05/06/2026
In celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we’re reflecting on a meaningful service project our Chinese Heritage class was honored to take part in earlier this year through micro-grant funding managed by Ms. Kelly Teagarden.
With this support, students purchased cooking supplies for the Breakfast for Blessings event held at the Orange County Seymour Center on February 19 in celebration of Lunar New Year.
The Seymour Center is a vital community hub for more than 100 Chinese American residents in Orange County. For many seniors, the center provides an essential connection to resources, friendship, and community. Because many residents are Mandarin-speaking, they can also face language barriers and social isolation in their daily lives.
A group of students visited the Seymour Center in Chapel Hill, where we prepared and served breakfast — pork potstickers and chicken lo mein — for more than 150 senior residents, most of whom are Chinese. The event became a special opportunity to celebrate Lunar New Year, share cultural traditions through food, and build connections across generations. Special thanks to Dr. Chingyi Lee (mother of Annika ‘26 and Derick ‘28) and Dr. Fan Ye (father of Andy ‘26 and Daniel ‘34) for handling most of the cooking in the kitchen.
Claire Chen from the Orange County Department on Aging / Seymour Center shared: “We value Durham Academy as a key partner in our mission to remove the barriers of isolation for our multicultural households. This initiative represents a high-level service-learning opportunity, where students gain real-world cultural competency while solving a genuine need for social inclusion among our elderly neighbors.”
As we recognize AANHPI Heritage Month, we are grateful for opportunities like this that allow students to celebrate culture, strengthen community ties, and honor the experiences of Asian American families and elders in our local community.
