One of Chinatown’s largest and most established organizations – the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) – is marking its 50th anniversary this year. So the social service agency’s annual walkathon and family fair at Columbus Park on Sunday had a particularly festive feel on Sunday.
Longtime Executive Director David Chen greeted thousands of marchers in the park before the walk over the Brooklyn Bridge got underway. He was joined by several elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, City Council member Margaret Chin and State Sen. Daniel Squadron.
Founded in 1965, CPC offers a wide range of programs at 33 locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, including childcare, youth development, workforce development and senior services. Many of those speaking Sunday noted that the organization began serving Chinatown at a time in which the community was almost totally ignored by the rest of the city and that, even today, CPC fills critical social service gaps in the neighborhoods it serves.
