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One of their most impressive, on-going successes is the Temple Gateway Youth & Community Center—a multi-purpose auditorium featuring an indoor theater; two youth activity rooms; two multi-use athletic courts for basketball, volleyball and other sports; a weight-training room; and more.
Currently, SIPA is building a "mixed use-mixed income" project on an old dairy site—20,000 square feet of abandoned space will become a vibrant destination site for Filipinos. This project combines community and retail in one area, with housing atop the commercial development.
SIPA has offered various programs to empower the community such as the Kultural Enrichment and Language Program (KELP), an intensive program for children teaching them the Filipino language, arts and culture to give them a "deeper awareness and understanding of cultural heritage" and "strengthening one’s own identity as Filipino Americans", said Jacinto.
SIPA also boasts of a Community Arts and Technology Center which offers free internet access and use of word processing and media arts software and instructional classes, workshops and one-on-one tutorials.
Joel Jacinto, who has been with SIPA for 17 years, says that a passionate determination to advocate health, welfare, and political and cultural empowerment in the community fuel the spirited staff of SIPA. "To me and the people that work here, it’s not a job. It’s stewardship." They all share a sense of "contributing to the greater good of the Filipino-American community" which Mr. Jacinto admits is a "tremendous responsibility". Nevertheless, it comes with a "tremendous fulfillment and satisfaction" that keeps him and the team coming to work every day.
"We try to work with the youth and families in a holistic manner, because we realize that family is a great part of the young person’s life," noted Mr. Jacinto, alluding to the strong family ties characteristic of the Filipino. A continuous stream of health and human services, community economic development and arts/cultural programs steadily work to achieve their noble objectives. Their efforts are aided by strong community relationships and partnerships with established Asian American and Filipino groups in the area, governmental and corporate sponsorships.
While it has achieved so much in empowering the FilAm community, SIPA is still and will always be searching to involve more Pinoys in its vision to equip Fil-Ams. There are many opportunities for people to get involved and help with its mission. Every Filipino is invited to join SIPA by volunteering, applying to one of its listed job openings or making a donation.
( Published on January 14, 2008 in MDWK Magazine p. 2 )
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