Guest written by Chloe Hsia, ACDC Senior Civic Engagement Manager

In 2020, the pandemic undoubtedly affected Nevadans and the Asian community was not immune to the negative effects of COVID-19. The Asian Community Development Council (ACDC), a non-profit, non-partisan organization, has a mission to improve the general well-being and education of the Asian, Pacific Islander and other ethnic communities in Nevada. The previous year further proved to us that our mission to promote, foster, champion and advocate for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Nevada is more important than ever.

This is especially important since according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Nevada was the nation’s fastest-growing state from 2017-2019 with Asian American Pacific Islanders being the fastest growing ethnic group. There are over 40 different languages spoken in Nevada and we have bilingual staff members to assist and educate our communities in their native language.

2020 was a busy one for ACDC as we worked to help uplift our community by implementing the following initiatives:

• Distributed food to over 1,500 Asian American and Pacific Islander families with a waiting list of over 400 families in need. 
• Organized drive-up food distribution and flu clinics in Chinatown and passed out over 1,050 boxes of food for families and administered over 200 flu shots.
• Assisted families in risk of being evicted from their homes with their rent payments. 

In addition, we are continuing to provide the following programs:

• Health navigation to provide education and access to quality health care coverage
• College Readiness programs to help high school students prepare for college
• GraduAsian to honor Asian and Pacific Islander graduates in Nevada
• Citizenship assistance and classes
• Nonpartisan voter engagement and registration
• COVID-19 vaccination clinic in the heart of Chinatown

ACDC’s ongoing goal is to establish a strong community network to support and empower individuals to become passionate leaders who advocate and provide resources for all underserved communities. We are always looking to find ways to better serve our community and to meet people exactly where they are. 

For more information, please visit www.acdcnv.org or visit facebook.com/acdcnv