WISH LIST $100: mentoring for a high-risk youth for 1 month; $500: a semester-long SAT prep class for 25 eleventh graders; $1000: an LCD projector to bring AALEAD's work alive at presentations to the public

Unlike the well-educated Asians who immigrated to the US in the '70s, many of today's immigrants and refugees arrive from war-torn countries with marginal work and language skills. Forced to labor long hours to meet even the most basic of needs, they have no choice but to crowd large families into sub-standard apartments in the Mount Pleasant and Shaw neighborhoods and parts of Montgomery County. Substance abuse, domestic violence and gambling are pervasive. Parents want to help but are often baffled by the cultural ambiguity of their children's lives; and unable to read report cards or help with homework, they often find their children falling through the cracks. AALEAD works in the communities where immigrants live. It has special expertise with Vietnamese, Amerasian, and Chinese immigrants, and was one of the first youth development organizations to reach out to low-income Asian-Americans in the District--making sure they are aware of available social services, providing after-school and summer enrichment, one-on-one mentoring, and family support. A new office in Wheaton, Maryland allows it to reach students at four additional schools. AALEAD has an extraordinary track record: nearly all AALEAD high school students graduate and enroll in college. This is one of the few organizations that provides culturally and linguistically appropriate services to an often-ignored group of people. Your support can help them continue to grow.

Sandy Dang, Executive Director 1323 Girard Street NW Washington, DC 20009 202-884-0322, ext. 101 www.aalead.org