|
THE JAISOHN CENTER (Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Asian Americans within the Greater Philadelphia Region.
Dr. Philip Jaisohn was a pioneer in Asian American activism as an advocate for Korean independence and a volunteer physician for the U.S. Military. In honor of his legacy, the Jaisohn Center strives to champion Asian American causes and strengthen communities through a wide range of health and human services.
We’re excited to keep you updated on our Center’s mission to elevate Asian American communities and foster unity between different ethnicities. Check out this newsletter to see what work we’ve accomplished with the help of your continued support.
Thank you for joining our cause!
| |
JAISOHN DEPARTMENT UPDATES | |
 |
Jaisohn Medical Center
The Jaisohn Medical Center is dedicated to providing preventive care, particularly for patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, congestive heart failure (CHF), hypertension, and cancer. In collaboration with Independence Blue Cross (IBC), we recently provided retinal screenings for diabetic patients and group mammograms at Einstein Elkins Park Hospital.
Our commitment to community health extends to our ongoing COVID-19 outreach efforts. We recently hosted a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the International Spring Festival at North Penn High School. To encourage everyone to stay vaccinated, we are offering free COVID-19 vaccines for uninsured and underinsured individuals. Please contact us if you need an updated vaccine.
We also celebrated Nurses Week at the Jaisohn Medical Center, highlighting the invaluable contributions of our nurses. We deeply appreciate their hard work and dedication.
To learn more about the Jaisohn Medical Center, please call our Philadelphia office at (215) 224-2000 or our Lansdale office at (215) 997-2101.
| | |
Jaisohn Home Health Care
“This spring, Home Health Care team has been providing high-quality care to patients to restore patients’ physical and mental functions and ensure a positive lifestyle.”
- Yisun Cho, Jaisohn Home Health Care Executive Director
To learn more about Jaisohn Home Health Care, please call (215) 866-0103 for more information.
| |
Jaisohn Home Care
“We strive to bring you the best senior services possible in the comfort of your own home, overcoming cultural and linguistic barriers.” – Joseph Lee, Jaisohn Home Care Director
Jaisohn Home Care provides non-medical services to Asian American seniors who are homebound due to old age, sickness, accidents, mental disabilities, Alzheimer’s and/or dementia. Our services make it possible for them to stay in their own homes with dignity while being cared for by trained caregivers with an understanding of cultural and language barriers.
To learn more about Jaisohn Home Care, please call (215) 224-2137.
| |
Jaisohn Wellness Center
Senior Community Center
| |
|
The Jaisohn Wellness Center's Senior Community Center programs are thriving and growing, with plans for additional space to be used for the increasing number of participants and new classes such as poetry reading.
Our knitting class members crafted baby hats to donate to Doylestown Hospital for parents to take upon discharge. The joy of learning together and engaging in meaningful activities has greatly enhanced the seniors’ sense of fulfillment and happiness. They are now working on blankets to donate. Additionally, they demonstrated their commitment to community service by participating in a fundraising walkathon for kidney transplant patients on April 30th. Their contributions, both in donations and active involvement, made the event meaningful, and the seniors were especially happy to give back to the community.
On April 20th, we organized a “Wellness Walk for Physical and Mental Health” at the International Spring Festival, supported by Kathryn McCarter, Chair of the International Spring Festival Health Committee. Sponsored by AARP Philadelphia and the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, we saw diverse participation, including Asian American and mainstream seniors. Students from Gwynedd Mercy University promoted the event, distributed lunches, and led pre-walk stretches. The walk emphasized physical fitness, social interaction, and stress management for mental health.
To learn more about the Jaisohn Wellness Center and how to participate, contact (267) 639-9500.
| |
Jaisohn Internships and Scholarships
The Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation is pleased to offer internships and scholarships for college and graduate students ($52,000) who demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, and service to their schools and communities. See the flyer below for more information or visit our website. (The deadline for applications is Friday, July 19th, 2024)
| |
|
Montgomery County Community Health Assessment
The MontCo Office of Public Health (OPH) partnered with various organizations for a comprehensive community health assessment. This community partnership aims to enhance public health policies and strategies and improve the well-being of Montgomery County’s diverse residents by supporting the MontCo OPH Community Health Survey 2024. The Jaisohn Center contributed to this survey by assisting senior members at the Jaisohn Wellness Center (JWC). With the support of JWC staff and President Choe, responses to the survey were successfully collected from participants of the MontCo AAPI Community Needs Assessment Focus Group, which included Chinese, Indian, and Filipino Americans.
| |
|
Montgomery County AAPI Community Needs Assessment
The Montgomery County AAPI Community Needs Assessment Focus Group discussions with eight ethnic groups, including Filipino, Chinese, Bengali, Pakistani, Nepali, Indian, and Vietnamese, have been completed. These conversations provided valuable insights into community strengths and needs. The next phase will focus on addressing major topical needs for the Asian American communities in Montgomery County.
| |
Jaisohn Community Wellness Plaza
(New Asian American "One-Stop-Shop"
Service Center Project)
| |
|
In preparation for the Zoning Hearing Board Meeting, the Jaisohn Center hosted a gathering for neighboring residents in Upper Gwynedd Township to discuss services, future plans, and concerns. On April 25th, in a historic moment for the Jaisohn Center and the Asian American community in Montgomery County, the zoning application was approved with strong support from the township commissioners, the solicitor, township staff, and community neighbors. The Jaisohn Community Wellness Plaza is an $8 million project that will serve as a central hub of information and services for the Asian American community, connecting the county and all major service providers.
