CPC Holds 8th Annual Albany Day of Action

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

Date: February 4th, 2026

Press Contacts: 

Alice Du, Director of Communications | (212) 792-4585 | adu@cpc-nyc.org

CPC Holds 8th Annual Albany Day of Action

New York, NY– The Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), the nation’s largest Asian American social services organization, convened over 200 staff, community members, and advocates for its 8th Annual Albany Day of Action, the organization’s largest advocacy event of the year. Through rallies and drop offs with elected officials at the state capitol, staff and community members amplified their voices and advanced CPC’s three key policy priorities. They laid critical groundwork to address the community’s most pressing needs.

“CPC’s Albany Day of Action is about showing up for the dignity, safety, and future of our communities,” said Wayne Ho, President & CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC). “When hundreds of our staff and community members come together at the State Capitol, we are making it very clear that policies around universal childcare, food security, livable wages, and immigration are not abstract. They shape whether families can survive and thrive. New York must lead by investing in care, protecting immigrants, and ensuring that no one is left behind because of income, status, or circumstance. We look forward to continuing the momentum with our community partners and elected champions throughout the session to ensure that we adopt a budget that meaningfully addresses the challenges faced by our communities.”

This year, CPC is advancing three key policy priorities:

• Securing New York State funding for infrastructure universal childcare so that every family—regardless of income, immigration status, or zip code, including families of children with disabilities—can access high-quality, free childcare for all children under age 13 in the setting of their choice.
• Passing the Protect, Invest, and Expand Food Security Package, which would establish a SNAP and cash assistance fraud victims compensation fund, invest in programs to reduce food insecurity across New York City, expand the minimum SNAP benefit to $100, and allocate $244 million to protect 41,000 newly excluded refugees, asylees, humanitarian parolees, and others who are no longer eligible for SNAP benefits.
• Investing $175 million in immigration legal services through the Office for New Americans to ensure the long-term sustainability and expansion of services; passing the Access to Representation Act to establish a right to counsel in immigration court; and passing the Building Up Immigrant Legal Defense Act to provide four years of dedicated funding to expand and strengthen legal services.

CPC’s full FY27 State Policy and Budget Agenda can be found here. 

At CPC’s Albany Day of Action, we had our elected partners, Senator John Liu, Senator Jeremy Cooney, Senator Michelle Hinchey, Senator Jabari Brisport, Senator Samra Brouk, Senator Steve Chan, Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, Assemblymember Grace Lee, Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes, Assemblymember Steve Raga, Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest, and Assemblymember Lester Chang join alongside our staff and community members at a rally about the importance of strengthening our social safety nets. In addition, CPC staff and community members dropped by all 213 State legislative offices to discuss our FY27 budget priorities.

“The Chinese American Planning Council’s Day of Action is a powerful reminder that our social safety nets are only as strong as the workers and organizations that sustain them,” said Senator Lea Webb. “If we want families to thrive, we must invest in the human services workforce and strengthen critical supports like housing, universal childcare, food programs, and immigrant legal services. These are not extras. They are essential to the well-being of our communities and to a more just and inclusive New York.”

Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “For decades, CPC has worked diligently to provide the type of advocacy, resources, and support that the Chinese-American community deserves. As the fastest growing population in New York State, I will always stand up for the AAPI community and am grateful for the partnership of groups like CPC as we work towards a better future for all New Yorkers.”

Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “We are fighting for a state budget that reflects the needs of working people across the State of New York. That means investing in the services that help families not just get by, but get ahead, from universal childcare and food security to access to immigration legal services and livable wages. I’m grateful to the Chinese-American Planning Council for their partnership as we fight for the dignity, safety, and prosperity of all our residents.”

“CPC’s Albany Day of Action shows what’s possible when communities most impacted by inequality lead the fight for solutions,” said Assemblymember Catalina Cruz. “From universal childcare to food security and access to immigration legal services, these priorities reflect what families need to survive and thrive. New York must meet this moment by fully investing in the social safety net, regardless of income or immigration status, because when we protect immigrant and working-class families, our entire state is stronger.”

CPC offers wraparound services to over 80,000 New Yorkers annually through a diverse range of over 50 programs. These include emergency food assistance, early childhood education, public benefits and unemployment assistance, support for community members with disabilities, and services for older adults.

For more information about CPC and its range of community services, please visit www.cpc-nyc.org.

Press Coverage: World Journal, NYN First Read

ABOUT CPC
Founded in 1965, CPC is a social services organization that creates social change. Building on our historic legacy and ongoing dedication to the Chinese American community, CPC advances the social and economic progress of immigrant and low-income communities of New York through services, resources, and advocacy.

關於華策會
華策會成立於1965年，是一個致力於推動社會變革的社會服務機構。秉承深厚的歷史傳承與對華裔美國社區的持續承諾，華策會透過多元服務、資源援助與公共倡議，促進紐約移民及低收入社區的社會與經濟發展。

ACERCA DE CPC
Fundada en 1965, CPC es una organización de servicios sociales que promueve el cambio social. Basándose en su legado histórico y su compromiso continuo con la comunidad chino-estadounidense, CPC impulsa el progreso social y económico de las comunidades inmigrantes y de bajos ingresos de Nueva York a través de servicios, recursos y acciones de incidencia.