Community Work
My Journey with Hamkae Center
​
My journey with Hamkae Center started since 2020 when there was a surge of Asian hate crimes nation wide due to coronavirus global pandemic. I started to join virtual community meetings organized by Hamkae center and learned so much about the right channel to make our collective voices heard. I then began to practice what I learned. In 2022, I started a petition on change.org to advocate for representation of Asian American history in the public school curriculum. In 2023, for the first time, I spoke in front of Prince William Public Schools School Board expressing the need for representation of Asian-American history in our American history curriculum and state standards. For almost every interactions I have with Hamkae center either in a one-on-one setting or in a group setting, I feel what Julia Lee described as "Abundance" in her book "Biting the Hand: Growing up Asian in Black and White America". According to Julia Lee, "abundance" is a generosity of spirit, love and community that has nothing to do with material wealth, a cultural of plentitude that tells an individual he/she is enough, that he/she is more than enough whereas a small pocket of resistance in a world that is constantly telling him/her the opposite.
​​​
​
Juniorettes under Dominion Woman Club, General Federation of Women's Clubs
​
​Since September 2023, I've had the privilege of leading a group of remarkable girl volunteers dedicated to community service. The opportunities to assist underserved populations in our community are abundant and ever-present. Alongside our ongoing meaningful volunteer initiatives, my primary focus has been on intentionally fostering leadership capabilities among the girls.
​
Striking a balance between strategic thinking and active doing is paramount. To work hard and work smart, we recognize the importance of collective thinking, open communication and collaboration. Our approach involves facilitating conversations, strategic planning for meetings, proactively seeking new opportunities, and gaining insights from guest speakers. These practices are pivotal in equipping the girls with both the mindset and skills needed for effective leadership.
​
This page will showcase some of our impactful community service work, as well as highlight the enjoyable and social aspects of our endeavors. If you're interested in collaborating with us, we warmly invite you to connect by completing the form on our contact page. Your involvement can contribute to the growth and success of our shared initiatives.
10/2025
Pop Tabs Donation Dropoff
October is shaping up to be an incredibly busy and exciting month! The Dominion Women Club has done an amazing job by accumulating a remarkable total of 5.5 lbs of pop tabs. Recently, Yubo took on the task of dropping off all the pop tabs at the Ronald McDonald House, benefiting the wonderful children and their families at the Fairfax Children's Hospital. Here’s a fun fact: all the pop tabs, as shown in the cart, will be weighed and collected by Potomac Metals. Based on the total weight of the collected tabs, Potomac Metals will then write a check to support the Ronald McDonald House. So, if you have pop tabs lying around, please don’t throw them away! Together, they can create a substantial donation that will make a real difference! To make things even better, Yubo is launching site collection of pop tabs at the Willow Oaks building. We encourage you to consider starting a collection in your own community or workplace as well. Let’s unite our efforts and make a positive impact together!
10/2025
Pie Funding Raising Kickoff Meeting
In the month of October, the girls successfully launched our annual pie fundraising event, which has become a cherished tradition. The funds collected through this event will be dedicated to purchasing holiday gifts for foster children residing in Prince William County. This year, the girls have set an ambitious goal of raising $1,000 to make a meaningful impact. Additionally, we are excited to announce that there are even more ways for you to support us. In addition to accepting pie orders, we are also welcoming donations, gift cards, and holiday gifts to help brighten the season for these children.
9/2025
Haymarket Food Pantry
In September, the incredible Juniorettes girls continued to serve the community by distributing much-needed food at the Haymarket Food Pantry! They have come to realize that, due to the current political climate and the increasing prices of groceries, the pantry is encountering significant challenges adequately serving its customers., more than ever, it is essential for us to and make a positive impact in our community! If you can donate food/grocery items, the pantry would be immensely grateful for your generous support!
8/2025
Membership Drive
In the month of August, the Juniorettes girls organized a successful membership drive at Tony's as well as at the Virginia Gateway shopping center. During this event, the girls took the initiative to create an eye-catching new club flyer showcased the highlights of the club officers and outlined the major activities and events planned for the year. Thanks to the efforts put into the membership drive, the club was thrilled to welcome a total of five new members into our community!
