAA made its most recent donations in this long line of community service. Funds raised by the organization were donated to THRIVE Peninsula, which was able to provide 13,783 meals for needy residents.
“We are thankful for the PCAA’s donations,” said Angela York, THRIVE Peninsula executive director. “We will use these funds to offer a critical lifeline to individuals and families in need.”
Funds raised were also donated to York County Food Closet, which provided over 80 large bags of groceries to families in need throughout York County and Poquoson. Each bag contained canned foods, nonperishables, and a $15 Food Lion gift card.
When asked why the organization works so hard to give back to the community, Elizabeth Tai, PCAA board member and Yorktown resident, said, “It is the right thing to do to help your neighbors in need, and to protect the people who are protecting us, especially in the midst of a pandemic. We are all in this together.”
PCAA was founded over 40 years ago as a nonprofit organization dedicated to educational and cultural purposes. In addition to its charitable work, PCAA also oversees a Chinese language school in Newport News and sponsors educational and cultural programs throughout the area. Every year, the organization awards annual scholarships to local high school seniors for their academic achievements, citizen performance, and service within their communities.
If you are interested in seeing how you can help, contact PCAA at: Info@PCAA-VA.org or visit their website at, www.pcaa-va.net.
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