Center for Pan Asian Community Services (CPACS)

CPACS provides culturally relevant services to thousands of clients per month in over 10 languages with its diverse and capable staff who are deeply rooted in the local community. Primary services provided by CPACS include but are not limited to: education; job placement assistance; transportation; and social, nutrition, and health programs for youths, adults, and seniors. CPACS also has a long history of providing services to specific groups of vulnerable populations such as refugees and victims of domestic violence.

Every year, families arrive from Asian and Pacific Island countries, Latin America, and Africa to the United States as immigrants and refugees, as they have for hundreds of years. They come to America dreaming of opportunities for freedom and prosperity, bringing with them the desire to contribute to their new home country and the willingness to work hard to achieve their dreams.

CPACS began in 1980 as a volunteer-run organization providing health and human services to the area's Korean Americans, yet it quickly found that services were also needed by other immigrants from many different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, many of whom are limited-English proficient. Today, CPACS has a diverse staff of more than 100 full- and part-time employees, capable of speaking 10 different languages. The staff, led by CEO/ President Chaiwon Kim, provides a broad array of programs that serve men, women, seniors, and children in metro Atlanta and beyond. The number of individuals served each month has grown from 791 in 1999 to an average of over 3000.

Since its creation, CPACS has continuously expanded its services upon its original mission of promoting self-sufficiency and equity for immigrants, refugees, and the underprivileged in Atlanta metro area through comprehensive health, social, and education services as well as capacity building and advocacy. In addition to serving the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, CPACS also provides services to the growing number of Hispanic, Latino, and African residents in Atlanta, as well as native-born community members who experience barriers to obtaining health and social services.