The annual corporate dinner benefit of the Chiense American Service League (CASL) will be held at the Fairmont Hotel on Wednesday May 8. This year's theme ois "Embracing the Future, chaired by Harris Bank EVP Edward Williams. CASL, the largest Midwest's largest social service agency of its type, was founded in 1978 as a volunteer effort by a group of 10 Chinese professionals to provide counseling and translation services to immigrants in Chinatown.
Today CASL serves over 14,000 clients annually through an array of educational and social services that ensure economic opportunities, ease cultural transitions, and enhance the physical and mental health of individuals and families of all ages and backgrounds. Housed in five facilities with 190 bilingual and bicultural staff, CASL's $5.2 million programming mostly serves newly arrived immigrants who often have little formal education, possess few transferable job skills and often do not speak English. CASL's four departments provide holistic service delivery that supports the whole family: Child Education and Development Services, Elderly Services, Employment and Training Services, and Family and Community Services. CASL receives support from a variety of private and public sources including community groups, foundations, corporations and the United Way/Crusade of Mercy. CASL is building a CASL Campus in the Chinatown Square Development. The Campaign to build a CASL Campus is being completed in two phases. Phase I was completed in January 1998 with the construction of the HUD-sponsored 91-unit CASL Senior Housing building. This facility provides on-site recreational and support services to more than 130 residents and helps address the critical shortage of affordable housing for Chinatown's elderly. In Phase II, CASL has purchased the land and is building the CASL Community Service Center, a three-story, 37,500 square-foot facility to the south of Chinatown's new Ping Tom Park. The new Center will provide a permanent home for CASL, uniting the five facilities that are currently scattered throughout Chinatown and allowing critical program expansion. A capital campaign "Uniting, Building, Serving," has been launched to help fund the cost of the $9.15 million project, which is scheduled to be completed in September 2003. A remainder of $1.13 million is to be raised for this project. (Source: Irene Cualoping, JD, ENERI/Rieny)