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The Chinese Civic Center, an IRS 501 C (3)
nonprofit organization, was established in 1995 by
volunteers from Houston’s Chinese community.
The goals of the Center are
• To Foster collaborative efforts, volunteerism and
leadership
• To Promote multi-cultural arts, language, and Chinese
heritage
• To Enrich the lives of families and individuals
• To Enhance US-China friendship and links
• To Strengthen our community
The Center’s mission is to build a stronger community
through leadership, volunteerism, collaborative efforts,
multi-cultural education and services. The Center’s focus is
strengthening leadership skills, providing educational,
cultural and civic activities and offering much-needed
services to youth, seniors and families. The Center
currently serves over 3000 people in any given week and is
often the first stop for Chinese immigrants as they begin
new lives in Houston Metropolitan.
The Greater Houston area has experienced unprecedented
growth in its Asian communities over the past two decades.
In response to the many needs created by this population
boom, in Feb. 1999, the Center moved into a two thousand
sqft facility for the opening of the Chinese Civic Center
Baoshan Jing Library, which is named after the past Dr.
Baoshan Jing, professor emeritus of University of Texas MD
Anderson Cancer Center, whose family generously donated
$50,000 out of Dr. Jing’s estate to start the Chinese
language library. The Center moved into a larger facility
located at 10052 Harwin Drive in October 2000. The in-kind
usage space of 20,000 square feet was provided by Mr.
Duongdu Hai, Chairman of Hong Kong Food Market, Inc. Since
that time the Center has become a multi-cultural activity
and service resource for Houston’s Asian population and for
Americans seeking to learn about China or Chinese culture.
In Feb 2005, after running a successful fund raising
campaign through the summer and fall of 2004, the Chinese
Civic Center moved into the current building located at 5905
Sovereign Drive in the heartland of the New China Town in
Southwest Houston. The new building is a one-story structure
of over 22,800 sqft and contains a multi-function room, a
library, a senior citizen service center, dozens of
classrooms and small offices for local artist and art
educators.
The new building has allowed the Center to enlarge the Bao
Shan Jing Library to more than 45,000 Chinese language
titles and thousands of Chinese Language VCDs and DVDs. The
Center also offers valuable basic training in English,
computers and other vital skills. There is a far-ranging
schedule of classes in music, art and Chinese culture.
Meeting space is provided for about sixty community based
organizations. Movies, art exhibits, cultural shows by
oversea artists and social activities are well attended, and
the Center participates in numerous galas, parades and
celebrations.
The Chinese Civic Center meets many of the needs of an
underserved population. The Center honors the rich heritage
and culture of China and seeks to bring together diverse
ethnic groups to build a stronger city.
The Chinese Civic Center is supported by hundreds of our
community volunteers, donors, individual sponsors and many
corporate sponsors that include Baker Hughes, BP, Century
21, Chevron, Coca Cola, ConocoPhillips, Continental Airline,
Diho Square, Dow Chemical, East West Bank, Exxon Mobil,
First American National Bank, HEB, Hong Kong Food market,
Houston Rockets, JP Morgan Chase, Knowledge Systems,
Marathon Oil, Metro Bank, National Commodities Company, New
York Life, Remax, Reliant Energy, Sea Engineering Inc,
Southwestern National Bank, Texas First National Bank,
Tindall Foster LLC, Wel-farm Supermarket, Viet Hoa
Supermarket and many more. We also receive grant and program
sponsorship from CACHH and Houston Endowment. The generous
contribution from our donors, sponsors and volunteers has
made all of our development in the past ten years possible
at the Chinese Civic Center and we look forward to your
continuous support in the years to come.
Mission
To build a stronger Community through collaborative
efforts, volunteerism, leadership, multi-cultural education,
and community services.
Bao Shan Jing
Library
A Chinese-English bilingual library with over 30,000
titles of books, magazines, and video tapes. The library
opens 6 days a week to the community.
Meeting rooms
Provide meeting spaces for workshop, forum, Board
meeting, training, exhibition, and community gathering.
Multi-cultural/ Arts
Training
Provides year round Chinese folk dancing, Kung-fu, music
instrument, painting and language program for children and
youth.
Adult Education and
civic Activities
For any adults and seniors who wish to acquire or develop
job skills, and to enrich personal and family lives, the
Chinese Civic Center providers:
- ESL Class
- Computer Skill Training
- Choir
- Aerobic & Tai-chi Class
- Table Tennis Club
- Citizenship Education
Cultural Connection
To promote better cultural understanding and connection
among different ethnic groups. The Chinese Civic Center
coordinates and/or fosters participation in the following
events:
- International Culture Exchange
- Community Festival and Parade
- Chinese Holiday Celebration
- US-China Friendship Program
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