The cost is $60 per person (banquet includes ten-course dinner and beverages). The seat price includes a $30 tax-deductible gift.

Please make check payable to ACCESS and mail it to

ACCESS
244 Harrison Ave
Boston, MA 02111

In lieu of sending in a check, you can also buy tickets online:

If you are unable to attend the dinner but would still like to donate to ACCESS, you can visit our donation page for more details.

If parties of 10 or fewer would like to be seated at the same table, please collect your checks and send them in together in the same envelope, and indicate that you would like to be seated together. We will do our best to accommodate your preferences, but we do ask for your understanding if we cannot. If you have any questions, please email

Location

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Empire Garden: 690 Washington Street, Boston
Parking: 660 Washington St., Boston ($10/night)

Dinner Menu

• Assortment of Chinese Delicacies
• Seafood Bird Nest
• Shrimps in a Refreshing Sauce
• Empire Garden Seafood Soup
• Crispy Fried Chicken with Shrimp Chips
• Twin Lobsters with Ginger and Scallion
• Twin Steak with Chinese Broccoli
• Four Treasures from the Farm
• Yangzhou Fried Rice
• Fried Yee Noodles
• Sweet Red Bean Soup

(This is a bilingual Chinese-English PDF.)

Around 7 p.m. the Mei-Li hair salon on Tyler Street begins to close up shop for the night, giving hair washer Oi-Ping a slim margin of time to rush down Harrison Avenue to her evening ESOL class at ACCESS. Oi-Ping immigrated from Vietnam in the late 1990s, and even though she has lived in the States (first in Washington, D.C. and now in Boston) for nearly a decade, she barely spoke a word of English before this past fall. The demands of working 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Chinatown for a meager income render little opportunity for learning English, even for the most hardworking and well-intentioned. That is, until ACCESS opened an evening ESOL class this past September and launched a full-tuition scholarship program in late May.

Oi-Ping, along with 39 other students, is one of the ESOL scholarship recipients for the Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 semesters. Their presence in the classrooms at ACCESS testifies to the Lord’s faithfulness and mighty work in Chinatown. When this year had begun, ACCESS found itself struggling with a financial situation so bleak that the Board considered shutting down the seventeen-year-old ESOL program. The agency managed to hold a 3-week course on restaurant vocabularies in late January and early February, and a single ESOL class in the spring semester.

In early April, however, when members of the Board gathered together in prayer to seek the Lord’s guidance, they sensed His calling to take a step of faith. Promptly, ACCESS launched the “Adopt a Student/Adopt a Teacher” scholarship campaign to raise funds for the ESOL program. As the staff and Board members trusted the Lord, they experienced His sovereignty and provision in great abundance. The Lord moved many hearts to respond to the scholarship campaign, and in late May, ACCESS re-launched its ESOL program with 5 full classes. Thanks to two grants the Lord has provided, ACCESS has awarded 40 full-tuition scholarships for Fall 2009 and Spring 2010. Currently, there are 5 morning classes and 1 evening class.

This past year at ACCESS, we are reminded of what a privilege it is to serve the Lord and join in His work in Chinatown. He has provided teachers, He has filled the classrooms with students, and as His servants we have gotten to experience Him all over again. Because of the Lord’s faithfulness, students like Oi-Ping can have not only the opportunity to learn survival English, but to do so in a classroom that is filled with warmth, laughter, and enthusiasm. Oi-Ping beams when she speaks of her ESOL teacher and the friendships she has forged in class. To her, not knowing English is as if she were deaf and mute. Needless to say, Oi-Ping treasures the opportunity to learn English. We pray that the classrooms at ACCESS would continue to be places where students like Oi-Ping can come and not only learn English, but even more importantly experience the magnificent love of God!

—Ashley Chow

Would you consider a year-end gift to ACCESS to help support students like Oi-Ping?

“Do you commit yourself to being a faithful follower of Christ for the rest of your life?” asked the pastor. Choi Ying (not her real name) replied in the affirmative. When she emerged from the baptismal pool, her face was beaming with joy. She smiled at the congregation and waved to her children.

Looking at her now, one cannot imagine that only eight months ago she was in such deep despair that she even thought of ending her life. Abandoned suddenly by her husband and left with two young children, she cried until she had no more tears.

Referred by a friend who attends Boston Chinese Evangelical Church (BCEC), Choi Ying came to ACCESS. She had almost weekly appointments with our Family Service Volunteer to sort out her confusion, discuss her hurt and fears, and seek guidance on how to be a single parent to her two young children. She was determined to help her children grow up to be emotionally healthy people despite their parents’ marital trouble.

