Centreville Immigration Forum Announces Award Winners

[Fairfax, VA] On Friday, September 30th, the Centreville Immigration Forum (CIF) honored members of the community who are significant leaders in Northern Virginia. Hosted at the International Country Club, this event honored the achievements of Walter Tejada, the Grace Community Clinic, and Ibrahim Choudhary.

Walter Tejada has worked tirelessly to promote the rights of immigrants for many years. He served on Virginia's Arlington County Board for many years, including 2 terms as Chairman; he has also been an active member of the Immigrant Rights Coalition of Greater Washington, the United Salvadoran Communities, the Arlington Sister City Association, the Arlington Community Foundation Scholarship Review Committee, the United Way Grants Review Committee, and the Arlington Multicultural Institute. He continues to promote fair housing rights and was recently named to AHC, Inc.'s, Housing Hall of Fame. He has received numerous awards for his work as a leader on immigrant rights in Virginia, and was a founder and chair of the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations. He currently serves on the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board of Directors.

The Grace Community Clinic (GCC) is a free clinic which operates on Sundays in order to provide free healthcare for those who cannot afford medical care. In operation since October 2013, the GCC serves approximately 40-50 people every month. The vision of Dr. Tong S. Park, the GCC operates with the help of 40 volunteer nurses, doctors, receptionists, and translators. In addition to primary care consultations, the clinic offers limited referrals to free dental care with a nearby dentist, and free radiology and lab work through donations from INOVA hospital and Fairfax Radiology. The clinic also makes referrals to specialists who provide low-cost care as needed. For more information or to volunteer, visit GCC online at:http://gcchealthsystem.org/.

Ibrahim Choudhary leads the Northern VA Chapter youth group of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, an organization that works with young Muslim men to promote peace and harmony. The motto of the community is to, “Love for all, hatred for none,” a vision the group promotes through a multitude of volunteer efforts and movements to remove misunderstandings of Muslim youth. Under Mr. Choudhary’s leadership, local Muslim youth have volunteered at the Capital Area Food Bank, have volunteered with the Humanity First US Telethon in 2016, and have joined forces with many organizations to help feed over 14,000 hungry children. Mr. Chaudhary is a graduate of Westfield HS and George Mason University, and currently works for the Department of Labor in IT.

Alice Foltz, Director of the CIF stated, “These leaders have brought their talents and skills from other parts of the world to work and lead among us. Their volunteer efforts inspire us all to use our own time and abilities, to strengthen our community.”

Among the attendees were U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (Dist. 11), Supervisor Kathy Smith, former Sully Supervisor Michael Frey, Supervisor John Foust, Democratic candidate for Rep. LuAnn Bennett (Dist. 10), and State Senator George Barker.

Centreville Immigration Forum (CIF) is a community volunteer group in Centreville, Virginia. The Forum discusses immigration and diversity in the Centreville area, and works to build strong community through bringing neighbors together. Participants in the Forum support a variety of services for immigrants, including English instruction and safe employment opportunities for day laborers through the Centreville Labor Resource Center, which opened in 2011.

The work of CIF is made possible by generous donations by many donors and community partners. The organization is a 501c3, and receives no government funding. To find more information about hiring at CLRC, volunteering, or to make a contribution, visit the Centreville Immigration Forum online at:http://www.centrevilleimmigrationforum.org/.

Photo Credit: Breakaway Images Photographyhttp://www.breakawayimagesphotography.com