FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sacramento’s Jeffrey C. Won of Morgan StanleyHonored for
Philanthropic Contributions to the Chinese Community Church
Sacramento, California – June 30, 2014 – Jeffrey C. Won, volunteer for Chinese Community Church in Sacramento,received Honorable Mention for philanthropic excellence in the eighth annual Invest in Others Community Leadership Awards.
The Invest in Others Charitable Foundation established the Community Leadership Awards to support the philanthropic and volunteer activities of financial advisors. Financial advisors from across the nation are nominated by their peers for exemplifying outstanding leadership qualities in the industry and actively volunteering to improve their communities and make a difference in the lives of others.
Hundreds of nominations for the Community Leadership Awards are received each year and reviewed by a diverse panel of leaders in the financial services industry. This year’s applicant pool was particularly strong. Those receiving Honorable Mention were selected based on their level of involvement, contributions, and the impact of their efforts.
Honorable Mention of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Jeffrey C. Won has spent countless hours over the last thirty years serving his country, peers, and community. Without the hard work, dedication, and self-less acts of Jeff, the Chinese Community Church, Asian Peace Officer Association, Asia Pacific Chamber of Commerce of Sacramento, the Northern California Church League, andSacramento Asian Sports Foundation, would not have progressed as far as they have. The multiple organizations have benefited significantly from Jeff’s unique man power and hard work ethic. Jeff has forever changed the Sacramento Community with his efforts over three decades with his dedication, donation and deliverance. He has touched many children, teenagers, and young adults with strong programs enforced by strongly founded organizations like NCCL, APOA, SASF, APCCS. All of the participating organizations helped founded by Jeff, are still standing today; bigger, stronger, and effective than ever, in their individual efforts to changing a kid, a family, a fellowship, and a community.
The annual Invest in Others Community Leadership Awards dinner is September 18, 2014 in New York City, where the following awards will be presented: Catalyst Award, Community Service Award, Global Community Impact Award, Volunteer of the Year Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award.
About the Invest in Others Charitable FoundationEstablished in 2006, the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) charity founded with the mission of encouraging, recognizing, and supporting the philanthropic and volunteer activities of financial advisors in their communities. The Invest in Others mission is achieved through a community-based approach to philanthropy that seeks to strengthen neighborhoods from within by empowering those who are committed to serving others in their professional and personal lives. As mentors, volunteers, fundraisers and leaders, financial professionals lend their unique skills and perspectives to the challenges and opportunities facing others in communities around the country and around the world. Invest in Others is proud to support and promote these efforts to better our world one community at a time. For more information, visitwww.investinothers.org.
Media Contacts:
Jeffrey C. Won
Morgan Stanley
Jeffrey.won@morganstanley.com
Invest in Others
Jessica Dunham
Director of Communications
jessica.dunham@investinothers.org
Nomination: Jeffrey C. Won
The Lifetime Achievement Award is one of the most prestigious titled awards that take a lifetime to achieve. When it comes to community service, many citizens of the world do what is only necessary of them, maybe required by occupation or government. Others do minimal helpful acts over the course of their lifetime, probably because peer pressure influenced the best of them. Some do courageous and helpful acts due to unfortunate circumstances or events, yet expect recognition and incentives to further their acts of good. And few, do everything and anything beyond requirement, to help others, from the kindness of their heart, expecting nothing in return. The Lifetime Achievement Award is for those who spend a lifetime working for others, to serve a greater purpose than the individual. There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.
Jeffrey C. Won is one of the few dedicated individuals of the world that works twice as hard as any individual to serve God, his country, his community, and his family. Before he became a financial advisor, he was a Marine for ten years, living in multiple areas from Virginia to Florida, Southern California and even Japan. After settling in Sacramento, California thirty years ago, he became a financial advisor for Dean Witter, now Morgan Stanley. Having the Marine mentality and strong work ethic, Jeff worked from 5 A.M to 6 P.M, Monday through Friday; learning, creating, and growing his business. And every other weekend, Jeff still flew as a Navy Reserve aviator for the next twelve years. Along with the two jobs, Jeff had three kids, a wife, and a new community that had potential opportunity.