Realizing her weakness and limitations, she began to seek God and eventually decided to let God walk beside her. “Now I want to draw close to God … to gain wisdom and strength and receive healing for my body, spirit and soul. I am thirsty for God’s love and help. I want to learn more about God’s word in the Bible and surrender fully to Him. I think it will revive my soul and spirit. I have enough depression… Life really doesn’t have to be that miserable. I want to be reborn with a happy, joyful, and abundant life,” says Choi Ying.

She is extremely grateful for the support and encouragement she has received from Christian sisters at ACCESS and BCEC.

—Sau-Fong Siu

Some of the Teachers' Favorite Memories:

• The K-1 "Bug" Relay and watching students cheer one another on (by jumping up and down on tables)
• A student asking of their teacher for every blueberry - "Is this one good?" At the end he said that he didn't like blueberries and gave them to the teacher.
• Making an under the sea theme pinata
• During an exercise focusing on disabilities, one student was leading another student who was blindfolded. But the first student saw a butterfly and ran off after it, leaving the other student blindfolded and alone in the parking lot
• Older students encouraging younger ones whilst playing Capture the Flag
• During a "desert journey", this conversation took place:
  Teacher: What can you do during a sandstorm?
  Student: Talk to Jesus!
• Seeing "The Titanic" beat out all other boats in a race due to superior design
• Hundreds more grasshoppers caught
• A student telling a teacher they would be okay in college because "God will be with you even when you run into troubles"
• The chance to tell the students that Summerbridge exists because God loves them and we want to share His love with them

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

• the return of our existing teachers and 2 new ESOL teachers.
• an additional volunteer tester at the start of a new semester.
• the success of the ESOL scholarship program.
• grant money received from English for New Bostonians and the Chinatown Trust Fund.

• cohesiveness of our ESOL team on a spiritual level
• students' adjustments to new teachers, classmates and classrooms.
• the level 1-1 morning class as some students struggle with a non-bilingual teacher.
• the implementation of the ENB grant and the administration of proficiency assessment.
• successful grant award from the Lenny Zakim Fund.

Enrichment Program (EP)

• the successful completion of summer programs, including the 3rd annual Summerbridge week staffed by volunteers from CBCGB.
• continued relationships between our students, staff and volunteers.
• valued experience and relational strength of our returning
• teachers; many have been at ACCESS for five or more years.

• an EP mother, a new Christian, as a result of Stephen Tong's recent evangelistic rallies in Boston.
• 10 more students to enroll, especially in K-2nd grade.
• the success of a grant being written designed to improve
• English language skills of 5th grade boys.
• the successful implantation of the two front teeth of one of our 4th graders who fell on the playground last week.

Computer Literacy Classes

• 3 classes scheduled to start at the beginning of October.

• more volunteers to teach different levels of computer courses.
• direction as we explore more effective use of our computer lab.
• The possibility of upgrading hardware in the lab.

Family Life

• recent baptism of a single mother who used our family support services.

• wisdom in planning the first EP parents' meeting this year and in supporting single parents, especially mothers with boys, (about 25% of the EP students are parented by a single parent).
• wisdom in helping several EP students with learning and/or emotional needs.
• for Mrs. Lo, Mrs. Siu and Mrs. Wong as they demonstrate God's love in their work with parents and families, many struggling with complex problems.

Statewide Head Injury Program (SHIP)

• success in our application and start of this new program.

Administration & Volunteer Support

• our staff and volunteers who continue to serve so faithfully.

Board & Committees

• faithful and active Board and committees.

• 2010 board and committee recruitment, that God would bring the right people, particularly as we undertake a process of reviewing our personnel structure.
• success in new efforts in communicating with supporters, fundraising, and grant-writing.
• supporters who will consider regular, ongoing support for the ESOL scholarship program.
• $30K projected annual deficit for 2009.

From the beginning, ACCESS has built its program on a foundation of prayer and listening to God’s direction, as we seek God’s guidance in being God’s extended hands in Chinatown. Please join us in prayer to the Lord for the following items of thanksgiving and need:

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

Thank God for…

• a successful re-launch of all 5 levels of ESOL classes this summer, with 88 students enrolled.
• the use of space at Tufts and Josiah Quincy Upper School.
• a very good substitute teacher to cover the Level 2 class while Ms. Yoo is in Korea.
• a very hard-working group of teachers with very caring hearts for our students.

Pray for…

• continued coordination of classroom use at Tufts and JQUS.
• teacher Ahyoung Yoo who returned to Korea to visit her ailing grandfather, who then needed to extend her stay for the funeral.
• level 2-0 class working with a substitute for 3 weeks.
• level 1-0 class in general.
• building up of the Body of Christ among our staff.
• the coordination of parking spaces for ESOL and EP staff.

