Faith And Community Empowerment

Church & non-profit leadership & advocacy trainingc2 leadership institute: church & non-profit leadershipc2 leadership institute is a transformative 15- week leadership program that empowers leaders and awakens them to new possibilities and sustainability for their ministries by strengthening church and community partnerships in community development through community engagement and advocacy. Through the c2 leadership institute, c2 fellows gain the tools, skills and relationships to create success and sustainability in their community development initiatives. Over the course of the institute, each fellow launches or strengthens a community project. Fellows are mentored by various leaders, including funders, government officials, media, faith leaders and community development experts. Fellows develop their projects using the skills they attain such as fundraising, media and government relations, partnership building, networking, financial literacy, grant writing, eventing, advocacy, program development, outreach strategies, and community needs assessments. Finally, fellows receive ongoing one on one technical assistance to ensure successful implementation of their project. To date we have had more than 8 cohorts. First ladies lumiere: churches play a vital role in helping immigrants and underserved communities navigate and thrive in american life-offering hope, support, and spiritual guidance. Behind many of these efforts are pastors' wives-our "first ladies"-who serve faithfully, often without pay, title, or public recognition. Their contributions, though essential, are frequently made quietly and behind the scenes. Lumire, meaning "light" in french, symbolizes our desire to honor these incredible women by shining a light on their selfless service and unwavering support. The first ladies' lumire celebration is a special occasion to recognize their sacrifice, uplift their stories, and allow their light to shine a little brighter.

Advocacy/race relationsface has been a strong advocate in lifting up the aapi and faith voice for those who are underserved and voiceless on numerous issues locally and nationally. Some of the areas where face is engaging includes housing & homeownership, immigration reform, electric cars/clean energy, peace on the korean peninsula, and an inclusive ethnic curriculum, amongst others. Face has also hosted many convenings with government/corporate decision makers and stakeholders in the community to facilitate partnerships that would address challenges faced by the community. Some past convenings have included freddie mac, sba, metro ceo, lapd, lahsa, various elected officials, white house, samhsa, hud, us. Department of labor secretary, amongst others. In addition, face hosted a korean american roundtable on faith and mental health with uci and korean american faith leaders, community advocates, scholars and nonprofit leaders affordable housing: face's affordable housing initiative empowers and educates churches on how to develop affordable housing units. Face is walking with churches and connecting them to the right organizations and resources to build affordable housing on their land. In turn, churches are able to sustain their ministry and provide affordable housing for their communities. Saigu: black/asian solidarity & stop aapi hate initiativewith the surge in anti-asian hate crimes face has worked to bring solidarity between the black and aapi community through several intimate meetings between black and asian clergy as well as seminars and aapi town halls to discuss model minority myth that has historically been used as a barrier between the two groups. As part of our stop aapi hate initiative, face has also worked to shed light on the oppression and needs of the aapi community. Face hosted "stop the hate: interfaith dialogue with the help of ethnic media. Youth @work : aapi career pathways initiative the aapi population makes up 17% of the county population, yet only 3% of the participants in the la county's paid job training/internship program, youth@work, are aapi students. The aapi career pathways initiative, in partnership with la county wdacs, is aimed to address this gap. Through face's initiative, aapi youth (14-24) will have access to these paid internship opportunities as well as have the opportunity to connect with mentors and to attend monthly mentorship leadership seminars. Face hosted its monthly college admissions series with ivy scholars and lacaaea.donor advisory board/ holiday receptiondonor advisory board members play an important role in promoting face's vision and expanding our reach. Members are invited to exclusive, intimate gatherings where members can meet and network with face leadership, staff, and other community and business leaders two to three times a year. In addition, members are given priority invitations to face events and other exclusive offers, as well as recognition on face's website and email blast. Entering 2025, face welcomed 50 donor advisory board members.