CASL’s Most Impactful Moments of 2025

As we look ahead to 2026, we’re celebrating the top 10 moments that shaped CASL’s work in 2025. These milestones were made possible because of supporters like you—thank you for helping us transform lives and strengthen our community. 

This summer, we welcomed author and long-time Pine Tree Senior Council volunteer Susan Blumberg-Kason to Harmony Hall. Susan shared stories from When Friends Come From Afar, her book about Bernie Wong and CASL’s rich history. Hearing these memories reminded us of where we came from and inspired us to continue Bernie’s legacy. Susan is generously donating all book proceeds to CASL’s Pine Tree Senior Council. 

Get your copy on Amazon

“It’s not just a logo, it’s a connection to everything we’ve built”– Jed Lam, CASL Board of Directors 

Although we are evolving in appearance, our mission remains the same. This change was shaped by many voices. Staff, clients, board members, and community members all played a role in creating this new identity. It reflects how we work together—interconnected, inclusive, and resilient. Our refreshed look is a visual affirmation of CASL’s values. It celebrates who we are, where we come from, and where we are going together.  

2025 was a breakthrough year for our Health programs. We more than doubled the number of clients served across Brain Health, Behavioral Health, and Caregiver Support Services. This year alone, we hosted over 20 Memory Cafés providing a safe, supportive spaces for people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia and much-needed respite for their caregivers. 

Our Human Services programs earned well-deserved recognition this year. CASL’s Social Services team was honored by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) for breaking barriers, and Managing Attorney Jenny Huang received an award from Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) for her dedicated pro bono legal service to low-income clients. This team continues to meet community needs with passion and expertise. 

This year marked the 40th anniversary of CASL’s Child Development Center. That’s four decades of nurturing children of all backgrounds and abilities. Our Education programs grew from 267 participants in FY2024 to 290 in FY2025, offering more children a safe, encouraging, and enriching place to learn, grow, and thrive. 

CASL’s Impact and Advocacy team has worked tirelessly this year, meeting with government officials to highlight our services and champion critical city and state funding. Through efforts with leaders such as Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Cook County Commissioners John Daley and Michael Scott, CASL helped secure and preserve vital funding for low-income and immigrant communities—including $1.67 billion for the Community Care Program and $35 million for after-school programs. 

During this year’s city budget season, CASL continued to advocate for investments in childcare, Out of School Time (OST) programs, behavioral health, caregiver support, and improved AANHPI data disaggregation. Learn more about CASL’s 2025 City Budget priorities.

In celebration of AANHPI Heritage Month, CASL hosted its annual Spring Luncheon at the Union League Club of Chicago and launched the new Cultural Voices series. The program elevates diverse cultural perspectives through storytelling. Moderated by ABC 7 Chicago’s Cate Cauguiran, the panel featured acclaimed authors Susan Blumberg-Kason, Gloria Chao, Sonali Dev, and Monica Eng, who shared how narrative can honor heritage, challenge stereotypes, and reflect both the joy and complexity of AANHPI experiences. 

CASL also proudly honored Illinois State Representative Theresa Mah with the Community Leader Award for her dedicated work advancing equity and uplifting the communities she represents. 

In 2025, CASL hosted two Data Equity Summits in Chicago and New York City. 

In Chicago, panels explored how data can be used to tell powerful community stories, featuring insights from funders at the Julian Grace Foundation and MacArthur Foundation, CASL’s Marketing and Communications team, and one especially impactful perspective from the Chin Community of Indiana. 

In New York, CASL partnered with the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) to convene policymakers, advocates, and community leaders to examine how disaggregated data drives better policy and philanthropy. 

Data is storytelling. Through ChangeInSight data collection, CASL continues to empower community-based organizations to share their stories. These summits highlighted the rich diversity within AANHPI communities and the unique experiences each carries. 

CASL staff traveled to Springfield to advocate for crucial funding to support our surrounding community. With federal funding uncertainties, it was more important than ever that our state prioritizes funding for low-income households, immigrant individuals and families, and underserved populations.  

We met with Senator David Koehler and Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, who took the time to hear our concerns as we urged for continued investment in vital services such as senior care, behavioral health services, Medicaid, and after school programs.  

We felt empowered to use our voices and advocate for our community members. This Advocacy Day reminded us that our mission extends beyond ourselves, and that meaningful change requires strong partnerships with government leaders. 

Our most impactful moment of the year was strengthening our connections with clients, donors, volunteers, and supporters through CASL Connect. From Memory Cafés to Chinatown Clean-Up to Pine Tree Senior Council luncheons, we treasured every opportunity to bring our community together. 

The CASL Connect initiative continues to inspire civic engagement, cultural celebration, education, health, and volunteerism. The best part of our work will always be the people, and we cherish every moment to connect with you! 

We are so grateful for you being on this journey with us. As we honor our past, and look forward to sharing our legacy, it is supporters like you have been with us every step of the way.  

This year has brought challenges, and we have risen to the occasion every time. Thank you for supporting us another year. We look forward to more cherished moments in 2026! 

We wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!