Past Events & Programs
Free Chol Soo Lee Documentary Screening Event
On January 27th, 2024, Woori Center organized a free screening of Free Chol Soo Lee at the PASSi Evergreen Center in collaboration with Philadelphia SESAMO (People in Solidarity with the Sewol Families for Truth and a Safer Society). The documentary tells the story of Chol Soo Lee, a Korean American immigrant who was wrongly imprisoned for 10 years for a crime he did not commit. After the film, more than 50 community members joined us in small group discussions exploring the intricacies of the US criminal justice system, racism, and the transformative potential of the pan-Asian movement.
2023 Mid-Autumn/Chuseok Family Fun Event
On September 23, Woori Center held its first-ever Mid-Autumn/Chuseok Family Fun Festival at Philadelphia Won Temple in celebration of this traditional Asian festival. More than 120 people, including children and adults, showed up at the venue and participated in a variety of activities.
Attendees enjoyed wonderful Korean cuisine, browsed an interesting flea market, engaged in traditional games, played and learned about Korean percussion instruments, made Songpyeon, practiced calligraphy, and posed for unforgettable pictures in Hanbok clothing. The evening also featured two different groups' engaging performances, including a Taekwondo demonstration by SKY Martial Arts and mesmerizing Korean traditional dances by First Generation Korean Academy.
2023 Open House
On September 23, Woori Center held its first-ever Mid-Autumn/Chuseok Family Fun Festival at Philadelphia Won Temple in celebration of this traditional Asian festival. More than 120 people, including children and adults, showed up at the venue and participated in a variety of activities.
Attendees enjoyed wonderful Korean cuisine, browsed an interesting flea market, engaged in traditional games, played and learned about Korean percussion instruments, made Songpyeon, practiced calligraphy, and posed for unforgettable pictures in Hanbok clothing. The evening also featured two different groups' engaging performances, including a Taekwondo demonstration by SKY Martial Arts and mesmerizing Korean traditional dances by First Generation Korean Academy.
2023 Lunar New Year Celebration
Woori Center team visited the Grace Adult Day Care Center in North Philly and the Montgomery Adult Daily Living Center in Lansdale to celebrate Lunar New Year. We brought rice cakes to share with the residents, sang songs together, and passed out cards. It was heart-warming to spend time celebrating the year of the rabbit with delicious food and new friends!
Gather Together
Woori Center invited the community to join in a celebration of music that has sustained and uplifted us, individually and collectively, during the past three years of the pandemic. Performances by community members will be accompanied by our spirited community band STUMP and norae-bang (karaoke).
All proceeds from this event will go to Woori Center's scholarship program for Asian American undocumented students and youth in Delaware Valley and other parts of PA.
This event is part of Gather Together in their Name, an arts-driven community engagement project led by artists Jungwoong Kim and Shavon Norris with support from ARTisPHL, a public art initiative of the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation.
What is Gather Together?
Gather Together In Their Name is an arts-driven community engagement project led by artists Jungwoong Kim and Shavon Norris. The pandemic disrupted the ways families and communities grieved and honored people they lost. The project aims to create community-based recognitions and tributes to those people and to reflect on things---rituals, customs, pastimes----that went missing from community life as a result of the restrictions and losses following spring 2020.
The project is funded by ARTisPHL, a recently established arts funding program administered by the Public Art Committee of the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC) through financial support from the Knight Foundation. The Asian Arts Initiative has been a supportive partner and the project works with Young Playwrights and Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists (PAPA) as "hubs" of workshops and activities. Woori Center is a third "hub" for the project.
Community BBQ Party: Summer 2022
On August 21st of 2022, Woori Center hosted our first in-person summer event. In sharing food and stories and through crafts and power building exercises, we invited participants to consider the importance of building collective power. We were happy to see and spend time with all who came out and extend our deepest gratitude for all who participated, contributed and volunteered for the event!
Know Your Roots: Explore Korean Music Through Danso
Woori Center provides a virtual ten-week Korean music class with master Korean musician, gamin. Through the hands-on experience of playing Danso, students learn about topics such as vocal music, instrumental music, and ritual music; get an introduction to Korean folk songs, jangdan (rhythm), traditional children’s songs, and Korean music; and learn the lyrics of Arirang folk songs. Our 40-minute classes generally consist of 20-minute lectures and 20-minute practical lessons.
Gamin Kang, simply known as “gamin,” is a distinguished NYC soloist who tours the world performing both traditional Korean music and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Gamin plays piri (double reed Korean oboe), taepyeonso (double-reed horn), and saenghwang (mouth organ). She is a designated Yisuja, an official holder of Important Intangible Cultural Asset No. 46 for Court and Royal Military music.
Woori Center offers this space as an opportunity for us to take care of ourselves, as playing Danso and learning about calming music can reduce stress and strengthen your immune system. Moreover, Gamin will help you explore different types of Korean music and learn about the songs our parents and their parents have sung for centuries.
Lunar New Year Concert for Healing
Woori Center hosted its first virtual Lunar New Year Concert for Healing on Sunday, February 14, 2021.
Recognizing the negative impact of COVID-19 on maintaining our community connections and mental wellbeing, Woori Center created a space wherein community members could collectively seek healing through music. Throughout the ages, music has been a key resource for promoting healing and encouraging feelings of peace and serenity. The concert was led by Minsun Lee, a clinical psychologist, and Gamin, a distinguished NYC soloist.
Breathing Body: Activating and Releasing from the Inside Out
Movement artist Jungwoong Kim led a six-week virtual self-care program using self-care movement meditation to help release stress, calm the body, and reset our flows.
We did breathing exercises, stretching, gentle muscle toning, and voice explorations. This weekly practice helped community members develop healthy habits for their nightly routines and promote restful sleep and body-mind renewal.
Though we do not have a Breathing Body class at this time, if you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact us at info@wooricenterpa.org.
COVID-19 Response
To aid our community members during the unprecedented times brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, Woori Center provides financial assistance and accessible information.
Check out some of our highlights from 2020 below:
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From July to December, Woori Center summarized and translated 82 different articles focused on news about COVID-19. We shared news updates about government relief programs and safety regulations, local resources, and school districts and business policies via Woori Center’s KakaoTalk and Facebook platforms.
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In August, Woori Center hosted three webinar sessions on mental wellness during COVID-19 and handed out 1,500 copies of its mental wellness brochure.
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Woori Center handed out 5,500 masks and 1,300 hand sanitizer bottles for community members and small businesses.
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In July and August, Woori Center assisted application for the Philadelphia Worker Relief Fund and 28 workers received $800.
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Woori Center provided 16 families with $500 each for Emergency Cash Assistance.