On Thursday, November 2nd, 2023, board members, ambassadors, committee members, leadership council members, donors and new friends gathered for BCNC’s 2023-2024 Season Launch: Growing Our Impact for the announcement of BCNC’s latest strategic initiatives.

Photos by Melanie Fu

Held at the Moxy Boston Downtown with a rooftop view of the city, the evening began with a warm welcome from Terri Mock, BCNC Board member. Attendees heard from two inspiring participants, Ailing Z. and Wenhua L., who shared their own stories of how BCNC strengthened their families, helped them reach their goals, and supported their well-being. 

Ailing is a recent graduate of BCNC’s adult education program. She first immigrated to the US in 2019. When Ailing arrived, she knew very little English. BCNC provided her with crucial skills to navigate life in the US and create her own success. Today she is working as a dental assistant, working towards going to college to become a hygienist, and giving speeches confidently in English!

Wenhua, first came to BCNC to learn more about how she can start a business as a Family Child Care provider. Then she discovered BCNC had so much more to offer her family including parenting workshops and English classes. BCNC is helping her better communicate with her children and prepare for her US citizenship class. BCNC’s family-centered and comprehensive approach made the difference for Wenhua.  

These stories highlight the importance of helping families thrive and achieve success, so that all of society can benefit. In the post-pandemic world, the demand for BCNC’s services continues to rise. In response, we plan to increase our impact, reach, and depth of our services.  

To meet community demand, which quadrupled during the pandemic, Ben Hires, CEO, announced in the upcoming year, BCNC will strengthen the mental health of Asian and new immigrant families by opening a mental health clinic. BCNC is the leading organization in providing culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible mental health support services to Chinese-speaking immigrants.

“Our expanded mental health services will... serve as a critical resource for families. I invite you all to join us in this initiative as we will grow our impact on strengthening mental health for Asians and new immigrants and empower individuals to seek the help they need to thrive.” -- Ben Hires, CEO 

The next initiative we plan to grow is our workforce development programs. BCNC programs equip immigrant adults, like Ailing and Wenhua, and youth with essential skills for the workforce. Participants who come to BCNC classes succeed in class and beyond: they use new learned skills to thrive in the workforce, secure family-sustaining wages, and even start their own businesses.   

As we grow our impact in mental health and workforce development, we will transform individual lives, strengthen families, and uplift the community across Greater Boston. None of this would be possible without the dedication of our leadership, volunteers, partners, staff, and all those who support and give to our mission.