CASL Founders Award

Established in 2021

Bernie Wong, Eleanor So, C.W. and Heidi Chan, Esther and David Wong, Paul and Anna Ho, Grace Chiu, and Iris Ho were friends who shared a common background as Chinese immigrants. Over four decades ago, they found support in each other and regularly gathered at potluck dinners to discuss issues facing the Chinese immigrant community. Many of these friends were social workers not content to sit on the sidelines and wait for others to act. They made the decision to form the Chinese American Service League to provide services that addressed critical community needs.

Through hard work and entrepreneurial spirit, they gained support from funders, local government entities and, most importantly, their community. With only a desk and couple chairs, their organization began serving clients at the back of a dentist's office. Now, over 40 years later, the Chinese American Service League has grown into the largest social service agency in the Midwest serving Asian Americans.

We recognize our inspiring founders with the establishment of the CASL Founders Award. This award will be given to a person(s) or organization that has created immense positive impact in their community. The awardee will have embraced the spirit of the CASL Founders by actively working to make a difference. The awardee will have made lasting and outstanding contributions to the communities they serve through creativity, innovation, and a commitment to progress.

2021 Recipient

Jessica & Steve Sarowitz, Founders