Summer Enrichment Program (SEP)

Thank God for…

• a fully-enrolled program with 52 students enrolled. 32 have so far signed up for the 8th week Summerbridge program.
• the marriage of two Summerbridge leaders on June 27.

Pray for…

• teachers needed on Fridays for our Fun & Fitness Team.
• 7 new teachers and 21 new students.
• a safe and fruitful summer for both students and staff.
• unity and servant hearts among our summer staff.
• the Summerbridge preparation.

Computer Literacy Classes

Thank God for…

• 3 volunteers teaching the pilot children’s computer program.
• full enrollment of the children’s class and 7 attendees of the Beginners’ Adult computer Literacy Cantonese class in May/June.

Pray for…

• 2 adult computer classes starting in the fall.

Family Life

Pray for…

• several particularly needy families in EP program and for those helping them with their difficulties in family relationships.

Administration & Volunteer Support

Thank God for…

• donations of a new desktop computer and an old laptop.
• invitation to provide a recreational program for Mass Rehab SHIP (Statewide Head Injury Program) consumers.

Board & Committees

Thank God for…

• a successful start to our new ESOL scholarship program; with 10 full scholarships and 3 half scholarship awarded.

Pray for…

• clarity about moving forward on fundraising and program planning goals and about board committee structures.
• God to call new members to serve on the board and committees.

Financial Need

Thank God for…

• faithful supporters and new donors who have given so generously to stabilize our cash flow.
• grant awards of $25K from Chinatown Trust Fund and $20K from English for New Bostonians, both for the period 7/2009-6/2010 for the ESOL program.

Pray for…

• $30K projected annual deficit for 2009.

The Re-launching of the Adult ESOL Program

by Mei Kee Wong

The Adult ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Program suffered a drop in enrollment during 2008 due to the recession. In 2009, while offering only 1 class during the Spring Semester, our ESOL coordinator conducted a community survey and found that the need for survival English classes among Chinese immigrants was still great. The finance committee also conducted an in-depth analysis into the viability of providing the ESOL program and its ramifications for the financial health of the agency. The board of directors, after much prayer, decided to re-launch the Adult ESOL Program with the implementation of a new scholarship component.

The scholarship drive was a success. Pledges for 48 semester-scholarships ($400 per semester) were raised. Support for one teacher for one semester also came in. We are extremely grateful to those who gave so generously. On May 26, our ESOL Program was re-launched with five classes, one at each level. So far, 10 full-scholarships and 3 half-scholarships have been given out. Enrollment went from 18 in the Spring Semester to 88 in the Summer Semester.

Among the scholarship recipients, there was a family that had arrived in Boston in mid-June with two teenagers, one in middle school and one in high school. The Boston Public Schools told them that they could not enroll their children until mid-August for the 2009-2010 school year. Worrying about their sons’ English abilities, the parents came in less than a week after their arrival to inquire about enrolling their two sons in our adult ESOL program. Allowing teenagers into our adult ESOL Program has been done in the past, as services for them have been scarce in the summer. When they found out that scholarships were available, they all signed up for our summer classes, the parents in lower levels than the sons, taking advantage of this initial time to improve their English before they were able to find a job. We feel privileged to be able to serve the entire family when they first arrived in Boston. The relative who brought them to us is a Christian, and we are praying that this family will experience God’s love, besides having the opportunity to learn English.

We are also thankful to report that we have been successful in two of our grant applications for our ESOL Program. We have been awarded $25K by the Chinatown Trust Fund, and $20K by English for New Bostonians, both in support of our new scholarship program for the period of July 2009 to June 2010. We continue to seek support to sustain this scholarship program over the long-term. Would you prayerfully consider contributing to support our new scholarship program for July 2010 and beyond?

Dear ACCESS friends and supporters:

What can you buy with about $4? A large Starbucks coffee or a roundtrip on the Boston subway? Did you know it also pays for an hour of instruction for an adult English Speaker of Other Languages (ESOL) student at ACCESS?

Would you prayerfully consider contributing to our new ESOL scholarship program to support an ESOL student for a month ($100), a semester ($400), or even for a full sequence of 5 courses ($2000) for the next 2 years?

Donate now!

It is our hope that students in our ESOL program would not only gain valuable skills, but also experience the love of Christ through the relationships with staff and volunteers, and the support and prayers of donors. To our knowledge, this privately-supported scholarship program would be unique in Chinatown.

