奧斯汀华裔联盟致各界朋友 – 2019年元旦
[奧斯汀华裔联盟理事会, 邱朝欣，肖宁，赵慧敏 执笔]
亲爱的朋友们：
一元复始，万象更新。值此辞旧迎新之际，奧斯汀华裔联盟理事会谨祝各位身体健康，万事如意，事业有成，财运兴旺。
在刚刚过去的2018年， 华盟以年初的Keep Austin BeautifulCleanup和 Central Texas Food Bank起跑，至年底在The Heritage at Hunters Chase 为老龄人演唱圣诞颂歌和Travis County Sheriff’s Office Brown Santa 收官，共组织了三百多次各类活动。华盟的活动包括社区服务，教育，文化交流，艺术，和会员交友等多种内容。 华盟举办的中秋文艺汇演好评如潮，也为 Salvation Army 筹集了 $3000 善款。暑假期间，华盟组队前往云南支教，会员朋友们更踊跃捐款 $4000 支持巍宝山郊区留守儿童夏令营。年初的春节晚会，年中的小龙虾乡宴，母亲节茶会，父亲节游船等交友活动都受到会员热捧。华盟的各个兴趣团体也吸引了许多会员粉丝：今年新成立的华盟艺术团在中秋晚会上一鸣惊人；华盟精致生活群的圣诞晚会高朋满座；而每到周末，奥斯汀的林间小道上总能看到华盟的暴走队和逍遥行队员们矫健的身影；华盟的各个舞蹈班，合唱团，声乐组和精致生活群的时装队则坚持定期训练，成果显著。华盟的教育讲座，摄影讲座，中医与其它养生讲座，美容讲座等也广受欢迎。华盟还与许多高中，初中中文项目合作，组织专家和义工们前往各个学校，向学生们介绍太极，功夫，国画，书法，中医，民族服饰及舞蹈等中华文化传统，极大地激发了学生们的学习热情。
华盟在服务社区，传承文化方面的努力获得社会各界的广泛赞扬，也得到社会各界的巨大支持。市长 Steve Adler 在与华盟的会员代表们会面时对华盟的工作给予了高度评价。市文化发展局为中秋晚会和即将举办的奥斯汀中华文化节提供了有力的基金资助。许多理事和会员个人，还有多位商家为华盟捐赠，动辄千元以上。因篇幅所限，理事会将另行致谢。九月份，华盟首次进行老会员帐户更新并升级会员注册系统，整个项目得到义工和会员们的大力支持。的确，华盟的所有活动和会务管理，都仰仗理事和义工的无偿工作。 会员们的支持与无私奉献是华盟成功的坚实基础。华盟理事们以能为会员服务回报社会而感到荣辛。华盟理事会对来自社会各界的支持深怀感恩之情， 并将竭诚努力，做好华盟的各项工作，回报大家的信任。
新年伊始，华盟将全力以赴，筹办二月十六日的奥斯汀中华文化节。我们将向广大市民介绍博大精深的中华文化，提升华人的整体形象，以此提高华人在社区事务中的影响力。在快速发展的大奥斯汀地区，华人居民的增长尤其迅猛。在新的一年里，华盟将秉承“团结华人，互相学习，造福社区，共同发展”的立会宗旨，致力于服务本地华人群体，弘扬中华文化，关心社区公益，维护华人权益。华盟欢迎所有心怀相同志向的朋友加入我们的团体，通过华盟这个平台，共创多姿多彩的美好生活。
最后，理事会谨祝各位朋友新年快乐并诚邀各位访问 华盟网站 或 华盟脸书 以获取更多信息。
Dear friends, as we ring out the old and ring in the new year, the Board of Directors of the Austin Chinese-American Network (ACAN) would like to wish you all health, joy, love, peace, and prosperity.
As the year of 2018 draws to the end, we reflect on what we have accomplished. ACAN started the year with a Keep Austin Beautiful Cleanup and a Central Texas Food Bank volunteer event; we ended it with Travis County Sheriff’s Office Brown Santa and a Christmas Carol at a senior assisted living residence. In all, ACAN has organized more than 300 events including community service, education, cultural exchange, art, and member mixing. Our Mid-Autumn Festival performance received rave reviews and raised more than $3,000 for Salvation Army. In the summer, ACAN organized a group of high schoolers to teach in Yunnan, China. The group and ACAN members donated more than $4,000 to support the summer camp for the left-behind children in the out-skirt area of Weibao. Throughout the year, the Chinese New Year gala, the crawfish boil, Mother’s Day tea party, Father’s Day cruise and other social activities were very popular among members. In addition, ACAN’s various interest groups attracted many participants. The newly established ACAN Performing Arts Group was a hit at the Mid-Autumn Festival; the Christmas party of ACAN’s Exquisite Living Group brought many friends together; and every weekend, ACAN’s hiking groups have left miles of foot prints on many local trails; different dance classes, choirs, vocal groups and the Exquisite Living Group offered regular trainings to enhance members’ quality of life. ACAN’s educational lectures, photography forums, Chinese medicine and other health lectures, and beauty seminars have also attracted large crowds. Recently ACAN has collaborated with many local schools’ Chinese programs and provided experts and volunteers to teach Tai Chi, Kung Fu, Chinese painting, calligraphy, Chinese medicine, Chinese ethnic costumes, and folk dances, which effectively engaged the students’ interests in learning the Chinese culture.
ACAN’s efforts in serving the community and fostering cultural heritage have won wide acclaim and received enormous support from all walks of life. In July, Mayor Steve Adler met the ACAN representatives and spoke highly of our work. The Austin Cultural Arts Division provided generous grants to the Mid-Autumn Festival and the upcoming Austin Chinese Culture Festival. Many ACAN board directors, members, and merchants have donated to our course, some more than a thousand dollars. In September, ACAN upgraded the membership registration system. The project received strong support from volunteers and members. In fact, all activities and administration of ACAN rely on unpaid work of directors and volunteers. The selfless dedication of the members is the bedrock to the success of ACAN. ACAN’s board of directors are honored to serve the members and to be able to give back to the community. We are deeply grateful for the generous support we have received. We will do our best to carry on the work and repay the members’ trust.
As the new year starts, ACAN will focus on preparing the Austin Chinese Culture Festival on February 16. The festival strives to introduce the rich Chinese culture to the Austin community. Chinese Americans is one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the greater Austin area which itself has experienced tremendous growth. ACAN will continue to embrace its charter of “Uniting Chinese Americans, empowering each other, serving the community, and benefiting the society”. We are committed to serving the local Chinese American community, raising awareness of the Chinese culture, and promoting Chinese-American interests in public affairs. ACAN welcomes all friends with the same belief and value to join the network and to enrich our life through the platform ACAN has created.
Finally, the Board wishes all of you a Happy New Year and invites you to visit the ACAN website or Facebook Page for more information.
