Jacob Smith Yang
Jacob Smith Yang has been involved with the Massachusetts Asian and Pacific Islanders for Health (MAP) since 1998. He joined the organization as a member on the Board of Directors, and then became the Executive Director in 2003. MAP is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting health and wellness in Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. Founded as the Asian Aids Prevention Project in 1993, MAP incorporated as a non-profit in 1995 and recently celebrated its ten year anniversary.
MAP focuses on API s who are unable to receive HIV prevention services. The organization has programs that assist every part of the community. “What’s unique about MAP is that it is committed to serving a broad range. It is not just about the gay community. We have groups geared to men, women and youth,” said Yang.
Yang feels that HIV is a big issue in today’s Asian society. “As a gay member of society, I wanted to serve my own Asian community,” he said
MAP’s staff of nine people serves a diverse population with a diverse staff, focusing primarily on four Asian categories, Chinese, Cambodian, Vietnamese and South Asian continent based.
MAP offers five programs:
• The Men’s Health Program that is reaches to reach API gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men with effective HIV risk reduction messages.
• The Asian Impact Program, that meets in a safe and welcoming peer-led group to discuss HIV prevention.
• The Women’s Health Leadership Initiative, which is conducted in Vietnamese and English, and focuses on reproductive and sexual health.
• The API Women’s Social Justice Project, that works to organize the API community to address social and economic justice issues.
• The Immigrant and Refugee Program that works with Cambodian communities using mobilized
HIV/AIDS groups that focus on prevention and education
“We provide access to care,” said Yang. We’re non-judgmental and open. We try to best respond to people’s needs.
Posted by Susan Fitton
December 20, 2005 01:23 AM | Permalink