Why now?
During this past Easter season, the board of directors, staff, and volunteers of ACCESS have been praying for a new season of ministry. The past year has been difficult economically for many, and ACCESS was no exception. Due to economic pressures, enrollment in our adult English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program dropped significantly in 2008, threatening the viability of the agency. In early April, the ACCESS board met with some staff, volunteers, and founders during a retreat in order to consider the future of the ESOL program and the agency as a whole. The board voted to implement several cost-cutting measures. However, at the same time, we felt strongly encouraged by God to re-commit ourselves to the original vision of ACCESS to be Jesus’ servants in Chinatown. In the words of our Executive Director from ACCESS’s early years:

Do we see what He sees? Are we following His footsteps as the incarnate Christ: being and living among the common people, enjoying their company, sharing their joys and sorrows, healing and ministering to their needs, informing them of God’s love, care and provisions?

Rebirth for the Adult ESOL Program
In faith, the board voted to re-launch the ESOL program this summer, with a renewed commitment to serving adults with the lowest levels of English language proficiency, a new focus on tailoring instruction to meet the needs and interests of the particular students in each class, and new morning and evening class times. Most importantly, we voted to begin a new scholarship program. Until now, our ESOL program has always been fee-based (even though our tuition fee covers less than half of the actual cost). In order to make as many free- and half-fee slots available to the students in the community, all seven members of the current board have already agreed to seed this scholarship program with a total of $20,000 for the period from May 2009 to December 2010, above and beyond their regular support to ACCESS. We are excited to re-launch our ESOL ministry in the Chinatown community in the midst of this economic downturn as a testament to the abundance love and resources of God. Please join us on this faith journey.

With hope and blessings,

Mei Kee Wong
Executive Directory

Cliff Chuang
President, Board of Directors

Learn more or get involved at ACCESS!

Serve on our ESOL Scholarship Selection Committee and hear our ESOL students’ stories. If interested, please email

Read about one ESOL teacher’s experience here.

Watch a video about ACCESS here.

Join our Intercessory Prayer Team. Please email access- with Intercessory Prayer Team in the subject line.

Work with ESOL students. Our new schedule allows for more flexibility for those considering part-time work, including 4-day-a-week morning classes and 3-day-a-week evening classes. If you are interested in teaching or serving as a conversation partner, please contact or call 617-426-1070 and ask for Susanna.

Work with K-5 Enrichment Program students. We are looking for staff and volunteers for our summer program, and always welcome volunteers during the school year. If interested, please contact or call 617-426-1070 and ask for Becky.

I had once asked my church pastor for her opinion. She pointed out that the US started as an immigrant country, and that many Americans are utilizing the services of undocumented workers without acknowledging it. It is a flaw in the US system, and it is only right that I render any form of aid to people who are exploited by the system. I believe it is not only the exploitation inherent in the US system, but that these students come from a system that denied them equal opportunities for progress. I once shared my concern with another Chinese student (from China) who is now studying in my school of theology. He pointed out that the Chinese in urban cities have more equal opportunities; whereas those in rural or suburb areas are usually neglected and more easily exploited.

As I read Isaiah 1:12-17, Amos 5:21-24, and Matt 25:34-46, I recognize the important roles that ACCESS is playing for the Chinese immigrants. Though I may not be as visionary as Martin Luther King, Jr.—to challenge the system, or to rally others to street demonstrations—at least I can inspire hope among the Chinese immigrants who come to ACCESS. I can teach them elementary English so that they can navigate through the system and culture better. I can show concern for their well-being by buying them some snacks once in a while. I can decode some of the cultural symbols here so that they are less fearful of the unknown. It is in this setting that most of them feel safe and comfortable.

During the last day of class, some of them burst into tears. One of them said, “I feel like I’m a part of a big family here.” Another acknowledged that and said, “Other students are just like my own brothers and sisters.” Another remarked, “This is the place where I can forget my woes for a while and indulge myself in laughter and joy.” One of them added, “I look forward to coming here every day.” I thank God for the wonderful time that I had with them, and for the memories that I might have brought into their life. I think it is the least I can do for them, and as Jesus said “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do to one of least of these, you did not do it to me.” (Matthew 25:45, NRSV)

Some may beg to differ by questioning that the least of these refers only to Christians. My reading of the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 convinced me that the word neighbor refers to anyone whom God has placed within my capacity to render good deeds. In the environment here, I identify these Chinese immigrants who have little education to benefit from the system to be my neighbors, and the least of these. ACCESS is instrumental in helping these immigrants bridge the cultural gap. By integrating Christian values into the curriculum without explicit evangelism, we are bearing testimony for Christ. These Chinese immigrants could benefit from the service rendered by ACCESS, and yet have the space to explore their own identity. I believe God has laid upon the founders of ACCESS the vision and mission for the Chinese immigrants. For the Chinese churches that identified their mission beyond evangelism, and who recognized the mandate of doing justice for these Chinese immigrants, I would suggest that ACCESS is the place where they could turn to.

—Arthur Koh