BicoastalBitchin's Weblog

It’s the 2011 BcB Holiday Gift Guide! Cause we’re lazy-asses bleeding heart liberal non-profiteers (did I just offend everyone?) every year at BcB our Holiday Gift Guide provides you with a list of non-profits that do tireless work in Asian/Asian American communities and/or issue areas and are much respected by Cbruhs and AznHeartThrob. Without further ado, click on the links below to send over a dolla or $5000000+ to the following amazing orgs:

The Spot Oakland:

The mission of The Spot is to support the success of youth and young adults by fostering their emotional, physical, intellectual, and spiritual health through holistic, coordinated, youth-driven resources and opportunities. Our vision is for all youth and young adults to have: A safe and empowering environment to realize their full potential,  meaningful roles to experience and strengthen their communities and a culture of unity, diversity, and collaboration for social justice.

CAAAV:

CAAAV works to build grassroots community power across diverse poor and working class Asian immigrant and refugee communities in New York City. Through an organizing model constituted by five core elements: base-building, leadership development, campaigns, alliances, and organizational development- CAAAV organizes communities to fight for institutional change and participates in a broader movement towards racial, gender, and economic justice. This includes advocating for low-income tenants who are negatively impacted by the gentrification in NYC’s Chinatown (Chinatown Justice Project), and organizing Southeast Asian youth in the Bronx (Youth Leadership Project).

Legacies of War:

The mission of Legacies of War is to raise awareness about the history of the Vietnam War-era bombing in Laos and advocate for the clearance of unexploded bombs, to provide space for healing the wounds of war, and to create greater hope for a future of peace. The organization uses art, culture, education, community organizing and dialogue to bring people together and create healing and transformation out of the wreckage of war.

Asian & Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS (APICHA)

Gaysians living with AIDS/HIV are challenged with a lack of visibility and services…luckily orgs like APICHA provide crucial preventative and primary care for our communities.

APICHA’s mission is to improve the health of our community and to increase access to comprehensive primary care, preventive health services, mental health and supportive services. We are committed to excellence and to providing culturally competent services that enhance the quality of life. APICHA advocates for and provides a welcoming environment for underserved and vulnerable people, especially Asians and Pacific Islanders, the LGBT Community and individuals living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.

Asian Pacific Environmental Network:

APEN seeks to empower low-income API communities to achieve environmental and social justice. APEN believes that the environment includes everything around us: where we live, work and play. And we strive to build grassroots organizations that will improve the health, well-being and political strength of our communities.

Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF):

CACF believes that children of all backgrounds should have an equal opportunity to grow up healthy and safe and should live in a society free from discrimination and prejudice. CACF challenges stereotypes of Asian Pacific Americans as a “model minority” and advocates on behalf of under-served families in our community, especially immigrants struggling with poverty and limited English skills. CACF promotes better policies, funding, and services for East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander children, youth, and families.

Nomi Network:

Nomi Network seeks to increase the financial independence of women in Asia who are vulnerable to sex trafficking. Nomi uses a three-fold strategy that consists of developing talent and high-quality, profitable products, increasing capacity of employers to provide living wages and partnering with retailers and consumers to increase demand for their products.

Asian Community Leadership Foundation:

The Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Foundation (ACLF) is a community-based, nonprofit organization that trains and supports the leadership of Asian Pacific Islanders with a commitment to social justice, community empowerment and public service. Our mission is to promote social, economic and political justice by training and supporting a strong, sustainable community of civically engaged leaders that reflects the diversity of local Asians & Pacific Islanders.

The Occupy Movement:

Despite the media hysteria that often attempts to discredit Occupy as a bunch of pot-smokin’, lazy, grungy hippies — the power of OWS to bring an economic justice agenda to the national stage and its potential to forge a broad-based, progressive, and long-term movement for change is undeniable. Support the NY arm or the local one in your city.

We Envision: [1] a truly free, democratic, and just society; [2] where we, the people, come together and solve our problems by consensus; [3] where people are encouraged to take personal and collective responsibility and participate in decision making; [4] where we learn to live in harmony and embrace principles of toleration and respect for diversity and the differing views of others; [5] where we secure the civil and human rights of all from violation by tyrannical forces and unjust governments; [6] where political and economic institutions work to benefit all, not just the privileged few; [7] where we provide full and free education to everyone, not merely to get jobs but to grow and flourish as human beings; [8] where we value human needs over monetary gain, to ensure decent standards of living without which effective democracy is impossible; [9] where we work together to protect the global environment to ensure that future generations will have safe and clean air, water and food supplies, and will be able to enjoy the beauty and bounty of nature that past generations have enjoyed.