News

“Neighborhood Cafe is about helping the community” says chef Eddie Gochiacoa, who oversees a team of teens and young adults from City Heights who make up the kitchen staff.

UPAC’s Neighborhood Enterprise Center received a $500,000 Community Assistance Fund grant from SDG&E to open the first Food Pantry offering culturally specific food items and other food staples for low-income families in City Heights.  UPAC’s Cultural Food Pantry is open every Saturday from 10:00am to 1:00am.

“Neighborhood Cafe is about helping the community” says chef Eddie Gochiacoa, who oversees a team of teens and young adults from City Heights who make up the kitchen staff.

Congratulations to UPAC President & CEO, Margaret Iwanaga Penrose, for being recognized as a Top 50 API Leader of Influence by San Diego Business Journal. For over 33 years, Margaret has fearlessly led the organization and made a drastic impact in the lives of San Diego immigrant and refugee families.

Congratulations to our 2022-2023 Beverley Yip Scholarship Recipients!  We’re excited to share a little bit about this year’s recipients. The purpose of the Beverley Yip Scholarship is to provide scholarships to qualified students in need of financial aid to assist them in pursuing post-secondary education and/or training toward a degree or career in social work,…

AAPI History Month Written by: Cas Hom, SDSU Asian Pacific Islander Social Work Association  In the United States, the month of May is designated as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI Heritage Month). First introduced by Jeanie Jew, a Chinese American staffer on Capitol Hill in 1976, AAPI Heritage Month is meant to…

How to Respond to Anti-Asian Harassment Written by: Cas Hom, SDSU Asian Pacific Islander Social Work Association  What is Happening Discrimination and hate crimes have been on the minds of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in the past few years, and rightfully so. Although anti-AAPI hate is not new, prejudice, discrimination, and…

Written by: Anny Nguyen, SDSU Asian Pacific Islander Social Work Association February 1st marked the rise of the second new moon after the winter solstice and the beginning of Lunar New Year. Lunar New Year is a celebration that can last for 15 days until the arrival of the first full moon. In 2022, we…

Researchers at UC San Diego are conducting a research study to improve loneliness and social isolation in older adults in San Diego. This study involves participating in a program that has been designed to reduce loneliness and social isolation by helping you to engage socially. If you meet criteria for this study and agree to…

Written by: Ann Huynh, SDSU Asian Pacific Islander Social Work Association Trigger Warning: Mention of Anti-AAPI Hate Crimes As we approach the final weeks of 2021, many of us may be going through a time of reflection about how this year has gone. As reported by NBC News, the Asian Pacific Islander population saw over a…

We are deeply saddened by the news of shooting deaths of eight individuals, including six Asian women, at three spa establishments in Atlanta on Tuesday night.  In spite of the fact that the man charged denied his killings were racially motivated, the tragic deaths occurred during a time when our nation has experienced a dramatic…

As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps the country, we stand committed as ever to serve our local communities. Our vital programs and services that focus on mental health, addiction treatment and recovery, health education, and community development are continuing in modified and safe ways, as we know our underserved populations need us right now. Families who…

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and we’re teaming up with partners across the US to share resources and break the stigma that suicide brings. According to CDC data, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US and there were an estimated 1.4 million suicide attempts in 2018. The data is…

Recently, UPAC has been highlighted by local media outlets! View our coverage below. ABC 10News Story on Youth Employees at NEC  Union Tribune Op-Ed Trio on the impact of COVID-19 on AAPI populations   Margaret Iwanaga Penrose: Mental health challenges among AAPI populations are hitting a critical point Dr. William Tseng: The pandemic puts Asian…

UPAC has teamed up with the San Diego Housing Commission for The COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program. This initiative helps families with low income in the City of San Diego who are experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19. The program will provide one-time payments of up to $4,000 per qualifying household to help pay past-due and/or…

What: UPAC Virtual Event “Together, We Can Overcome Anything” When: August 10-14, 2020 Where: Online! Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we have shifted our Annual Dinner to a Virtual Event focused on our COVID-19 support and relief efforts. We hope you’ll join us the week of August 10-14 to learn more about how we’re helping…

In Solidarity with the Black Community The Union of Pan Asian Communities (UPAC) stands in solidarity with the Black communities in San Diego, across the nation and globally in their demand for justice for the senseless deaths of George Floyd and others killed or injured while in police custody.  UPAC holds firm in its belief…