What is "GAPA Outreach” all about"? It is about you and me and the communities we live in: the Bay Area, the LGBT community and the API community. GAPA's Outreach Program enables us to be directly in touch with those in our communities so that we can support each other and achieve common objectives. GAPA has participated in events, fairs and festivals in the Bay Area that reflect its rich diversity. In the recent past we have been in the Chinese New Year Parade, Cherry Blossoms Festival, Fiesta Filipina, June Pride Parade & Fair, and the Castro Street Fair. Less regularly we have had information booths and displays in other events such as the Nihonmachi Street Fair, the East Bay Pride Fair, the Bay Area Asian Law Students Association conference, the Pacific Center Anniversary Celebration in Berkeley and the Folsom Street Fair.

GAPA Booth at the 2004 Fiesta Filipina,Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco. From left: Chuin Phang, Keith Yamamoto, Sheening Lin, Joe Mendoza and Mel De Guzman.

Through this program, GAPA not only supports these different sponsoring groups and communities, but also provides GAPA visibility in both the mainstream and LGBT audiences. Through the GAPA Booth, GAPA is able to promote to these audiences its programs and events: GapaRap, GAPA 35 Plus, Scholarship, Cultural, Social, Political Awareness, Runway: Mr. & Miss GAPA Pageant, the Annual Fund-raising Banquet, Member & Supporter Recruitment, and special events such as lectures and conferences on current issues. Volunteers achieve this by talking to the booth visitors about GAPA, answering their questions, handing out fliers & printed materials, asking them to put down their contact information on the visitor sign-up sheet, and processing the membership application including the annual fee.

Consider becoming a volunteer or outreach co-coordinator if any of the following applies to you:

• Believe in what GAPA is all about
• Wish to promote its programs for the community
• Do coalition building with other community groups
• Enjoy meeting people and have fun interacting with them
• Like to make the GAPA Booth attractive enough for people to drop by

Yes, we do need volunteers and outreach co-coordinators! Please contact: Tarrance Truong () or Vincent Baduel ().