We’re hiring a Development Coordinator to help raise funds to build power in our community!
Check out the full job description below and if this role aligns with your experiences and how you want to serve our community, please send a resume, cover letter, and at least three references to jobs@kgalb.org with the subject line “Development Coordinator – your name.”
This position will remain open until filled; early applications are strongly encouraged!
updates
Sursedey Chnam Thmey!
Thai, Lao, Burmese and Cambodian new year is one of our favorite holidays because it centers on family, unity, and joy across Southeast Asian communities. Women who are often the keepers of memory and culture, pass down cultural heritage by preparing delicious meals, organizing families to gather, and sharing traditions to live through the next generation.
This time of year is one of the few moments when our community comes together to celebrate. And, in this light we are reminded of why we continue to organize, advocate, and develop generations of leaders: our community’s joy is worth protecting and when our communities are whole and resourced, we can heal, thrive, and live with dignity!
We hope you can join us and support positive social change led by today’s youth leaders!
Read more…
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Reflections from the Mayor’s Youth & Education Task Force
Serena and Jayden, leaders from our Youth Organizing Long Beach Program (YOLB), reflect on on joining Mayor Rex Richardson’s Youth and Education Task Force. Together with our Executive Director, Lian Cheun and others selected to serve on the Leadership Committee, they planned his first 100 days in office which was addressed in the inaugural state of the city in January.
Working in the leadership committee was an exciting experience. It made me realize how many adults cared about young people and how many young people cared enough to speak out.
There were so many people who came from different backgrounds and hardships. And, it was eye-opening hearing their stories. It’s great that they could speak up and talk about their experiences. This way, youth in similar situations can get the support that they need.
Serena, Age 15
Program: Youth Organizing Long Beach (YOLB)For me, being in the leadership committee is best described as a moment of woke seeing those in the community all from different backgrounds and lives trying to figure out how to improve their environment for youth.
I long for Southeast Asian communities to get the funding they need so they can have real Khmer stores that aren’t placed in dangerous areas. In addition, house funding for Southeast Asians so we can live comfortably without worry of space and continue to grow and thrive in our community.
Jayden, Age 16
Program: Youth Organizing Long Beach (YOLB)
2022: What We’re Celebrating!
| There was plenty to celebrate during the year of our 25th anniversary, from raising $35K in grassroots funds to operating youth leadership programs in person after two years of meeting remotely online. When updated vaccines and boosters became available, we outreached and phone banked Long Beach residents, ensuring they had the most updated information to make healthy, informed decisions. |
During the second half of this year, we connected with 2,000 voters and worked alongside coalitions to increase civic engagement during the midterm elections, which resulted in progressive leadership and policy wins, and another record-high of young voter turnout, where 30% of young voters ages 18-29 voted!
We also came full circle to our roots in reproductive justice by organizing to pass Prop. 1 to protect safe access to abortions, contraceptives, and self-determination for all Californians. We created cultural work to call in our Southeast Asian base to embrace dignity, bodily autonomy, and voting as a force!
As a team, we took our lessons from the past to complete our strategic plan for the next five years and beyond! Along the way, we centered our youth leaders in spaces where they could learn about and apply shared-governance practices in neighborhood zoning and housing plans, city budgets, and a county-wide Youth Bill of Rights.
We have exciting opportunities and news to share with you in the new year. But for now, our team will be taking time off to restore, reflect, and enjoy the holidays with loved ones. We hope you all can do the same.
Thank you always for your unwavering support in advancing equity and justice for our Long Beach community.
Like a Lotus, We Rise!
KGA is closed for a restorative winter break starting Monday, December 19th. We will return on Monday, January 2nd.
Please send mail and checks to our updated mailing address at: PO BOX 90757 Long Beach, CA 90809
Vote Yes on Prop. 1
Voting Yes on Prop. 1 amends the California constitution to enshrine safe access to abortions and contraceptives.
Voting Yes on Prop. 1 means that no matter who holds political majority in the court and state, our bodily autonomy and personal matters about our reproductive health belong to us!
One way to say bodily autonomy or self- ruling in Khmer is ការគ្រប់គ្រងខ្លួនឯង (set Serey-Pheap luh-reang).
Check out our Instagram page @kgalongbeach to learn more reproductive justice words in Khmer.
Let’s Vote as a Force for California!
Reproductive health, sheriff accountability, mayoral and congressional seats are on the ballot during this midterm election.
Starting now until Election Day on Tuesday, November 8, let’s show up as a force to elect leaders and vote for policies that bring dignity, abundance, and opportunities to our community!
Happy National Voter Registration Day!
Thank you for building a strong and powerful community with us! With election season just around the corner, we wanted to remind you to register or update your voter registration information if you’ve moved, changed your name, turned 18, are system-impacted, or haven’t voted in a while.
This year, voters can make history and continue to pave the path for future victories by exercising our right to vote. This upcoming election, voters can:
- Elect new leaders to fill the role of City mayor, council members (in odd number districts), and school board members,
- Amend the California constitution to enshrine rights to abortions and contraceptives,
- Check the sheriff & LA County Sheriff Department on accountability and oversight
We are powerful when we come together to vote. However, did you know that in 2020, 1 in 4 residents didn’t register because they didn’t know how, were too busy, forgot or recently moved? And for younger unregistered voters between the age 18-24, that rate was at 42%!*
And, with research showing that Asian Americans are the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S.**, we have the opportunity to continue building collective power! That’s why today, National Voter Registration Day, we are reminding you to check your status! Make sure to take time today to register or re-register to vote!
The vote is precious. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democratic society, and we must use it
John Lewis
Now Collecting Stories — Our Reproductive Rights Belong to Us!
We are excited to share that during this month of September, we are collecting stories to amplify the importance for reproductive health care access.
Through your stories, we will build narratives that normalize and de-stigmatize abortions and show that they are essential to the health, dignity, and self-determination of our leaders and community!
Deciding to keep or terminate a pregnancy is a personal choice that should not be shamed, feared, and worse– criminalized.
Yet, the rollback of Roe v. Wade has and will continue to threaten the lives of Black, Indigenous, and Asian communities, especially those living in poverty. Communities across the country are fighting back and so are we!
This Fall, Californians can amend the state constitution to enshrine legal rights to abortions and contraceptives. We will be reminding voters to take action and amplify our community’s stories that must be told!
Let’s win reproductive justice at the ballot box this Fall and shape a progressive political and narrative landscape to secure wins for the fights ahead!
Raise Funds with KGA!
Long Beach Gives Fundraiser
This year, we are participating in Long Beach Gives to raise funds & awareness about the important services that nonprofits like KGA provide for our community and city!
Make a donation on Thursday, September 22nd– or give as early as today!
Your donation will support our programs and sustain the next generation of leaders!
Resources
Now Hiring!
We are now hiring part-time, seasonal, phone bankers who are passionate to get out the vote this Fall! APPLY TODAY!
Volunteer with Us!
Empower voters to take action on reproductive justice, housing justice, and more! Upcoming Virtual Volunteer Phone Banking Days are:
- Tues., Oct 11
- Wed., Oct. 12
Back to School
Check out our last e-blast with resources to support students and families during Back to School Season and beyond!
Source:
*https://knightfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/The-100-Million-Project_KF_Report_2020.pdf
**https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/09/asian-americans-are-the-fastest-growing-racial-or-ethnic-group-in-the-u-s/
