Last week, we kicked off our essential workers campaign. Whether working from home or within our neighborhoods, essential workers are supporting a strong recovery for those who are too often overlooked, underrepresented, or underinvested in.  

Our second essential worker feature focuses on Jessica Chen, the Deputy Network Director of CPC Early Childhood Learning and Wellness (ECLW). Jessica supports hundreds of NYC family daycares in delivering high-quality, linguistically and culturally accessible early childcare programming. 

Chris Kuo, Leadership Council: What is one thing that you'd like to share about your work and the communities you support every day?

Jessica Chen, ECLW Provider Service Coordinator:  Asian American and Pacific Islanders have always been a minority group, and it’s hard seeing community members struggle because of their immigration status or a language barrier. With Covid-19, everybody’s worried and scared and not sure what to do. But I think seeing CPC staff from different boroughs come together to help as one organization has been great. We have a very supportive team and try our best to reach out to families because they need it. Our providers are also really passionate about what they do. Some have children whose parents were once also in their care, so those are generations of families growing up with the same provider. And when CPC advocates for better child care, these same community members are willing to speak up with us. I think that says a lot about our work. 

Share Jessica's story using #EssentialWorkers and #AlwaysEssential.

Essential Worker Quick Facts

 Black, Latinx, and Asian people make up
more than 70% of the city’s essential workers.

Human services workers are essential workers.

New York City contracts have not set rates that accurately reflect 
human services workers' commitment to essential work.

All of CPC's staff are essential workers. 

Tweets You Can Use To Share #AlwaysEssential Posts:

Help me lift the voices of #EssentialWorkers. Like and share this post to stand in solidarity with human services workers. #AlwaysEssential bit.ly/cpc-always-essential

#EssentialWorkers risk their health and their families’ health to serve others through COVID-19. As New York begins to recover, orgs like @cpc-nyc will be among the ones helping the hardest hit New Yorkers put their lives back together. Support them here: bit.ly/cpc-covid-19-relief-fund #AlwaysEssential

About CPC
The Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) is the nation's largest Asian American social services organization. Founded in 1965, CPC aims to promote the social and economic empowerment of Chinese American, immigrant, and low-income communities of New York City.

華人策劃協會(華策會)是全美國最大的亞裔美國人及太平洋島民社區服務機構.成立於1965年,華策會專門為紐約市的華裔美國人,移民,和低收入民眾提供金融權力和社區服務.