Mandy Yick (standing) Teresa Wong (lower left)
with Boulder County Community Action Programs

She is active and effective in a variety of volunteer endeavors. Several of these transpire in partnership with the Boulder County Community Action Programs (CAP). This agency contributes to the self-sufficiency and independence of low-income and disenfranchised communities. Programs include classes on finance and parenting, and scholarships for college students.

For two decades Yick has been a leading creator of U.S. citizenship drives in Boulder County. (She practiced actively for many years as an immigration attorney.) "Achieving citizenship means a better quality of life and the opportunity to participate fully as an American. It provides the ability to contribute more significantly, and achieve higher goals," says Wong.

Her latest endeavor is the voluntary creation and teaching of citizenship classes for the County. The classes take place on Saturdays at the Lafayette Public Library from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Prospective U.S. citizens can attend these sessions for a period of twelve weeks. At the end of this time they are ready to comfortably apply for citizenship.

The classes cover U.S. history and civics back to the beginning. It's also important to Yick to instill language capabilities and to make attendees aware of how the citizenship application process works. "I'm thankful that I have inherited the skill to deal with people from diverse backgrounds and walks of life," she says.

"When we started the classes in October, 2006, I thought I was in it for three months", she says, "but it's difficult for me to break away when people are still in the process."

In presenting the classes her most important asset is her daughter, Teresa Wong, who translates the programs into Spanish. Teresa is a sixteen-year-old Fairview High School student who learned her Spanish in the International Baccalaureate Program there. "I love co-teaching with Teresa, and at this juncture I feel I'd be useless without her," says her mother.

She encourages everybody to be involved in something as a volunteer, and says, "The cumulative effect would be nothing short of fantastic."

For information about volunteering with the Boulder County Community Action Programs or other agencies, call the Volunteer Connection at 303-444-4904, or go to our Volunteer Central.