Sunhee's Community Place

Sunhee’s Community Place is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and the non-profit arm of Sunhee’s Farm and Kitchen, seeking to empower immigrants and refugees through employment opportunities and educational programming. Sunhee’s works closely with our volunteer team to administer various in-house services, including adult English classes, one-on-one conversation partners, and computer access and literacy.

Mission Statement

Sunhee’s core mission is driven by a passion for food and community and the natural association between both elements, rooted in Korean-American history, culture, and identity we believe can be shared with all people regardless of race, ethnicity, or nationality. With this belief, Sunhee’s hopes to utilize food as a way of bridging immigrant and non-immigrant communities to one another, particularly by offering products and services that are comfortably accessible for Non-Asian American audiences at affordable prices. As a social entrepreneurship business, Sunhee’s also hopes to create a safe space for cultural learning and innovative projects by supporting employee-led initiatives and partnering with local non-profits that share those very community-based values. This involves everything from sourcing from local distributors and fostering relationships with small farmers to providing educational and professional development opportunities for staff as well as financial and technical support for community projects.

Sunhee’s mission statement can be broken down into the following three main components:

1. Positive Food Culture: With the increasing demand for transparency of where and how food is sourced, Sunhee’s hopes to encourage the growth of the local, “real food” movement and healthy living by directly connecting with farmers and food sources, especially those who do not have the resources and capabilities to reach a larger market. Sunhee’s methods of cooking also work to preserve a Korean food tradition that values investment in what we eat. This involves honoring authentic methods of food production from previous generations while adapting to the current trends, technology, and demand.
2. Community Engagement: Sunhee’s believes that community engagement begins with its employees and the interactions with customers on an everyday basis. Sunhee’s hopes to foster a welcoming, friendly, and non-exclusive environment that engages with its own staff through interactive training, education, and opportunities for professional development particularly in the fields of food service, outreach, and small business ownership. Partnerships with local businesses, community-based organizations (CBOs), non-profit service providers, cultural groups, churches, and local farmers are key not only to Sunhee’s success but also to its foundational purpose of serving the people of Troy and the greater Albany region.
3. Immigrant and Refugee Empowerment: As an immigrant-led business, Sunhee’s recognizes the value of diverse immigrant/refugee experiences and skillsets but also the challenges that come with resettling in a new community. Although a for-profit business, Sunhee’s envisions building a self-sustaining social enterprise that funds English classes, vocational training programs, entrepreneurial assistance, and other social services for refugees/immigrants whether provided in-house or in partnership with other organizations.

Sunhee’s Community Place is the 501(c)(3) non-profit arm of Sunhee’s Farm and Kitchen with charitable tax-exempt status and was started in 2018 as a way of channeling already-existing educational programming and streamlining funding. Its location at 173 4th Street has now become home to our English classes and the primary space for community services and activities.