January 2025 Newsletter

Mission: The mission of the Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation (PJMF) is to promote and fulfill Dr. Philip Jaisohn’s ideals of humanity through a broad range of medical and health care, mental health, and social services along with advocacy and educational and cultural programs for the enrichment of the underserved community.

Leadership: “George” Jung Soo Choe, President & CEO

George Choe joined the Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation as the President and CEO in early 2018 after retiring from a corporate career of 35 years, including a global commercial/engineering executive career in a Fortune 300 multinational corporation with significant international business experience. George founded and serves as the Co-Chair of the Asian American Coalition for Health and Human Services and is leading the Montgomery County’s 2-year AAPI Community Needs Assessment project. He is also a member of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on AAPI Affairs, Co-Leader of New American Majority-PA with Senator Art Haywood and Esperanza Rev. Luis Cortes, Board of Trustee member for Jefferson Health-Abington/Lansdale, and an Advisory Board member of Penn State Abington.

Greatest Needs: The Jaisohn Center provides medical, social service/navigation, and mental health services to a diverse set of clientele. We serve 75% Asian Americans and 19% African Americans including recent Haitian immigrants. In order to support the growing diversity of our client base, it is critical that we hire staff who are able to communicate in multiple languages. We will also fortify the limits of our bilingual staffing with additional language translation capabilities.

Jaisohn Mental Health Services strives to fight stigmas against mental health in the Asian American community through awareness campaigns and counseling. Coming out of the pandemic, Jaisohn Mental Health observed an increase in the dire need for mental health support in our communities. However, many Asian countries have negative views of mental health, discouraging them from seeking help. A large portion of our senior clientele still hold these views. In addition, some AAPI faith leaders are more conservative and believe strong faith overcomes mental health issues. As a result, having staff who are culturally competent and familiar with the sensitivities of being an immigrant and their faith is imperative to making sure our clients feel comfortable to seek the help they need. As our services and client base continue to grow, so does our need for multilingual, culturally sensitive staff to support them.

Success Story: Last year, one of our members experienced a mild stroke that left her right arm and leg unable to function. In the months that followed, she found herself slipping into depression, confined at home and unsure of how to regain control of her life. However, things changed when she started attending our senior programs. With each step taken during our walking exercises, she could feel the strength returning to her legs. Knitting became another form of therapy, helping her regain mobility in her hands while providing a comforting rhythm to her daily life. In the knitting class, she worked with other members to knit tiny hats for newborn babies which were then donated to a local hospital.

Now the group is working on blankets for patients in the cancer ward.

A member of the knitting class said “Through these projects, my sense of purpose has deepened. Every stitch, every moment spent helping others, has shown me the value of contributing to society and nurturing love for those around me. The more I give, the more my self-esteem grows. More than that, Jaisohn Center senior program became a place of connection. I no longer felt isolated; instead, I was part of a community, sharing stories, laughter, and encouragement. Volunteering like this has been a gift, filling my heart with warmth and reminding me that even after a difficult chapter, we can find new ways to make a difference.”