Who We Are

The Chinatown Service Center (CSC) was founded in 1977 by the Chinese Community Church of Washington, DC to provide essential social and human services to the Asian immigrant community in the Washington DC Metropolitan area.

Social service assistance was always part of the Chinese Community Church mission and it recognized a need to provide weekday services in the heart of Chinatown to recently arrived Asian immigrants living in and around Chinatown. In 1977, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association kindly agreed to let the church use its office building as a base for Service Center activities. In 1980 CSC moved to the church premises at L Street, NW and in 1994 to Massachusetts Avenue, NW. CSC is now located in its present location since 2006.

CSC serves as a hub for the community, offering integrated services tailored to the needs of Asian immigrant individuals, families, seniors, and youths, many of whom lack English proficiency. By providing the necessary assistance to improve their daily living, the newly-arrived immigrants are better able to assimilate and become good, productive citizens.

Michelle Yi

Michelle Yi is the CSC coordinator who provides daily intake work during the weekdays. Michelle graduated from the Hong Kong Baptist University with an MBA degree, and she also earned a certification in Public Relations from the University of Virginia in 2015. She lives in Centerville, VA with her family. Michelle helps CSC clients in many ways, including making appointments, filling out forms, calling USCIS to check on immigration status, and referring clients to legal service agencies. Clients know they can count on Michelle to receive help in adjusting to life in America.

Community Services Committee

The Committee Services Committee of the Chinese Community Church oversees the operation of the Chinatown Service Center.  In 2023, Richard Wong is its Chairperson.  Other committee members include Jo Kammer, Everett Lum, Mary Woo, Anna Kwong, Shiny Yang, Monica Wong and Wai Chen. Each of them have a heart to use their personal immigrant experience and  professional skills to serve the community.