2003 – Asian Health Outreach Foundation (AHOF) began by granting financial support to physicians in rural Philippines, then shifted its focus to promoting preventative health care in medically underserved communities in West Michigan.
2005 – AHOF launched its patient navigation system staffed by volunteers who, with their Asian language capabilities (i.e. Vietnamese, Mandarin, Filipino, Burmese, etc.) and cultural fluency, offered Asians with information and guidance regarding the complex healthcare system.
2006 – Asian Professional Organization (APO) was incorporated to create networking opportunities for Asian professionals and the broad community for economic, social, and intellectual enrichment. APO focused on education and professional development leading to the creation of the scholarship program.
2011 – West Michigan Asian American (WMAAA) is born! AHOF and APO merged the two organizations to prevent overlapping responsibilities and take advantage of synergies between the two organizations.
Special gratitude for those who pioneered a new path for the Asian community: Ruperto D. Blanco, Jr., George Aquino, Joanne Hawk, David Long, Bing Goei, Minnie Morey, Albert Y. Yu Chang, and Cora Hanselman.
