Since 1978, Asian Human Services has provided job training, education, and other services for low-income Asian-American and other immigrant and refugee communities in Illinois. In 2001, Asian Human Services Family Health Center (AHSFHC) was founded to provide primary care services for children and adults. Since then, it has become a federally qualified health center (FQHC) and operates four health centers in Chicago, Skokie, and Niles. Ninety-nine percent of clients visiting the health center are low to moderate income.
This year, AHS received a $400,000 loan from IFF to remodel its newest health center in Skokie. This project will install an elevator and remodel restrooms to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act to make the clinic more accessible to patients. The renovations also will double the number of exam rooms and increase annual patient encounters to over 10,000 annually at full capacity. In addition, AHSFHC will welcome five new full-time employees to its clinic.
This project continues a longstanding partnership between IFF and AHS. In 2002, a $450,000 loan from IFF helped Asian Human Services to renovate a 16,000-square-foot facility that now houses its kindergarten through eighth grade charter school, Passages. The school has received the city’s top score in Chicago Public Schools’ annual ratings. Since then, IFF has loaned over $3.3 million to Asian Human services for projects at multiple sites.