| |
Philip Jaisohn National
Creative Contest Award Ceremony (6/15/2024)
| |
|
We are pleased to announce the awardees of the 5th Annual Philip Jaisohn National Creative Contest. The 2024 contest involved extensive learning and creation from participants, who submitted their projects after applications opened in February. The award ceremony will be held on June 15th, 2024, at 2 pm EST at the Philip Jaisohn Memorial House, with an online option. Congratulations to all the selected winners! Special thanks to our advisory committee NAKS teachers, KyongAe Yi, Kyounghee Lee, and Hye Chung.
| |
Korean American Citizenship Day Festival (6/22/2024) | |
|
Join us on June 22nd at 11 AM at Rose Tree Park for the 2024 Korean American Citizenship Day Festival. This event commemorates the 134th anniversary of Dr. Philip Jaisohn becoming the first Korean to gain U.S. citizenship. Do not miss out on this celebration of a historic milestone!
| |
Jaisohn Memorial House & Monument Visits | |
|
Local Visits
This spring, the Philip Jaisohn Memorial House and Monument in Media, PA, welcomed visitors from local and international communities. Seniors from the Korean Holy Angels Church and representatives from the Museum of the American Revolution, including Aimee Newell, Ann Kirschner, and Kathryn Lynch, explored the site as part of the "The Declaration’s Journey" exhibition, featuring Dr. Philip Jaisohn's artifacts. On May 18th, the New Jersey Korean School, led by Principal Hyun-Joo Hwang, visited after organizing a fundraising bazaar to support their educational tour. Additionally, fifty visitors from Washington, D.C., coordinated by the Old Korean Legation and the K-Community Center, toured the Jaisohn Memorial House and visited the "Little Theatre" (today’s Plays and Players Theatre).
| |
|
International Visits
Myung Hwa Lee, Chairwoman of the Korea International School Association, and Professor Haekyung Lee, director of the "1919 Philadelphia FKC Musical," visited Philadelphia on April 9th for the Jaisohn Center’s First Korean Congress Celebration. They toured the Philip Jaisohn Memorial House and discussed partnership opportunities for connecting English-speaking youth in Korea and America. 10th-grade students from Korea's MinJok Private High School visited the Philip Jaisohn Memorial House as part of their Vision Casting Trip, which includes tours of top Eastern U.S. colleges, hosted by their alumni.
| |
First Korean Congress Celebration
On April 6th, we commemorated the 105th anniversary of the First Korean Congress, independence movement efforts led by Dr. Philip Jaisohn in the United States following the March 1 movement in Korea. We started at the University of Pennsylvania with lectures hosted by James Joo-Jin Kim Center for Korean Studies and Univ of Penn Korean Students Association. Afterward, we reenacted the march through the center city of Philadelphia, reflecting on the sacrifices and dedication of those before us. We look forward to greater participation in 2025 as we celebrate the Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation’s 50th Anniversary.
| |
|
Philip Jaisohn and the Legacy of
Korean American Citizenship
The Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation and Gwynedd Mercy University co-sponsored a symposium on April 13th at the Philip Jaisohn Memorial House in Media, PA, focusing on the legacy of Korean American citizenship. The speakers included Professor Juman Kim (Towson University), Professor KiJoo Choi (Princeton Theological Seminary), Dr. Sojin Kim (Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage), and Grace Dahye Kwon (University of Maryland). Mayor Bob McMahon welcomed the speakers and the audience. The event featured well-researched and thought-provoking presentations, leading to engaging dialogues between the presenters and attendees.
| | |
MacKenzie Scott's Yield Giving
and Lever for Change
On March 19th, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving and Lever for Change announced that the Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation was selected to receive a $2 million grant as one of the Yield Giving Open Call awardees for our work with people and places experiencing the greatest need in the United States. In addition to increasing healthcare access, the Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation (PJMF) has led advocacy efforts through initiatives such as the Census, voter registration, and vaccination campaigns for the Asian American community and other underserved communities. This transformative grant will enable the Jaisohn Center to strengthen further its efforts to meet the needs of Asian Americans and other communities by developing a “one-stop-shop” hub space and a range of services aimed at alleviating access issues. Additionally, our community has a dire need to develop its capacity and nurture a new generation of leadership. A part of this grant will be used to establish a new subsidiary foundation for these causes in the future.
| |
Awards
President George Choe and Jaisohn Center’s work is being acknowledged in the community. George Choe, President and CEO of the Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation, was honored with the 'Courage to Make a Difference' award from Jefferson Health’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Benefit and Diversity Committee. This recognition highlights his leadership and the foundation's dedication and efforts in health and human services and advocacy work such as Census, Voter Registration, and COVID-19 outreach, hosting over 130 vaccine clinics, and 24,000 rapid test kit distribution for underserved communities of color. George expressed our gratitude, acknowledging the partnership, support, and assistance of everyone involved in this achievement.
President Choe also received the Oak Lane Community Action Association(OLCAA)’s Community Leadership Award for his continued partnership along with Jaisohn Center’s participation in OLCAA’s programs and exploring ideas for the future community health and wellness concerns.
| | |
|
Farewell to Natalie Yang
Natalie Yang, an intern with a keen interest in healthcare services, had been an invaluable asset to our office since January. As a Chinese American dual BS degree student from UPenn's Wharton and Bioengineering programs, Natalie brought a unique blend of skills and perspectives during her 5-month internship. We wish her the best of luck with the remainder of her academic years.
| | |
The Jaisohn Center's work would not be possible without the generosity of our partners: | | | | |
