2013 June 9 Comcast Digital Connectors Program Graduation Ceremony

A class of 19 high school students graduated from this program held at the Chinese Community Center. The program started the last week of September 2012, continued throughout the school year, and ended the last week of May 2013. Throughout the course the students were educated in digital, media, and financial literacy with the use of not only a curriculum, but also utilizing EverFi and Cisco to better help the students understand the topics. At the end of both EverFi and Cisco cirriculums those students who were able to pass the course were given a certificate of completion. This program also helped improve the students' leadership, community outreach, and public-speaking skills. As an additional incentive, students who completed the program by meeting all the requirements received a netbook and flip camera. Those students who had an attendance rate of 95% or better were also given a $100 scholarship. In this year's graduating class, nine students were able to attain the scholarship.

2013 May 4 Mother's Day Talent Show and Dinner

A large and enthusiastic crowd of about 200 people attended this event. All the ladies in attendance were pinned with red carnations as they arrived. AARP sponsored the event in part. A group of AARP volunteers performed in the talent show and won the award for most creative performance. The 16 acts judged inthe talent show included soloists, duets, and group performers. After the talent show, guests enjoyed a multi-course Chinese dinner with cake as dessert.

2013 April 29 Social Security Workshop

About 60 people attended this workshop to learn about optimizing their Social Security benefits. The workshop was sponsored by Transamerica Financial Advisors and presented by Allianz.

2013 April 27 ACA Participated in Comcast Cares Day

ACA, along with 70,000 volunteers across the country, participated in this annual event. Twenty-eight volunteers from ACA packed food donations for the "Kids Against Huner" project at the Comcast Macomb and Plymouth Call Centers using food donatted locally to the Macomb Food Program and the Plymouth United Way.

2013 April 26 Cooking Contest

Six teams competed for prizes in this special event. A variety of dishes were prepared and cooked onsite. The 4-member judges panel rated each dish on taste, presentation, creativitiy, and nutrition. The audience sampled the dishes and voted for their favorite dishes. All the attendees and cooks enjoyed a luch of Chinese food after the competition.

2013 April 21-23 Outing to Biltmore Estates in North Carolina

ACA arranged this wonderful 3-day, 2 night trip to visit the beautiful Biltmore Estates in Asheville, North Carolina. Two motor coaches transported the travelers with stops at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens, and the Kentucky Artisan Center.

2013 April 18 Caregiver Support Workshop

ACA's Detroit Service Center hosted this workshop which focued on easy ways to make smart food choices and to exercise more. There were 28 participants at this free workshop which also included lunch.

2013 March 15 and March 22 Senior Community Conversations

There were 42 seniors who participated in the March 15 community conversation held at the Summit on the Park in Canton and 30 seniors who gathered at the Chinese Community Center to participate in the March 22 community conversation. Attendees discussed topics most relevant to seniors including housing needs, security issues, levels and quality of services available to them. The community conversations were sponsored in part by AARP.

2013 March 11 - April 5 Bedding and Towel Drive for the Homeless

Donated bedsheets, blankets and towels collected at ACA's Chinese Community Center were given to Cass Community Social Services to be used in their homeless shelters. Click to read an extended recap article in English or in Chinese.

To read a longer recap of ACA's Chinese New Year Events, click here. To see photos from the Chinese New Year events, click here.

2013 February 23 ACA Lantern Festival

About 400 people attended this free community event to celebrate Chinese New Year at the Chinese Community Center. There were activities and games for the children, Chinese New Year food sales, raffle items, and the netertainment included cultural performances, skits, and dancing. Proceeds from the food sales, activity tables and raffle are going towards ACA programs and services. Organizations such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Michigan Chinese Women Association participated with informational booths.

2013 February 22 ACA Senior Club Chinese New Year Celebration

About 80 seniors were joined by students from the University of Liggitt School at this special gathering to celebrate Chinese New Year. The event highlighted by a special lunch of Chinese food that included several homemade, hometown dishes brought by the seniors.

2013 February 16 ACA Lunar New Year Banquet

To ring in the Year of the Snake (or Little Dragon), 230 guests attended ACA's Lunar New Year Banquet held at Golden Harvest Resturant in Warren, MI. The program included lively raffle drawings, a ten-course gourmet Chinese dinner, performances by Sean Chen, Hong Wang, members of the Michigan Tai Chi Center, and ACA's Folk Dance Group. Special thanks to our event sponsors: AARP, Confucius Institute at Wayne State University, CTI and Associates, Inc., and DTE Energy.

2013 February 12 ACA Chinese New Year Luncheon and Open House

This open house event at ACA's Detroit Service Center which also included a Chinese New Year celebration welcomed about 100 guests. There was a dumpling-making demonstration and tasting along with a lunch of Chinese food.