Since moving to Sacramento, Jeff started his community work through the Chinese Community Church. It was here he met many fellow Asian Americans of the community which enabled them to establish multiple charities, groups, and organizations. Jeff and a group of individuals started the Asia Pacific Chamber of Commerce of Sacramento in a conference room in 1988 to help underprivileged children in the Sacramento community. Today, it is one of the largest organizations in Sacramento that has the mission to strengthen undeserved, diverse communities through leadership, education, workforce development and technical assistance for small businesses. Asia Pacific Chamber of Commerce of Sacramento today, is a “huge and powerful entity.”
Jeff also spent a dozen years as a board member of the non-profit Asian Peace Officer Association of Sacramento organization, founded in 1991, to support and assist many community based programs and youth organizations. One of the biggest accomplishments for the organization that Jeff helped with during his tenure was raising money to help build a martial arts academy aligned with the Boys and Girls Club. The Martial Arts Academy for Youth was created and focuses its services to the community, lowering juvenile delinquency and violence occurrences.
While participating in the many events and fundraisers by the Church, Asia Pacific Chamber of Commerce of Sacramento and Asian Peace Officer Association of Sacramento, Jeff was also a board member of the Northern California Church League. The NCCL organization is a volunteer organization that formalizes league basketball competition during the spring for kids pre-school through 12thgrade with practice during the week and games held Saturday and Sunday. Basketball teams are organized by Churches in the Northern California Area mainly in Sacramento and Stockton. Jeff served multiple board positions including treasurer and schedule coordinator to organize basketball games for 96 teams. Organized fundraising events, such as dinners, children dances, and activity nights, which Jeff and many other volunteers help put together and work, helped pay for indoor gyms and two referees per game.
Participating in the NCCL encouraged the development of Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation of Sacramento. The organization is strongly correlated with NCCL as many board members help in both organizations and SASF differentiates itself as multiple sports including volleyball and basketball. And competitive play is even greater, playing all-year-round versus NCCL being church competitive only during the spring. As both groups grew over the years since the mid-90s, Jeff maintained his positions at NCCL annually helping the Asian community children grow with easily accessible competitive basketball. In 2008, SASF reached its goal in creating a four million dollar indoor complex which holds a stage, two full basketball courts, and a full-size chef kitchen. The complex is used all year long to hold its basketball tournaments, dinner fundraisers, and children activities.
Along with the multiple fundraisers for children growth, Jeff also founded the Morgan Stanley Financial Training Program at the Sacramento Branch in 1994. The Morgan Stanley Financial Training Program was a quarter-long internship for college students enrolled at U.C Davis that requires 8 week lectures by Jeff on various topics on the Stock Market every Wednesday 4-6 P.M and 8 week workshops held every Monday 7-9 P.M on U.C Davis campus given by six Administrators (former students). Co-currently with the Monday workshop, Jeff held a part-two program for handpicked students from the previous quarter to go through his global research roundtable discussion. The handpicked ten students conducted research during the week on global topics and presented every Monday to discuss and critique.
The Financial Training Program was formed to offer college students insight and help transition individuals from student life to career work. The program, which was mainly held in the Branch office, allows students to dress formally while receiving information on important financial topics. Such topics included retirement, stocks, options, and analysis. Jeff lectured these courses in hopes to broaden the financial knowledge of young adults and better their future once the student earned their first career job out of college.
Over the years, the internship has grown to be the most competitive internship sought out at U.C Davis. Out of the 150 applicants, only 52 are accepted per quarter. It has also grown to schools including U.C Berkeley, California State University, Sacramento, and Drexel University. The program is still ongoing today and has reached over 4500 students from 10 different countries, including South Korea, China, Pakistan, Mexico, and India.
For the last thirty years, Jeffrey C. Won has founded, developed, and evolved multiple organizations, foundations, charities, and fundraisers. He has spent many weekends and weeknights attending and orchestrating current events in hopes to grow organizations in the community to enable children and college students for their participating program. But all of these organizations would not have been possible without the community church.
The Chinese Community Church of Sacramento is the organization Jeff has directly and steadily participated in over the last thirty years. Each year the church has numerous annual projects including the Food Festival, Joong Project, and Spaghetti Dinner. And each year, Jeff continues to volunteer and participate in each activity wherever the helping hand is needed. In the middle 90s, with the growth of the church congregation and basketball program, the church decided to improve its site by adding classrooms and multi-purpose room for church activities.
