Korean Community Development Services Center

KCDSC was established to assist newly-arrived Asian American immigrants and refugees with cultural and language barriers in overcoming their barriers and adjusting to their new country.

origin

In 1983, it was organized as a crime prevention and community relations organization and it was called Korean Crime Prevention Committee but the purpose of the organization was changed to serve the needs of the community members who need assistance in making necessary adjustment to their new society. Thus the name was changed to Korean Community Development Services Center in 1985.

how it works

KCDSC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community service organization that is designed to serve the needs of newly-arrived immigrants and refugees as well as other low-income minority group members. The service area is the greater Philadelphia area which includes the Pennsylvania counties of Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery and Delaware. However, the primary focus area is the Philadelphia County which includes the neighborhoods of Olney, Logan, East and West Oak Lane, and Lower Northeast.

service area

The service area is the greater Philadelphia area which includes the Pennsylvania counties of Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery and Delaware. However, the primary focus area is the Philadelphia County which includes the neighborhoods of Olney, Logan, East and West Oak Lane, and Lower Northeast.

track record

KCDSC began its service operation in 1985 with one part-time staff member with a budget of $13,000 and revenue of $24,000 and the budget for 2005 was $1,542,663 with a revenue of $1,463,000 and a staff of 106. KCDSC has gradually established a comprehensive community service program which includes job counseling and placement, a child care center, an after-school tutoring program for children, a summer youth employment, adult literacy education, elderly social security and medicaid services, housing counseling and development. The housing development program acquired and renovated 60 vacant houses for low-to-moderate-income first-time homebuyers for the past nine years.

future plans

One of our priorities is to expand its housing counseling program to include tenant counseling for low-income elderly. The second priority includes the housing development program with a plan of developing 15 single family homes for low-income first-time homebuyers in 2007. KCDSC would like area banks to expand their lending to our community businesses which are having difficulty in securing low-interest loans. The third involves the promotion of low-interest residential and commercial loans for our community members.