The Sustainability Services Department provides linguistically and culturally accessible services to newly-arriving, low-to-moderate income, limited English proficient adults and their dependents across Northeast Ohio.
Our team of bilingual caseworkers can provide culturally appropriate, comprehensive, and professional case management services to our clients so they get on a path to self-sufficiency. Team members are located in Akron and Cleveland. We offer services such as vocational skills training, supportive counseling, job placement, and retention services, and much more.
Promoting Self-Sufficiency and Growth in the Community
Housing and Rental Education
Asian Services In Action is a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development(HUD) participating housing counseling agency, and provides a multitude of pre and post-housing counseling, foreclosure prevention, and rental counseling assistance.
As a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) housing certified agency, ASIA provides HUD-approved counseling services within a culturally and linguistically-appropriate curriculum in order to teach and guide individuals and families to better track their income and expenses, plan budgets, build equity and make responsible purchases.
Our counselors and financial advisors offer both one-on-one consultations and group workshops providing the knowledge and tools needed for clients to make sound decisions, improve the management of their finances and realize their financial goals. We help clients at all stages of financial knowledge: from opening a bank account for the first time to establishing credit and savings to purchasing a first home, from building credit to understanding the costs of homeownership and preventing foreclosure. All these services are offered free of charge.
The following services are offered in Cantonese, Mandarin, Burmese, among other languages:
- Fair Housing Pre-Purchase Education Workshops
- Financial Management/Budget Counseling
- Home Improvement and Rehabilitation Counseling
- Non-Delinquency Post Purchase Workshops
- Pre-purchase Counseling
- Pre-purchase Homebuyer Education Workshops
- Rental Housing Counseling
- Rental Housing Workshops
- Foreclosure Prevention Counseling
For more information, please contact Summer Tan at xiayi@asiaohio.org.
Food Pantry and Emergency Assistance
ASIA’s Emergency Food Assistance and Food Pantry is OPEN. Families or individuals are eligible. If you need food, please call our office.
Akron's food pantry is open every second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 12PM to 3PM.
Cleveland's food pantry is open on the fourth Friday of every month from 2PM-4:30PM.
For more information, please contact Imane (Cleveland), Hala (Cleveland), or Malissa (Akron).
CLEVELAND: (216) 881-0330
AKRON: (330) 535-3263
HAPI Fresh Farmers' Market
The Healthy Asian Pacific Islander Fresh Farmers Market Program (HAPI Fresh Farmers' Market) is a seasonal and weekly farmer’s market between July and September each year that provides equitable access to fresh vegetables, including culturally specific produce. HAPI Fresh Farmers' Market facilitates local job creation and supports entrepreneurship by offering low barrier opportunities for producers to sell their harvest.
Developed in 2012, HAPI Fresh ensures that urban farmers and food entrepreneurs, especially from the refugee and immigrant community, have a low-barrier opportunity to sell their produce and other food products while gaining practical experience with customer service, marketing, and financing. Over the years, HAPI Fresh educated our clients on how to transfer their native agrarian skills to the U.S and integrate into Ohio’s agricultural community.
The market is open to the general public and attracts upwards of 900 customers per week. Customers, especially those from ASIA’s refugee client base, can purchase fresh produce native to their homeland that is not readily available in supermarkets or other farmers markets. In order to ensure access for low-income families, the market accepts SNAP, WIC, and Senior Farmers’ Market vouchers. ASIA’s staff are also available to direct them to health and social services.
Location: 743 Gaylan Dr, Akron, OH 44310
Season: July to September
Time: Every Wednesday from 4pm-7pm
Available vegetables include:
- Cilantro
- Pumpkins
- Peaches
- Bitter melon
- Spinach
- Pumpkin Leaves (limited)
- And more!
WE ACCEPT: cash, checks, credit cards, debit cards, WIC & Senior Vouchers, and SNAP/EBT
For more information, contact Malissa Xiong at mxiong@asiaohio.org or 330-535-3263 Ext. 5313
Public Benefits Assistance
- Low- income benefits access assistance such as medical benefits, supplemental nutrition assistance program, emergency food, childcare assistance, home energy assistance program, telephone bill assistance, water affordability program, housing rental, WIC, EITC, income tax preparation, and SSI
- Program and services enrollment for families and dependents in the county and at ASIA, such as our Children, Youth and Family Services
- Asset building assistance for individuals and families to purchase first home, buy a car for work, save for post-secondary education, or to start a small-business
Employment Assistance and Workforce Development
Due to unique language and cultural barriers, low-income refugees in northeast Ohio have trouble finding, retaining, or progressing in work. We strive to assist people to move further along the path of self-sufficiency and financial independence.
- Basic or remedial skills support (many of our clients come from developing worlds with little understanding of personal hygiene and western standards of work ethic such as being on time)
- Pre-employment training, one-on-one coaching
- Retention and wage progression support
- Employer development (assist employer to identify benefits and strategies to hire viable newcomer workforce)
Asset Building
ASIA offers credit building with financial coaching to help support individuals with:
- Building a budget
- Reviewing credit
- Developing a personalized plan to help reduce debt and improve credit scores
- Opening a checking or saving account
- Opening an individual development account
- Money management, and more.
Individuals can also receive help to apply for a zero-interest loan through ASIA’s Lending Circles program* or Secure Credit Card to establish a credit history or improve their credit score.
These programs aim to increase the financial literacy of our clients. These services are free, convenient and available in multiple languages.
For more information, please contact Thet Win at thet@asiaohio.org
* If you are interested in learning about the Lending Circle program, you may visit LendingCircles.org. Lending Circles℠ is a social loan program managed by the Mission Asset Fund (MAF).
Public Notary
We offer public notary services at a nominal cost. Our public notary staff are credentialed by the State of Ohio. Contact Summer Tan at (216) 881-0330 ext 8819 or email xiayi@asiaohio.org for notarizing services.
The cost of notarization is $2.00 per document. Document translation is also available. For a price quote, please contact the Interpreting and Translation Services department.