Let’s Glow Together!
Glow Cultural Center’s Youth Empowerment Program
Glow Cultural Center’s “Glow Together” Youth Empowerment program empowers youth to make an impact in their communities and it is partially funded through a foundation grant from Cathay Bank. Through on-site job training activities, students are exposed to what it is like to work in a fast-paced, real-world environment. In just half a year, we have increased leadership-strengthening opportunities for the youth, encouraging teamwork, and improving public speaking skills.
Why Volunteering
at GCC?
Our Program Reached
interested In volunteering?
3 Simple Steps: Become a verified volunteer!
Please Note: All of our volunteer opportunities are posted on the Discord server.
It will briefly describe the event, date, and how many people we will need.
If you’re interested, you can react to the message to confirm your attendance (as long as it doesn’t go over the limit).
Volunteering at GCC Events
Lunar New Year
Our dedicated volunteers spent two months attending volunteer meetings to prepare for our 4th annual Lunar New Year Celebration. They helped GCC host a grand cultural fair, EXPO, and live performances for the year of the rabbit! They took on a variety of roles during the event, including serving as origami assistants, teaching young kids how to fold paper into rabbits, and managing lineups to ensure everyone had a chance to participate.
Our volunteers also played a crucial role in managing stage performers, setting up the venue for the audience, handing out bags of giveaways, managing the raffle lottery, and promoting our organization to the community. They worked tirelessly behind the scenes, making sure that everything ran smoothly and that everyone had a great time.
Love & Unity Concert and Fall festivals
Our youth volunteers worked tirelessly to make our annual Fall Festival a success! From operating the cotton candy/popcorn machines, maintaining the lines in front of the bouncy houses, pony rides, and moving tables, chairs, tents, and other equipment around the fairgrounds, their support was essential. We’re proud to have awarded our 58 dedicated volunteers, some of who arrived as early as 7 am with City Council-approved Volunteer Certificates, recognizing their hard work and commitment to serving the community.
Volunteer Meetings
At our past meetings, we hosted a range of activities and workshops designed to educate, empower, and inspire our community. Instructor Paul Lin, a self-defense coach, led a workshop to teach the Asian community self-defense techniques against anti-Asian hate crimes. Alongside his team of trained professionals, participants and volunteers practiced essential self-defense moves, gaining confidence and awareness. Meanwhile, Dr. Chou opened the event with a Cultural Conference on Chinese heritage, including an engaging calligraphy workshop. Attendees learned about the art’s historical significance and practiced brush-and-ink techniques, creating personalized paper fans to take home. Additionally, youth participants gained valuable knowledge about civic engagement through an insightful presentation on the branches of government and how they interconnect.
Behind the scenes, our team leaders played a vital role in preparing and supporting volunteers. They guided volunteers through training sessions, helping them build communication and public speaking skills. Specialized teams, such as the Activity Management Team, learned protocols for child safety, while the Line Management Team received customer service training to ensure a smooth experience for attendees. Team leaders also provided guidance throughout the festival, helping volunteers overcome challenges and excel in their roles. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our leaders, volunteers, and guest speakers, the event was a success, fostering learning, creativity, and a sense of community.
Glow Together Volunteer Spotlight
Brian Chez
“I would describe the environment at GCC as a very welcoming place where people from all kinds of backgrounds can work together.”
Noelle Hamah-Kilik
“Working with GCC undoubtedly enhanced my ability to deal with pressure and interact with people”
Yongna Guan
“At GCC, an open welcoming environment is maintained allowing me to expand, enhancing my skills whilst work with new people.”
Brandon Cabrera Gonzalez
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Sitratul Muntaha
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Eric Chen
“Throughout the course of the many volunteer meetings we had over the summer, I grew to be closer with some people and made some friends along the way.”
Maya Escobar
“Interacting with the public gave me a feel for the community and also taught me how to better handle rejection.”
Ryan Maca
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Brendan Lin
“Over time, I feel that I’ve grown closer with the community and I’m more confident in my leadership skills.”
Nathalie Tjhin
“GCC’s strengths are compassion, kindness, and enjoyment. At GCC we help make sure everyone has a fun time at the events and that we’re enjoying what we’re doing.”
Eduardo Hermida
“I enjoy being at GCC because I am able to work while enjoyably interacting with others.”
Anell Barrett
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Cassie Yu
“Working with GCC has impacted me in many ways, from making me more communicative, collaborative, and hard-working to also making new friends and branching out of my comfort zone.”