7/2025
Hunger Free Food Drive
In July, the Juniorettes had the honor of participating in the "Hunger Free" food drive held in Manassas. As the temperatures rise during the summer months, it serves as a reminder of the difficulties that many families within our community encounter when it comes to accessing nutritious food and securing food safety. By coming together as a community, we can truly make a meaningful difference and ensure no one has to go hungry during this sweltering season. The girls have learn how important to join other organizations to make a larger impact. Let us unite and share the spirit of giving, supporting one another in this important cause!
5/2025
Reproductive Freedom
In May, we joined a community gathering on reproductive justice organized by Hamkae center. Not only we expanded our knowledge of a comprehensive reproductive healthcare system, but also did we help to make "zines" that can easily spread the advocacy for Virginians for Reproductive Freedom (VRF) initiative. Hamkae center, being part of VRF, is working to enshrine Reproductive Justice in Virginia through a constitutional amendment for something that is
-
Expansive
-
Inclusive
-
Protective
For more information, please visit: va4reprofreedom.org
3/2025
Box of Basics and Dog Toy Making
In March, the Juniorettes had an incredibly fulfilling month, dedicating their time to helping others. The girls volunteered at Box of Basics to help sort through clothing and pack clothing boxes for those in need. We wrapped up March by making dog toys out of old t-shirts that were donated to the Middleburg Humane Society.
​March was a month full of meaningful experiences, where the Juniorettes learned that not everyone in our community has the necessities they need, and we can make an impact on their lives by volunteering our time. What a beautiful month of giving back!
2/2025
Meeting Heroes from the Vietnam War
In February, we were thrilled to welcome Debby Moore from Army Special Services and Colonel Doug Moore, an Evacuation Medical Helicopter Pilot, to our monthly meeting! They captivated us with their incredible stories from the Vietnam War. Colonel Moore even brought a helmet with a bullet hole right through the side, a testament to the harrowing experiences he faced! How fortunate we are to still hear from these amazing individuals today. The girls truly cherish the peace we enjoy now!
12/2024
Wreath Across America
Finally, in December, the Juniorettes finished the year off strong by writing Christmas Cards to military personnel, laying fresh wreaths through Wreaths Across America. The girls celebrated the holidays with a potluck and White Elephant Exchange to round out the amazing year!
11/2024
Thanksgiving Pie Fundrasing
In November, Dominion Juniorettes continued to support the Prince William County Foster Children Christmas Program in 2024 via Thanksgiving Pie Fundraising Event. The girls set a goal of raising $1000 with $600 to spend on gifts. The girls expanded ways to fundraise and also expanded the ways that donors could contribute by including donating gift items/gift cards in the wish list directly. As a result, a total of $1259 was raised. All gifts were delivered to PW County Social Services on December 2nd. County staff were extremely impressed by the club deliverables.
10/2024
Haymarket Day
In October, Dominion Juniorettes joined DWC woman club on Haymarket day to hand out flyers and to recruit members. The girls shared a booth with the DWC woman club and distributed club flyers to community members who passed by our table. The girls enjoyed the event very much as it demonstrated how Juniorettes club was being part of a larger community. The girls even talked about joining the parade next year!
9/2024
Haymarket Food Pantry
In September, Juniorettes had the first meeting of the year and discussed our master calendar for the whole year. At the end of the meeting, the girls had a draft master calendar with follow-up actions identified for each lead. With a detailed master calendar, the girls were confident about a well-planned year with meaningful events to serve the community. Towards the end of the month, Dominion Juniorettes served at Haymarket Food Pantry again.
