About
Our Mission
We cultivate healthy, long-lasting, and vibrant Asian and Pacific Islander communities through community-centered engagement, education, and advocacy.
Our Vision
Get to know us
Our Team
DUKE CHOI,
MPH (HE/HIM)
Program Manager,
Sustainable SGV
CLARISSA CHOY (SHE/HER)
Community Engagement Coordinator,
Sustainable SGV
KEVIN CORTEZ (HE/HIM)
Distribution Coordinator,
Food Roots Harvest
LOUISE "ISA" FONUA (SHE/HER)
Community Health Worker
HENG LAM FOONG, MS (SHE/HER)
Co-Division Director
Heng Lam Foong (she/her) co-directs APIFM with Kyle Tsukahira. She brings to the organization over 25 years of experience in nonprofit management, community engagement and policy advocacy…
JUAN HOOS (HE/HIM)
Distribution Coordinator I,
Food Roots Harvest
Juan Hoos (he/him) is Distribution Coordinator I under APIFM’s CalFresh Health Living (CFHL) team. He collaborates with food rescue organizations such as…
LINDA HUYNH (SHE/HER)
PROGRAM MANAGER, CALFRESH HEALTHY LIVING & FOOD ROOTS NOURISH
JEAN PARK (SHE/HER)
Program COORDINATOR, Sustainable SGV
Jean Park (she/her) is a Program Coordinator for Water is Life & Nature for All projects. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jean is inspired by community-led efforts and initiatives focused on…
LEAH PEREZ (SHE/HER)
Community Health Worker
Leah Perez (she/her) plays a multi-faceted role at APIFM as a Community Healthcare Worker (CHW), Enroll LA team member, and early childhood educator. She joined the team during the pandemic since witnessing the magnitude of negative impacts within the Pacific Islander community…
FREDDY RAMOS (HE/HIM)
Program coordinator, CALFRESH HEALTHY LIVING
Freddy Ramos (he/him) is a Program Coordinator for APIFM’s CalFresh Health Living (CFHL) team. He is dedicated to addressing food insecurity in Los Angeles, CA. With a passion for social justice…
CECILIA SU'A (SHE/HER)
Program coordinator, sustainable sgv
Cecilia Su’a (she/her) is a program coordinator at APIFM with the Sustainable SGV program. Since graduating from UCLA in 2021, she has been actively involved in various non-profit organizations and social services…
ESTHER TAM (SHE/HER)
Program Coordinator,
Sustainable sgv
Esther (she/her) is a Program Coordinator on APIFM’s Sustainable SGV team for Clean Air SGV, Environmental Justice Summer Institute and Nature For All programs…
CHRISTOPHER TENORIO (HE/HIM)
Program Coordinator,
Food Roots Nourish,
Community Health
Christopher Tenorio (he/him) is the Program Coordinator for Food Roots Nourish’s Community Health project at APIFM. Born in Guam and originally from the Bay Area, Chris found himself in Los Angeles in 2017 in order to…
PAPU TOGAFAU (HE/HIM)
Community Health Worker
Papu Togafau (he/him) is a Community Health Worker at APIFM. Originally from San Bernardino California, Papu has been in LA for the last 9 years where he got his degree in sociology at UCLA. He has worked primarily in community outreach nonprofits revolved around…
KYLE TSUKAHIRA, MPA (HE/HIM)
Co-Division Director
Kyle Tsukahira is currently a Co-Director at Asian Pacific Islander Forward Movement (APIFM). Kyle has over nine years of experience in leading community-based programs focused on health equity, food access, and environmental justice for Asian & Pacific Islander (API) communities in Los Angeles…
AMELIA VERNON (SHE/HER)
COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER
Amelia (she/her) is passionate about working to improve health equity and provide quality care for underserved communities. Since graduating from UCLA, she has worked with various Pacific Islander COVID-19 response…
LYNA VUONG,
MA (SHE/HER)
PROGRAM MANAGER,
FOOD ROOTS NOURISH
Lyna Vuong (she/her) is APIFM’s Food Roots Nourish (FRN) Program Manager. She focuses on culturally responsive programming centering on healthy food access, nutrition education, healthy cooking, and community gardening. Lyna also leads…
PEGGY WANG (SHE/HER)
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR
Peggy Wang joined SSG/APIFM in 2022 as a Community Engagement Coordinator with the Enroll LA team where she engages easily with community members to inform and help qualified persons to enroll into the CalFresh program. Peggy is…
JE-SHOW YANG (HE/HIM)
PROGRAM MANAGER,
Sustainable SGV
As the Senior Policy Coordinator of the API Forward Movement’s Sustainable SGV program, Jeshow Yang works to empower local residents to positively impact the SGV communities. Collaborating with the residents and elected officials, he focuses on…
Advisory Board
JESSICA JINN
CHAIR
RANKO FUKUDA
vice-chair
Passion for APIFM: Ranko has been a long-time supporter of APIFM’s work and is especially passionate about access to local, fresh produce by API families. She has learned a lot from APIFM’s continued…
KATHRYN LEE
SECRETARY
Jocelyn Estiandan, MPH, serves a Health Program Manager of the Integration Unit within the Office of Planning, Integration, and Engagement at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH)…
Passion for APIFM: Avisha shares APIFM’s passion for promoting wellbeing for all by providing access, education, and opportunities…
Passion for APIFM: I was introduced to APIFM through the Board Leadership Program (BLP). I loved the mission of this organization which serves the community by…
Passion for APIFM: I first knew about APIFM’s amazing work on improving food access through Food Roots Harvest – which is an area I am especially passionate about…
Passion for APIFM: Alex recently learned about APIFM and immediately resonated with the mission to help uplift API community…
Passion for APIFM: I love that APIFM introduces healthy living and sustainable life skills to our community. It’s such necessary and critical work that often gets overlooked…
Donors & Supporters
This work would not be possible without the generous support from people who believe in the work we do. We thank you!
- Over 45 individuals who give monthly to support APIFM’s work in the community!
- Beim Foundation
- Butterfly Equity Foundation
- California Community Foundation
- Chinatown Firecracker Run
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- City of Hope – Community Benefits
- Community Catalyst
- Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
- Liberty Hill Foundation
- Resources Legacy Fund
- The California Endowment
- The Greenlining Institute
- Weingart Foundation
- California Air Resources Board
- California Department of Food & Agriculture
- California Environmental Protection Agency
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
- US Environmental Protection Agency
- Active San Gabriel Valley
- Asian American Pacific Islander Equity Alliance
- Council for Watershed Health
- Nature for All
- California State University, Fullerton
- California State University, Los Angeles
- Garvey Elementary School District
- KYCC Kids Town Preschool
- Occidental College
- Pepperdine University
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of Southern California