For 2013-2014, AAFE is happy to welcome 3 new AmeriCorps VISTA members to its offices in Chinatown, the Lower East Side, and Flushing, Queens. AmeriCorps VISTA is the national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. VISTA members commit to serve full-time for a year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, strengthen community groups, and much more.
Wendy Jennings (Policy & Leadership Development)
Wendy was born and raised in Japan until her family moved to the USA when she was nine years old. Since then, she has studied or worked in several regions of the world, including southern Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. These experiences have made her passionate about working in cross cultural environments and interacting with different groups of people. Wendy was drawn to AmeriCorps by the opportunity to work in an organization emphasizing grassroots activism and a high level of involvement in the local community. In addition, she wants to gain skills in community organizing.
Karen Lin (Housing & Community Services)
AAFE Housing and Community Services is happy to welcome Karen Lin to its staff. Originally from Westchester County, New York, Karen graduated from the University of North Carolinaat Chapel Hill in May 2013 with a degree in Biology and minors in Anthropology and Social & Economic Justice. At UNC, Karen took an active role in several public health and service groups. During summer 2012, as an intern at the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center in New York City’s Chinatown, she helped organize several educational workshops for the community. Karen speaks conversational Mandarin.
Maple Wu (One Flushing)
Maple just graduated from The City University of New York, Hunter College in June 2013 with a B.A. in English and Women & Gender Studies. When she is under pressure, green tea is the way to go. She likes to try baked goods, explore approaches to community organizing, and have laugh out loud moments with her friends. Maple aspires to become an active, yet critical, community organizer, and after her year of service, her goal is to pursue post-undergraduate research around gender and sexuality, and in bridging the relationship between theory/literature with practice.
