11.24.2020 CCACC host virtual meeting to honor the 2020 CCACC Outstanding Youth Volunteer Award

Chinese Culture and Community Service Center host its virtual meeting on Nov 23, 2020 to honor the volunteers who have been providing outstanding service, especially during COVID-19 health crisis. There were three youth volunteers won the 2020 CCACC Outstanding Youth Volunteer Award.

• Crystal Li / Richard Montgomery High School 10^th grade

“In my years of being a CCACC youth volunteer, my experiences and participation in a variety of events have helped me grow, solidified my values, and given me a new perspective on my role in my community. Being a part of the Dragon Dance team and performing at cultural events has shown me the importance of keeping culture and diversity alive. Teaching technology classes to seniors has shown me the value of contributing the knowledge and skills that I have in helping others and our community. Participating in census outreach events has taught me to be a better, more active citizen. I’m very thankful for all of the volunteer opportunities CCACC has offered me over the past few years because volunteering with CCACC has taught me not only to value our Asian culture and community, but also that we all have something valuable to contribute to society. “

• Wilson Kan/ Georgetown Preparatory School  11^th grade

“First of all, I am very grateful and extremely honored for this award. I would like to thank the CCACC Youth Volunteer Coordinator for her continuous support and guidance. She often tells us that opportunities are given to those well-prepared. With her encouragement, I mustered up the courage to host the 2020 Lunar New Year in Westfield Montgomery Mall, something that I have never done before. I would also like to thank Deputy Executive Director Mrs. Lifang Liu for this opportunity and her trust in us newbies. I certainly have grown a lot every time I stepped out of my comfort zone! While many activities were suspended after March due to the raging pandemic, CCACC kept organizing many online volunteer events. I participated in the tele-promotion of the Montgomery County Small Employer Assistance Program, 2020 Census and another event teaching seniors to use technologies. We conducted pre-meetings to discuss how to write the scripts and how to prepare the teaching materials. Over the course of the summer, we use taught many senior how to use WeChat, Amazon Shopping, Google and other apps. I understand some seniors cannot go out during the pandemic. This makes our work especially important, so it is something I take great pride in. In early September, I signed up to participate in the census outreach publicity activity at the entrance of the Great Wall Supermarket, when I helped four residents of different ethnicities complete the online form on the spot. This was such a rare opportunity to get in touch with the society during the pandemic, and I am incredibly proud to be a part of Montgomery County’s effort in ensuring that everyone is counted.
2020 has been a very tough year for everyone. I am very fortunate to be able to get involved in these online and in-person volunteer activities. Participating in these activities not only helps those in need, but also keeps me being connected with our community and deepened my knowledge and understanding of the society. As Mr. Shen Yi, the Asian liaison officer of Montgomery County, who came to guide the census activities, said to me, we need more volunteers to serve the Asian-American community, I will continue to participate in the volunteer opportunities provided by CCACC in the future, I also wish that more youth friends would join the CCACC youth volunteer team! Thank you!”

• Emma Chen /Richard Montgomery High School 11^th grade

“I am greatly honored to receive the 2020 CCACC Outstanding Youth Volunteer Award. I would like to thank CCACC for all of the opportunities I have been given throughout the four years I have volunteered here; every experience has been extremely meaningful and rewarding, each one helping me acquire valuable life skills and grow as a person. I would also like to give special thanks to CCACC Volunteer coordinator for all of the mentoring, guidance and patience, as well as to all of my fellow volunteers.

Looking back at this extraordinary year, I feel very fortunate to have been able to volunteer at many events organized by CCACC, including dragon dance performances and the Lunar New Year celebrations. One of my most memorable experiences, however, was teaching seniors how to use their computers/smartphones and other various applications through virtual classes on Zoom during the pandemic. Through these tutoring sessions, I was able to improve my Chinese, and learn the importance of listening skills and patience while teaching. It was also one of the few times I was able to have social, human interaction after the start of quarantine. The seniors are all great, adorable, and diligent students. They asked lots of good questions during class and finished their homework quickly. They were always joyful and appreciative at the end of each class, giving me a wonderful sense of fulfillment after every session. 

I would like to thank CCACC once more for this wonderful award! I am so grateful for every opportunity that has been afforded to me, and I will forever cherish many of the memories I have made while volunteering for CCACC. I hope the pandemic will end soon so I can see everyone again in person!”