The church used proceeds from the projects to help finance much of the needed two million. And when donations were not enough, Jeff selflessly claimed to the congregation he would match dollar for dollar until the goal was met. With the growth of the church over the last thirty years, the church, with Jeff’s help through Morgan Stanley, was able to finance its ultimate goal in completing the Building Project. In 2009, the Chinese Community Church built its enlarged multi-purpose building which holds a gourmet kitchen; High School sized Gym, and seven classrooms. The church itself was also updated to handle and maintain current technology standards. Without the ambition and assistance from Jeff, the structure would not be standing today.
Today, with the multi-purpose structure fully built, the church is still expanding yearly with members, congregation, and children. The Chinese Community Church basketball program, which participates with SASF and NCCL and was once at capacitated at 2 teams twenty years ago, now have over seventeen teams and two hundred and fifty players of all ages from pre-school through high school. Each year, the church receives several hundred new attendees year-round including Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. What once was a small church for Chinese Americans has expanded to multi-cultural Christian Church. And none of this would have been possible without the dedication, financing, and support from Jeff.
It might be biased to be promoting Jeff Won and his life of success in and out of the office. But first handedly, I have seen these groups grow since I was a young boy. I was one of the many countless young children who attended the Chinese Community Church that has seen the church grow with members and participants. I have been in the classroom that once only held forty, that now can hold over two hundred. And I am one of many who have used the full-size basketball court for practice, when it used to be at middle and high schools in terrible neighborhoods late at nights. The growth of the church has enabled many children and young adults to participate in the community with one another in multiple activities including sports, culture, and religion.
I believe that Jeffrey C. Won deserves the Lifetime Achievement award for his countless hours over the last thirty years serving his country, his peers, and his community. Without the hard work, dedication, and self-less acts of Jeffrey, these organizations would have struggled and lagged to the progress they are today. I believe the multiple organizations have benefited significantly from Jeff’s unique man power and hard effort ethic. Jeff has changed a community with his efforts over three decades with his dedication, donation and deliverance. He has touched many children, teenagers, and young adults with strong programs enforced by strongly founded organizations like NCCL, APOA, SASF, APCCS. All of the participating organizations helped founded with or by Jeff, are still standing today; bigger, stronger, and effective than ever, in their individual efforts to changing a kid, a family, a fellowship, and a community. And although the many organizations mean significant of importance to Jeff, the church is the most important organization of them all.
The Lifetime Achievement Award would be a significant achievement to his already impressive resume. Please know that, as his son, I hold no biases or favoritism to him over any other deserve recipient. Without his knowledge, his humble character wouldn’t let me enter such a contest or ask for such recognition for his behalf. But the more I think about it, the more I believe he deserves some recognition for his achievements. And although we have had disagreements during the last twenty-seven years, he is the only one I know that has had over 3 successful career setting jobs in one life span over fifty years of self-less dedication and commitment to something bigger than himself. Please accept my nomination for Jeffrey C. Won, Lifetime Achievement Award. It would serve as the warranted recognition he deserves that goes unnoticed. Whether he wins or not, it would not change Jeff’s mindset on how he approaches his work and his volunteer time. And it would not change my love or respect for him, as I am fortunate and honored to be his heir. I am glad I was able to write and share a volunteer. There is nothing bigger than the heart of a volunteer.
Letter of Support: By Jason Won
This letter of support from the nominee will be a little different than the other letters. Jeffrey C. Won has no knowledge of the award or nomination he is up for. But I believe that I have seen and participated in many of the services Jeff has provided over the years. I believe he deserves the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Invest in Others Charitable Foundation. I believe that he deserves the achievement award not because he is my father, but for all of the countless independent actions within the city of Sacramento that he has helped with.
When I was younger, I always thought of my dad as a mystery disappearance. He was strict and tough, and always working. I remember he would leave for work before I woke up, and return just before dinner at 6. Every night, he would not play with my two sisters or me. Instead, we would all watch Paul Kangas talk about the daily stock market report. It was a relief to hear Mr. Kangas’s last words, his daily motto, “Wishing you the best of good-buys.” But after the show, while us kids would do homework or play, he remained at the dinner table charting stocks on printout that would later turn to scratch paper. If he wasn’t charting, he was attending meetings for three hours a night. During the elementary years through the high school years, my dad’s presence was a mystery to me. Not only did he work long hours, but he was gone every other weekend (flying).
