VietLead
VietLead is a grassroots community organization in Philadelphia and South Jersey that is creating a vision and strategy for community self-determination, social justice, and cultural resilience. We are staffed and led by community members with collectively over 25 years serving our community and are committed to working from love and solidarity. Our community programs include intergenerational farming, youth organizing, health navigation & healing, civic engagement and community defense. We do this through a Heal.Resist.Grow. framework that focuses a pathway to healing trauma in our communities, contesting for power to make systemic change, policy advocacy/campaign, and growing community-based solutions.
VietLead, founded in September 2015, serves the Vietnamese and Southeast Asian communities in Philadelphia and South Jersey. As descendents of a people impacted by war and trauma, we understand that our community is at different places ideologically, emotionally, and materially, so we must meet our community where they are at and commit to direct services, education, advocacy, and organizing in order to build unity towards social justice.[1]
Staff
VietLead staff 2020:
- Nancy Dung Nguyen Co-founder & Executive Director Civic Engagement & Community Defense
- Duong Nghe Ly Co-founder, Youth Projects Director
- Lan Dinh Co-founder, Food Sovereignty Projects Director (South Jersey/Philadelphia)
- Daquan Washington CE Youth Coordinator (South Jersey)
- Trang Dang CE Coordinator (Philly)
- Phuong Anh Census Coordinator (Philly)
- Van Sam Community Defence Co-Coordinator (Philly)
- Thao Tran Youth Coordinator (South Jersey)
- Nga Vu Health Programs Coordinator (Philadelphia and South Jersey)
- Neary Narom Community Defence Co-Coordinator (Philly)
- Minh Tran Garden Youth Coordinator (Philly)