8/2024
Cookies & Cream Fundraising
In August, Dominion Juniorettes decided to reach out to our community business owner of Cookies & Cream to seek potential fundraising and new members recruitment opportunities. Even though this event did not generate new members for the club, it was a great experience and bonding time for the club girls. The girls caught up on what happened in the summer and shared their plans for the new school year. The girls also learned that success may not come the first time and it takes persistence and proactive adjustments to plans based on lessons learned to be successful! The girls were encouraged and committed to try again next year!
5/2024
End-of-Year Celebration
In May, Juniorettes decided to have a potluck meal and an end-of-year celebration. Ten girls attended the event and all brought something to share as an appetite or a dessert. The girls celebrated four seniors and presented them a gift to thank their continued community service throughout the past few years. Our seniors shared their experience and lessons learned to their younger fellow club girls. We also talked about some new ideas that haven't been implemented yet. Everyone wishes each other a fun and meaningful summer.
4/2024
DVCC Community Clean-up
In April 20th, 2004, Dominion Juniorette girls volunteered to join DVCC earth day community clean-up initiative. After two hours of walking and picking, four large trash bags were filled full with all kinds of trash from plastic bags, papers, and food garbage. One group of girls noticed that there was a particularly larger amount of trash in the parking lot of Battlefield High School. They further discussed and identified factors contributing to this phenomenon. Follow-up actions that have been discussed by the girls include talking to the school admin about setting up trash cans in the parking lot. This potentially could be scaled up to the whole county as an improvement plan. Through this example, the girls start to understand the differences between “fix the students” approach vs. “fix the system” approach. System perspective and solutions are needed to create a more positive and larger scale of impact on our community.
3/2024
Haymarket Food Pantry & Prom Wishes
In March, Dominion Juniorettes girls served at the Haymarket Food Pantry as volunteers to help distribute food to people in need. On top of that, throughout the year, the club girls collected egg cartons and donated to the Haymarket Food Pantry on a monthly basis. In addition, Dominion Juniorettes continued Prom Wishes service. Through this event, the girls understand the underserved community could not afford expensive prom items but they all deserve a chance to shine just as the rest of the community. The girls talked about potentially serving on the actual event day to serve other girls to “shop” these organized items. It is always rewarding when seeing some of their volunteer time and effort could make others smile.
2/2024
A Night to Shine
In February of 2024, Dominion Juniorettes piloted a new service called “A Night to Shine” organized by one of the local churches. The whole world synchronizes and lights up the hearts of our people with disabilities on a designated night each year. This is a great opportunity for club girls to engage and support people with special needs. The girls cheered our kings and queens as they walked through the red carpet.
1/2024
Invited Guest Speaker
In January of 2024, Dominion Juniorettes Club invited Gainesville district school board representatives to share what the school board does and how the school board works. Most importantly how students could engage themselves in public citizen comment time to have their voices heard. The girls discussed follow-up actions and the possibility of making a field trip to one of the school board citizen comment time.
12/17/2023
End-of-year Celebration and Gift Exchange
The girls had so much fun playing some game and did a white elephant gift exchange. It is a great opportunity to reflect back and plan forward. Look forward to a great year with the girls.
12/16/2023
Wreath Across Amercia
It was a beautiful day in December. There were a lot of people and we did a lot of steps to find a name without a wreath. In order not to make it as a check-off-the-list task, I tried to look up the name through google and got to know the person who gave up their lives a bit more. Across time and space, I hope the appreciation can be felt. I shared some afterthoughts in our reflections page.
End of November
Gifts Shopping and for Foster Children
11/21/2023
Thanksgiving Pie Fundraising and Distribution
We raised a total of over $900 through Thanksgiving pie fundraising with the support of our community. The $ raised will be used to buy Christmas gifts for folster children. Changing to a new vendor is a bold decision and action I took but glad we did it. The quality, the size and the price of the pies exceeded expectations. Still I was hoping for a more fun and meaningful fundraising event for the girls.
10/15/2023
Military Cards Making and Guest Speaker on Drug Abuse
It was a great pleasure to have Mr. Todd as our guest speaker to talk about drug abuse. The data and facts are appalling. Being informed of drug abuse related deaths will help with raising the awareness of the issue.