As the years went by, the older we aged and the more I understood what my dad did. The weeknight disappearances were found out to be meetings with individuals I knew from church. We had organized events like the Joong Project, the pot sticker project, and the Food Festival event, all fundraisers for the church. I looked up to my mom and dad, who volunteered on the weekly, for these events. And a lot of times when they volunteered for the events, they volunteered us kids too. Over time, I was impatient and blinded by all of the work we did for the church. And I was dissatisfied with all the Sunday’s we had to help, especially after having no choice by my parents. As a young kid, I only wanted to play with the other kids that attended Sunday school and go home after church. The phase of, “He’s not doing it, why are we?” took over my mindset. Peer pressure would always overcome me as a child. Yet, there for encouragement to help, were my parents.
But as the more and more we volunteered for the church, the more the church taught me about helping others and doing more than the bare minimum. The church, which I loved because I had my closest friends who were also teammates, was the foundation of the basketball program. Basketball practices and games through the Church were orchestrated by my dad and those same people from church. We had weekly practices at local schools, played in ten-game seasons, and three tournaments, from elementary to the end of high school, all of which were free to my sisters and me. I later found out that these organizations were bigger than the church, known as SASF and NCCL, which created the tournaments, the basketball practices, and the family events.
From there, I met new peers who played for different churches under NCCL and participated with SASF. These same kids, who were acquaintances in basketball, were also classmates during middle school and later became friends through High School. For the most of my young life, I always had church on Sundays, volunteering fundraising jobs through the year, and basketball during the Winterand Spring months. All made possible by associates of the church. All made possible by my dad.
While I was in High School, I learned of a building fund the church started in hopes to build a basketball gym and multiple classrooms for the pre-school and Sunday school classes. When hearing this, I was disappointed to learn I would already graduate from the basketball program and high school by the time the building was complete. Concurrently, SASF was also building a basketball multi-purpose center for their basketball tournaments. The church building fundraisers took its toll on my mentality. I was excited that the building fundraiser was in progress, yet disappointed I wouldn’t be able to use it. To add to the bitter sweetness, I remember the Pastor saying one Sunday, “Jeff and two others are willing to match dollar for dollar up to 250,000 in donations ending April 30.” Selfishly, I was livid, as I did not understand why my parents were willing to donate excessive amounts of dollars instead of using it towards their kids.
Alongside with the church programs, there were other meetings that my dad regularly attended. They were known as APOA, where I met officers of Sacramento and their kids. Much of their kids participated in Judo and Karate. And my family would attend fundraiser dinners that were used to build yet another building for kids and their Martial Arts Academy. I remember listening to speakers encouraging donations in order to keep children off the streets and instead put them in organized activities like Martial Arts and jobs or volunteer work.
The older I aged, the more I began to realize the self-less dedication my dad gave to multiple community organizations. The disappointment I had in him for rarely being a “dad” growing up slowly disappeared as I began to appreciate how special my dad is. I used to be angry that my dad never gave me an allowance, never gave me a gift over forty dollars, and never gave me anything without an incentive. Anything that I wanted growing up was never given, and sometimes never possible to earn. Yet, I always knew my dad worked hard during the weekdays to send money to charities, foundations, and fundraisers.
Looking back at it, I now know that everything he did was to help us grow as people. His stern discipline encouraged me to think before I act, and do things with pride. The absence at times also taught me to teach myself and lead by example once taught. The donations and fundraisers outside of his community service were only after his children and his family was supported. Everything that he earned, he used first to support our living, our food, and our activities including Piano lessons, Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts. These activities were things that allowed us to grow as adults. Instead of buying us computers and video games, he sought out to form our character with activities.
It wasn’t until college I began to realize how special my father and mother really were. From sophomore year in high school through my sophomore year of community college, I worked. I worked 40+ hours from the age of 15 through 21 because I thought it would prove to my dad I was a hard worker. I also thought since they never gave me a dime to spend on myself, I would need to earn money to make things happen. It wasn’t until after 21 I began to realize that the only item they would support me on was college. And sadly, the money that I would make in an entire year could be made by my father in a week or so.
At that point, I decided to finally use my blessings from my father. I persuaded my parents of my decision on moving, and they approved to support me. Ironically, my dad moved away from his home, San Francisco, at the age of 21 too. I moved in with my grandparents in Maryland, 3000 miles away from everything that I knew. My dad supported me financially and I attended the dream school, The University of Maryland. I finished in Criminal Law, just like dad, after transferring from Maryland’s community college. I eventually moved back to Sacramento and obtained a job at the same firm, Morgan Stanley, for the Graystone Consulting Group. Of course, I wasn’t able to obtain the job without the help or recommendation from whom other, my dad. After working with the Graystone Group, Morgan Stanley for five months, I began working with my dad, learning the business he built. He also supported me in attending graduate school and I attended Drexel University and graduated in March 2014 with a Master’s of Science, Finance.
