On one of the warmest days of the year to date, Manhattan’s Chinatown was the scene of an authentic program of Chinese culture and tradition, on May 19th.  The venue was the spacious, air-conditioned 300-seat auditorium of the Chinese Community Center at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA), an organization founded in 1883 to serve and protect the interests of the Chinese people in the New York metropolitan area. The event was Parents’ Day: a combined springtime tribute to both mothers and fathers, celebrating the elders in the tight-knit community.
After a check presentation by CCBA board members to benefit a local Chinese school and recognition of the participants, a full cultural program was the highlight of the afternoon’s events, and included a myriad of colorful performances by senior community center members. Variety-show style, each act took to the stage accompanied by live or recorded music, engaging the audience with traditional numbers that they all seemed to know, as they sang and clapped along!
Conceived and presented by AlphaCare, in partnership with Lin Sing Association, another one of the oldest Chinese American organizations in existence, the well-attended inaugural event also featured a Wellness & Resource Fair, targeted at the senior guests.
Liz Ho, Community Outreach Manager for AlphaCare, was elated at the overwhelming interest and turnout for the day’s program. “It is an honor to link with an important community fixture like Lin Sing Association, especially for an occasion like Parents’ Day,” she said. “While paying respect to seniors and hard-working immigrant families, AlphaCare was also able to invite many of our hospital and home care agency partners that serve the Asian community.  Together, we present a strong network of resources that support healthy living.”
Premier Home Health Care Services, one of the larger partner agencies, has a full staff dedicated to outreach in the Asian communities in New York.  A long time AlphaCare partner, Premier is active in the five boroughs, and in addition to accepting all insurances and Medicaid, their staff is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, even Korean. Malily Li, a Premier rep, expressed her gratitude for the event: “This has been a really good experience for me; it’s good to not only meet potential clients, but it’s nice to talk to reps from the other agencies that provide similar services. And I was impressed by the entertainment. I’m looking forward to the next one!”
