Korean American volunteers who give their time and energy to serve the greater community gathered in one place on Saturday at the first ever Korean American non-profit organization fair in Los Angeles.
The fair, called "Love of Sharing," was hosted by Open Bank's charity foundation, Open Stewardship Foundation, and featured some 20 non-profit organizations that focus on various facets of society: low-income communities, individuals with disabilities, the immigrant community, families and children, and impoverished communities in other countries, among others. These organizations were able to set up booths and share about their missions to those who stopped by. Some 450 people attended the fair.
Young Kim, Assemblywoman of the 65th Assembly District, and Hong Joo Choi, the senior pastor of Church Everyday, were featured as guest speakers during the morning portion of the event, during which they shared their own experiences, advice, and reasons people should be involved with community service and non-profit work.
"These people are not in this field for the money," said Kim, who was involved in the Korean American Coalition (KAC) during its beginnings, and whose husband has also been involved in non-profit work. "My husband would tell me that he simply feels thankful he is able to do this work for others. All of these people are working in this field by holding on to their vision and calling."
Kim advised those in non-profit to invest time and effort to be properly trained, to prioritize being financially transparent, and to train the next leaders to carry on the work instead of relying only on one or few individuals for the long run.
"Even in the midst of difficult times, focus on the fact that through my service, someone out there is able to live a better quality of life," she said. "Pray for those you are serving. Don't seek out acknowledgement or compliments from others, but simply be satisfied in the value of what you are doing."
"No matter what other people say, don't lose sight of how and why you first started this work, and keep moving forward onto what you believe is your calling," she continued. "You are the true heroes of our community."
Following Kim, Reverend Choi focused on the different facets of the community that are in need.
"More than 14 percent of the U.S. population is living in poverty according to a 2013 census," he said, "and some four million people are living on $2 or less per day. 21 percent of our children and youth are homeless."
For Christians, he said, serving and loving others in the community is not simply an option, but a duty and a command from God.
"And it is through our Lord that we learn how to love our neighbors," he said.
God's Image, a worship dance ministry consisting primarily of Korean American youth and young adults, also performed several songs for the audience during the event. Videos clips that briefly introduced the work of the various organizations represented were also shown intermittently throughout the first portion of the fair with the speakers and performances.
Attendees had some three hours to visit the various booths of different non-profits thereafter, and during their visits to the booths, they were able to receive stamps on stamp cards, which qualified them for a chance to win a raffle prize.
American Wheat (Milal) Mission of Southern California, Korean American Family Services, Good Neighbors, Compassion International, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Circle of Friends, Oaks of Righteousness, and Somang Society were among the organizations that were represented at the fair.
This was the first time that such a fair specifically featuring Korean American non-profits took place in Southern California, and the first that was hosted by Open Stewardship Foundation. Open Bank CEO Min Kim expressed previously that if this year's fair is "successful," she would hope to see another fair happen next year on an even larger scale as a collaborative community effort.
