ASIAN AMERICANS FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT (AACI)

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For Immediate Release:
ASIAN AMERICANS FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT (AACI)
VOLUNTEERS RECEIVE PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

San Jose, CA, January 13, 2006 - CA– Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI) announced that two of its volunteers, Gerald Gray and Victor Wong, will receive the 2006 Mover of Mountains Award from the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Santa Clara Valley.

The Mover of Mountains Award is given to individuals who volunteer their time and have made significant contributions to the welfare of our community; who by their good deeds, or acts of caring or assertion of leadership, have made our community a better place to live, without the expectation of recognition.

Gerald Gray is a psychotherapist and social worker who volunteers at AACI’s Center for Survivors of Torture (CST). Mr. Gray helps torture survivors come to terms with their experiences, tackle their often complex problems, and start a new life in Santa Clara County. Currently, Mr. Gray serves as the co-director of the Institute for Redress and Recovery at Santa Clara University.

Victor Wong was one of the founders of AACI over 30 years ago. Now a retired IBM engineer, Mr. Wong continues to serve as a volunteer in AACI’s senior center, teaching English and citizenship to Chinese seniors every week. Thanks to Mr. Wong’s good work, over 90% of the seniors who complete AACI’s English and citizenship courses are now registered voters.

Mr. Gray and Mr. Wong will be recognized at a breakfast on Martin Luther King Day, January 16, 2006, at the Wyndham Hotel in San Jose. For event information, please call the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association at (408) 881-5464.

About The Center For Survivors of Torture (CST): Census and county data indicate there are between 10 and 15 thousand torture survivors in the Santa Clara Valley, where there is a large refugee, immigrant and asylee population. AACI founded CST in 2000 to address these issues. Since then, over 230 survivors of political torture from 41 countries have received a variety of specialized services.

About Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI):
Established in 1973, AACI is the largest community-based organization focused on the well-being of Asian Americans in Santa Clara County. Based in San Jose, AACI provides multilingual services to over 9,000 individuals annually through a primary care medical clinic, mental health counseling, health education and promotion, substance abuse treatment programs, youth services, senior services, a center for survivors of torture, and a domestic violence shelter for women and their children. Services are provided in over a dozen different languages, including several Chinese dialects, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Lao Mien, Thai, Korean, Tagalog, Ilocano, Hindi, English, and Spanish.
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