Press Release - White House to Honor Norman Fong as a Community Preparedness and Resilience "Champion of Change"

WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, September 24th, the White House will honor local heroes who are "Champions of Change for Community Preparedness and Resilience." The event will celebrate Americans who are preparing communities for disasters and helping them respond and recover, bringing members of the whole community together – private businesses, local government, community and faith-based organizations, and individual citizens – to make a difference.

As the President said in his 2013 Proclamation for National Preparedness Month, "Time and again, America faces crises that test our readiness and challenge our resolve -- from natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods to shootings, cyber incidents, and even acts of terrorism. While my Administration is working tirelessly to avert national tragedies, it is every American's responsibility to be prepared. By planning for emergencies, individuals can protect themselves and their families while also contributing to their communities' resilience… ordinary Americans have stepped up in moments of trial and tragedy to perform real acts of heroism."

In 2012, the cost of weather disasters alone exceeded $110 billion in the United States. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of events like storms, floods, heat waves and wildfires. In June the President released his Climate Action Plan which steps up our efforts to prepare the Nation for these impacts so we can better protect homes, businesses, and ways of life from severe weather. Also recognizing the need to increase the participation of individual citizens, businesses, and organizations, President Obama directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to launch a comprehensive campaign to build and sustain national preparedness among Americans of all backgrounds and ages, moving them from awareness to action. The Champions we will recognize have been leaders in this initiative.

The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals, businesses, and organizations doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.

The event is closed to press but will be live streamed on the White House website. To watch this event live, visit www.whitehouse.gov/live at 1:30 pm ET on September 24th. To learn more about the White House Champions of Change program and nominate a Champion, visit www.whitehouse.gov/champions.

Norman Fong, Executive Director, Chinatown Community Development Center
San Francisco, CA

Rev. Norman Fong is the Executive Director of San Francisco's Chinatown Community Development Center (Chinatown CDC). Founded in 1977, Chinatown CDC is an award winning community development corporation with a comprehensive program of community organizing, neighborhood planning, affordable housing development, property management and resident services. The organization has developed or rehabilitated over 2,300 units of affordable housing over the past three decades. Throughout his tenure at Chinatown CDC, Norman has emphasized the importance of resident engagement and developing grassroots leadership to promote improved quality of life, quality housing, and safe communities. Recognizing a need for youth programming, Norman created a youth-led-and-run Adopt-an-Alleyway program to improve the conditions in Chinatown through neighborhood and alleyway clean-ups and a Chinatown Alleyway Tours program (CATs) to engage youth in leading tours providing a glimpse into the "real Chinatown." These efforts led to the development of additional youth programs (i.e. YSRO) that serve seniors and residents of Single Room Occupancy Hotels with emergency and disaster preparedness training.