Support. Unity. Friendship. Advancement.
OUR VISION:
Vietnamese women unite and have a voice in the community.
OUR MISSION:
Develop the potential of Vietnamese women and empower them to become active members of the community through friendship and learning opportunities.
Our HistoryFoundation
The Calgary Vietnam Women's Association (CAVWA) was established by a group of Vietnamese women who wished to have a gathering space for Vietnamese women in Calgary in 2009, mainly to have friends, speak Vietnamese and exchange. The group met monthly for about two years at the Newcomers Center. Then, the seven group members decided to incorporate social action on August 8, 2011.
The Calgary Vietnamese Women's Association was officially launched in the Calgary community on December 17, 2011 with the witness of more than 250 Vietnamese friends in Calgary Vietnam. The Calgary Vietnamese Women's Association's original name was Friendship for Vietnamese Women Calgary, which was changed in 2012 to its current name, the Calgary Vietnamese Women's Association (CAVWA).
MEMBERS OFTHE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Quynh Le - Board Chair
Phuong Hoang – Director of Fundraising
Linh Chi Pham – Treasurer and Secretary
Linh Bui – Director of Program
Thao Nguyen - Director of Communications
CALGARY VIETNAMESE WOMEN'S ASSOCIATIONIn the Community
8 Main Services
Free Tax ReturnTranslation Assistance
English Classes for Vietnamese
Senior Support Program
Physical & Mental Enhancement Activities
Monthly Meetings
Arts and Cultural Celebration
Emergency Assistance During Disaster or Disease
Members
The association organizes many community engagement activities and annual culture celebrations for members and their families in the community.
Sincere Thanks ToOur Sponsors and Funders
SPECIAL THANKSTO PAST BOARD MEMBERS
Honourable Sandy Choa, Chairwoman of the Executive Board, 2017, and Advisory Board Chair 2018-Present has significantly contributed to CAVWA over the years include:
• Strategically led CAVWA in the transformative process by restructuring its organization and turning CAVWA’s traditional management to be the visionary governance board
• Reformed the Executive Committee of Governance Board and established an Advisory Board to provide advice to the Board of Directors
• Connected CAVWA with numerous ethnocultural community service associations such as
Calgary Korean Women Association (CKWA), Malaysian Singaporean Bruneian Calgary
Association (MSBCSA), Calgary Chinese Community Service Association (CCCSA), Sien Lok Association, Center for Newcomers, Calgary Immigrant Women Association (CIWA), Asian Heritage Foundation (AHF), Alberta Thai Association, and more
• Maintained concrete networking with all Vietnamese associations in the community
• Built, developed and sustained positive relationships with several well-known and respected non-profit organizations such as Action Dignity, Alberta Women Entrepreneurs, Momentum, Calgary Economic Development, Calgary Arts Foundation, and Lions Club-Calgary
• Gained sponsorships from business sector organizations such as RBC Bank, TD Bank, ATB
bank, Connect First Credit Union, Pho Quynh, Pho Xuan, Trali, Infiniti Printing and Copying Ltd, and UMe Group Corporation
• Directed CAVWA Board and Fundraising Committee to apply for essential government grants
• Expanded networking with three levels of government (Municipal, Provincial, and Federal) by bringing the voice of the Vietnamese community to the government
• Led CAVWA to collaborate with Calgary Korean Women Association to empower multicultural women to become active members in their communities through leadership development
• Guided two organizations-CAVWA and CKWA, co-hosted the Mother’s Day Event in 2018 and received full support from communities leaders, business sectors, and government
• Conducted CAVWA successfully opening the Vietnamese Cultural and Art Club in Dec 2018
• Sustained CAVWA financial status by partnering meaningful projects with other stable
organizations such as RESP and Canada Learning Bond One Time Grant project with Momentum
• Constructed governance policies for CAVWA and firmed up advisory and wisdom boards to assist the executive board and committees for each program and project
TO PAST BOARD MEMBERS
Founding Members of CAVWA and supporting the association in its first years:
Linh Ha, Linh Bui, Sandy Lieu, Thao Dang, Lan Tran, Nancy Luu, Susan Ung, Hang Phung, Nguyen Ton.
The members of the Executive Committee have actively contributed to the Association in recent years:
Ms. Linh Bui
Member of the Executive Committee
Ms. Ha Nguyen
Former Executive Board Member
Ms. Zoong Nguyen
Former Executive Board Member
Ms. Linh Ha
Former Executive Board Member
Grace Chow
Former Board President (2015 - Jan 2017)
Thao Nguyen
Former Board President (Oct 2017 - Dec 2018)
Honorable Sandy Choa, Chairwoman of the Executive Board, 2017, and Advisory Board Chair 2018-Present has significantly contributed to CAVWA over the years include:
- Strategically led CAVWA in the transformative process by restructuring its organization and turning CAVWA’s traditional management to be the visionary governance board
- Reformed the Executive Committee of Governance Board and established an Advisory Board to provide advice to the Board of Directors
- Connected CAVWA with numerous ethnocultural community service associations such as
Calgary Korean Women Association (CKWA), Malaysian Singaporean Bruneian Calgary
Association (MSBCSA), Calgary Chinese Community Service Association (CCCSA), Sien Lok Association, Center for Newcomers, Calgary Immigrant Women Association (CIWA), Asian Heritage Foundation (AHF), Alberta Thai Association, and more - Maintained concrete networking with all Vietnamese associations in the community
- Built, developed and sustained positive relationships with several well-known and respected non-profit organizations such as Action Dignity, Alberta Women Entrepreneurs, Momentum, Calgary Economic Development, Calgary Arts Foundation, and Lions Club-Calgary
- Gained sponsorships from business sector organizations such as RBC Bank, TD Bank, ATB
bank, Connect First Credit Union, Pho Quynh, Pho Xuan, Trali, Infiniti Printing and Copying Ltd, and UMe Group Corporation - Directed CAVWA Board and Fundraising Committee to apply for essential government grants
- Expanded networking with three levels of government (Municipal, Provincial, and Federal) by bringing the voice of the Vietnamese community to the government
- Led CAVWA to collaborate with Calgary Korean Women Association to empower multicultural women to become active members in their communities through leadership development
- Guided two organizations-CAVWA and CKWA, co-hosted the Mother’s Day Event in 2018 and received full support from communities leaders, business sectors, and government
- Conducted CAVWA successfully opening the Vietnamese Cultural and Art Club in Dec 2018
- Sustained CAVWA financial status by partnering meaningful projects with other stable
organizations such as RESP and Canada Learning Bond One Time Grant project with Momentum - Constructed governance policies for CAVWA and firmed up advisory and wisdom boards to assist the executive board and committees for each program and project
Donate to CAVWA
CAVWA welcomes the generosity of sponsors and friends in the community to continue programs and services that serve the community.