Asian American Center cancels annual health fair due to federal funding uncertainty

Yahoo

25-03-2025

The Asian American Center of Frederick has announced it will not be hosting its annual community health fair this October due to uncertainty surrounding whether participating organizations will receive federal funding.
'Unfortunately, with the current landscape and uncertainty of funding from federal programs, it seems the prudent thing is to postpone the health fair this year,' Elizabeth Chung, the organization's executive director, wrote in an online announcement.
'We have given this careful consideration and weighed various options. We have hesitantly reached this decision after much discussion.'
AACF spokesperson Mark Kraham said more than 1,200 people attended the 2024 health fair, and 725 people received some sort of health service. There were 73 vendors and 360 volunteers.
The AACF is a nonprofit focused on helping immigrants and people from minority communities overcome obstacles to success.
For the last 17 years, the organization, in partnership with Frederick Health, has hosted the Frederick Community Health Fair, bringing together medical service providers, resource agencies, community health workers and language interpreters.
At the fair, people can receive services such as health screenings and exams at no cost. No insurance, proof of residence or appointment is required to attend.
Some of the medical services offered at the fair were blood-pressure screenings, consultations with primary care providers, vaccinations, education on different types of cancers, glucose and cholesterol screenings, and other service referrals.
In her online announcement of the cancellation, Chung said the services at the health fair 'would cost an individual an estimated $1,000 if they had to pay for them.'
Chung said in an interview on March 14 that the health fair is something people look forward to. When they go, they can see how many service providers are there to care for their health.
'They know that we have people that look like them, speak like them, and help them to get this information,' she said. 'So it's not just a screening event. It's already something that they long for like, 'Oh, it's good. At least now, I got information.''
Chung said it's hard to articulate how much money is needed to host the fair, since it's a huge collective effort by the AACF and all of the vendors and agencies that participate.
Each participating organization is putting in its own funds to be part of the event — and right now, many are impacted by interruptions and uncertainty regarding federal funds.
The Trump administration has ordered the federal government to freeze spending, a decision that multiple federal judges have blocked and is shaking up organizations across the nation.
Chung estimated that this year's health fair was going to have nearly 100 organizations participating.
She said it'd be one thing if only some organizations were unsure if they could participate, but the fate of the fair was in flux because many organizations' funding is being affected.
Because of that, the organizations don't know if they'll have the resources to provide services, workers and volunteers to be part of the fair.
Chung said the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, which had been participating in the fair for at least five years, was one of the first organizations that confirmed it couldn't be part of this year's health fair.
It would set up a MASH unit — MASH stands for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital — at the fair, which included beds, a consultation area and a blood drawing station.
The Commissioned Corps did not respond to requests for comment made between March 17 and 20 regarding its participation in the fair and why it pulled out of the event.
The AACF might try to host other health events that are smaller but can still help people who would usually attend the health fair.
Heather Kirby, Frederick Health's vice president of integrated care and chief population health officer, said in a statement Monday that the health fair being canceled 'will create a barrier to care for some individuals in our community.'
'Working with our trusted community partners to keep our community healthy remains a top priority of Frederick Health,' she said. 'We will continue to examine ways to collaborate and improve healthcare access to our community.'
The majority of the AACF's funding, 94%, is federal and state grants. The nonprofit has about 40 staff members and has hundreds of volunteers.
Chung said every one of the organization's programs — like family support services, language and financial literacy classes, and workforce development — could be reduced or eliminated depending on access to federal funds.
But the AACF is taking each day as it comes and will continue striving to provide services and help people despite financial uncertainty, she said.
She said right now is the time for lawmakers to look at how nonprofits can leverage each other's resources, stretch any funding they do have and collaborate to meet community needs.
'What makes us successful is because of years and years of, really, determination and lived experience and also listening to the community, helping the system to understand ... crossing over boundaries and dividers,' Chung said.
'Sometimes, I move three steps forward, I come back one step, and yet, at the end of the day, I see that we will be OK.'