As the winter holiday season begins, the Thanksgiving spirit of thankfulness is still with me as I reflect on all that we’ve accomplished at Helping Link/Một Dấu Nối this year.

At our Open House in October, so many well-wishers and supporters came out to enjoy the moment with us and I was overcome with gratitude. We had accepted the changes that the redevelopment in the Central International District (CID) had brought, spent months looking for a new office and had so many helping hands to help us move in and make it our own. Now, would our clients, friends, supporters, funders and new Renton neighbors find us, I wondered? Our Open House was packed with people—our scholars past and present, families who sought help and found us, board members, volunteers, supporters and friends who believe in our work all came. I was so touched. 

In the time that it took to move out of the CID, find a new hub for our activities and services and then finally, moving in, it may have seemed that we were on hiatus or had an interruption of services. I assure you that this was not the case. We’ve always been operating, using my dining room as a base and utilizing Zoom for ESL, citizenship and tech classes. Volunteers have continued their amazing contribution, planning has continued as we looked toward the future and now that we’re settled, we are open and ready as we’ve always been. 

With the Vietnamese population concentrated in King and Pierce Counties, I am even more energized to be able to engage with families, elders and students. From our Renton hub we have so many ways to help people. Would you continue to help us by spreading the word of our new location—555 S Renton Village Pl #225, Renton, WA 98057—and be sure to update our new address in your address book.  

Other ways you can help support our organization is through our silent auction and raffle (read more about these fundraisers in this newsletter.)

Minh Duc Nguyễn, Executive Director 
Helping Link/Một Dấu Nối