Little Saigon communities are calling on Senators Umberg, Min, and Newman to stand by immigrant communities and vote YES on the VISION Act. This state bill will ensure that immigrants and refugees are not double punished and transferred to ICE detention after completing their jail or prison sentences and can return home instead. Join us to take action and end ICE transfers: bit.ly/LSvision22.

If you can’t attend the meeting but would like to join a VISION Act committee, please email allison@vietrise.org.

VietRISE is partnering with City Councilmember Thai Viet Phan to hold an application clinic for Santa Ana’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which can cover up to $4500 of rent per month. The waitlist opens on May 2, 2022 and closes on May 31, 2022, which you can join here.

Join us for our third distribution and pick up free PPE and know your rights resources at our office. Pick-ups are less than 5 minutes!

Tự Lực Social Justice Academy is a 6-week art, history, and leadership program for youth (ages 14-18) to learn about the founding of Little Saigon, Orange County, the history of Vietnamese migration the U.S., past and present activism in the Vietnamese community, and issues that impact the local community. Participants will participate in a walking Political Tour of Little Saigon, learn how to co-lead a tour, and create art! Apply by the deadline: May 26 @ 9PM PST.

VietRISE is partnering with City Councilmember Thai Viet Phan to hold an application clinic for Santa Ana’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which can cover up to $4500 of rent per month. If you know how to speak Vietnamese, please volunteer with us and help Vietnamese-speaking seniors and residents fill out an online application. Sign up to volunteer here.

Join us in canvassing neighborhoods in Little Saigon, Orange County to inform Vietnamese voters about the upcoming June 7th Primary Election, items that will be on the ballot, and to encourage residents to vote! Volunteers will join our canvassing team to have conversations with residents. No prior experience necessary. Sign up to volunteer here.

VietRISE is looking for volunteers to assist us with data entry for the work we are conducting throughout our Primary Election Field Program. As a data entry volunteer for this program, you would come to our office for at least 2 hours to input data into our online database. Scheduling would be based on your availability during our office hours. No prior experience necessary, but a strong attention to detail and high level of accuracy is a must because you will be reading others’ handwriting and inputting text and numbers using a computer. Sign up to volunteer here.

In preparation for our third PPE distribution event of the year, we are asking for volunteers to come to the office to help us pack bags of PPE (masks, hand sanitizer, alcohol wipes, antibacterial wipes). The date and time for this will be determined later. Sign up to volunteer here.

VietRISE is hosting our third PPE distribution on Saturday, May 21st from 12-4PM. As a volunteer, you will be assigned one of these roles the day of: tabling in our office, setting up for the event, canvassing to deliver bags to local residents, and more. Sign up to volunteer here.

After months of providing testimony to the OC Board of Supervisors, the People’s Redistricting Alliance’s submitted map was selected. Together, we created 1) a Latinx majority district (District 2) for the first time in Orange County’s history, and 2) a district that keeps together most of the core of Little Saigon cities (District 1). Learn more about the new districts that will be used for the upcoming election and find out which one you live in now.

On April 26th, we celebrated together with family and community members the conclusion of the program with a bingo ice-breaker, a presentation on our program, food, and most importantly, our young people’s final program project – their zines! These zines reflected the theme of Vietnamese and self empowerment; and 8 weeks of compassionate and honest explorations and reflections on Vietnamese identities and culture, intergenerational activism and bridge-building, creating healthy communities, and more. All of the zines will be published on our website soon.

We’re so proud of all of our participants and all the art, contributions, and leadership they are already providing in our community and will continue to.