What is CAGP?

Mission

Our mission is to improve the quality of life of Cambodian-Americans in Greater Philadelphia through direct service, advocacy and cultural education.

Our vision is to empower Cambodian-Americans to be productive and successful individuals in society at large.

CAGP stands on four core principles that derives from its acronym:

• Community - Everyone (Cambodians & Non-Cambodians)
• Action - Make it happen through programs & services, advocacy and education
• Growth - Progress, moving towards achieving our mission & vision
• Potential - Realization of our vision & unlimited possibilities

CAGP is the city's center for Cambodian Americans and their families, and it has achieved extraordinary organizational development and growth throughout the past 32 years.

The Start

January 7, 1979 was a moment Cambodian refugees in Greater Philadelphia area experienced a mixed feeling. We were somewhat happy for our fellow relatives, brothers and sisters inside Cambodia now were out of the jaw of death orchestrated by the Khmer Rouge regime, while very concerned about the fate of Cambodia and Cambodian Nation now in the hands of the historical arch rival Vietnamese. With this serious situation on the field and in the mind, we reached out to each other through various means available, particularly the network of Christian churches, and called for some kind of gathering to share the joy, the grief and concerns and personal experiences without any pre-conceived notion to do anything. Such gathering would bring us out of isolation and obscurity and probably better serve to get to know each other. Among us, initially, were Dr. Tong Hor Hin, Dr. Volay Pen and his wife, Mr. Yang Sam, Mr. Samien Nol and his wife, Mr. Phokol Thor, Mr. Soy Taing, Mr. Doeun Srey and his wife, Mr. Siekkim Iem, Mr. Kim Hort Ou, Mr. Phanna Siv, Mr. Koy Meas and his wife and Ms. Line. The gathering generally took place at the home of Dr. Volay Pen, located just in the outskirt of the City of Philadelphia.

In subsequent gatherings, various ideas had had been raised, of which the idea of bringing the issues related to Cambodia and its people to the attention of the American public. Mr. Yang Sam, with his artistic talent, was willing to head the effort through his public art exhibitions, while some of us played a supporting role. At the same time, we reached out further to the State of New Jersey. Mr. Sorn Huy also joined our group.

February of 1979 was the month the idea of creating an organization came up. We sensed that a good number of Cambodian refugees at the border camps in Thailand were in a fast-paced process to come to America for permanent resettlement. Philadelphia was then the forth largest city of the United States. Many refugees were going to head here, and we wanted to lend our hands to help respond to their immediate needs. For this simple reason, the Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia was officially born in the evening of Sunday, March 31, 1979 at Nationalities Service Center, 1300 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There were thirty one Cambodian participants. The Bylaws were adopted by which the organization name was the “Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia”; the election was called and the very first balloting for the organization’s Board of Directors was done with the following results: