LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In less than 24 hours, Louisville most generous day of generosity will begin.
There are numerous organizations and nonprofits looking to get your donations this "Give for Good Louisville" to continue supporting their missions, one of those groups being the Asia Institute Crane House in Old Louisville.
Originally called the China Institute Crane House, the organization started as a safe house for the Asian community 35 years ago.
At the time, it was a place for the community to learn about the heritage and culture of our Asian neighbors. Soon after, it was renamed Asia Institute to encompass the diverse populations of the region, but it's never strayed from its mission.
"In our Commonwealth, there are less than two percent Asian people," Joel Buno, executive director, said. "Louisville's a different story, with about 3.7 percent. But our Asian community is one of the fastest growing."
The Crane House has become a community resource for a number of families from India, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Korea. Their backgrounds are as diverse as the arts, education and outreach you'll find at the Crane House.
Buno says you don't have to travel far to find Asian entertainment in Louisville, from the Chinese SiChuan Opera, to the upcoming Asian Night Market at Fourth Street Live and the mid-Autumn Festival.
"It's a big celebration throughout many Asian cultures," he said.
The public is encouraged to visit the Crane House and try their hand at Chinese painting, origami, Thai Chi and Japanese fan dancing.
"We host a study abroad program where we send teachers to Asia to teach English and then host a summer Mandarin language camp here," Buno said.
"Kids will get to come here for 3 weeks and learn Mandarin," Amber Ma, the program director, said.
Advocacy also plays a big part at the Crane House. The Asia Institute's here to help older immigrants maneuver through the healthcare system, the workforce and build financial stability. They can also get help with translations and resume building.
"During the height of Stop Asian Hate, we also educated our community on how to identify a hate crime, what to do," Buno said.
Their outreach continues daily with the help of its supporters.
"In order for us to have those free programs and give back to the community we need the funding from Give for Good to further and expand some of our signature programs we have in house," Ma said.
Sign up for the WHAS11 newsletter: "WHAS Up Kentuckiana." Get the latest headlines and videos from around Kentuckiana delivered daily to your inbox.