From a snobby child who felt like they had a missing father, to a grateful child who is too proud of his father, I believe that my dad, Jeffrey C. Won, deserves the Lifetime Achievement Award. He has forever has given his heart and soul to his friends, family, community and country. Much of the time he is Jeff, the Financial Advisor of Morgan Stanley and mentor of U.C students. And rarely, Commander Won, U.S Marine Corps, Navy Aviator, Retired. And either one, is a career to be proud of and envious of. Either one is an accomplishment in itself. But that was never enough for dad. He wanted to help children, grow his community, and evolve his family. From the outside looking in, people think money solves all. They believe that money will build the buildings and support the kids. In reality, from the inside looking in, it is the individuals like my dad, who become leaders, that build the foundation, that support the building, that support the organization. There is no salary for those hours worked; there is no recognition for the duties served. There is only the importance of children. The hundreds of thousands of children who are raised in a much better, activity-filled, community driven, open program that my dad helped build. Many times financial advisors become money hungry and buy things to express themselves. With Jeff, he could buy those items he always wanted too. But instead, day in and day out, he chooses to donate to organizations that help kids. And even if he wasn’t a financial advisor, or made smaller amounts of money, he would still be the same person. He does not let the finances or job title affect his character.
Today, I still work with dad at Morgan Stanley. Helping the clients he has built a trust with over twenty eight years of business. Many are parents from church, NCCL, SASF, APOA, and former interns. My older sister Kimmie just finished Pharmacy School in Denver Colorado. My younger sister is finishing up her undergraduate degree at California State University, San Francisco. All of us, are still on his “payroll”. As for my parents, they are still attending church and helping the church grow. They are still volunteering for the Food Festival and Joong Projects. Dad still wakes up at 5 A.M, works 13 hours a day, and two more after dinner. He rarely misses work unless it is work related. He has only one sick day in the last 28 years. And he still teaches college students every quarter, nearly reaching 5000 students.
It is given that he has inspired his children in more ways than one. But I am willing to bet that he has touched, inspired, and saved an extra twenty thousand individuals through the various programs he built and machinated. Whether it is through Karate, Basketball, Church events, or finance, he has selflessly helped others before he has helped himself. And that number will grow, as long as the organizations are still standing and their programs are still in place. It is not overstated the compelling story my dad has lived. His love, support, and charity, will forever be instilled in me. I only wish it to be recognized by many. He will forever leave a legacy that will only few know about. But that doesn’t matter to my dad. What matters is everything he has done for the community is “self-satisfying” and that he made a difference. I am proud, honored, and grateful to be his son, and I will forever be touched by his contributions to the community I grew up in.
Nomination Letter of Organization: Pastor Louis Lee
(This nomination is from Pastor Louis Lee on behalf of the Chinese Community Church of Sacramento, CA - tax ID #94-2325834)
I would like to nominate Mr. Jeffrey Won for the Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Won has been and continues to be one of the most dedicated, hard working, respected, and generous leaders in our church, the Chinese Community Church of Sacramento, CA.
Mr. Won's many outstanding qualities and contributions have blessed his family and our church, community, and nation. Because of his humility, I learned of his many contributions from my own personal observations as well as hearing from others during the past five years I have had the privilege of serving as his pastor.
Our church is blessed to have a basketball program that involves kids from our community. This program focuses on helping kids grow in their character as they learn team work and the fundamental skills of the game. Some of these kids have returned as adults to serve this program as coaches. Mr. Won was instrumental in helping to start and develop this program over the past several decades. He was also a key leader in helping to build our church gym which facilitates numerous church programs that help us serve our community more effectively.
Mr. Won continues to serve and support our annual church events as well as making himself available to help wherever and whenever he might be needed. He is an excellent example of a true servant leader, able and willing to lead a board meeting, train and mentor others, but also willing to roll up his sleeves and do any menial physical task that might need to be done such as setting up tables and chairs for a meeting, cleaning the kitchen, etc.
I am very blessed to see church folks like Mr. Won who share God's love as salt and light in our community and our world, far beyond the four walls of only our church. Mr. Won has helped underserved youth in our area through his support and leadership of a number of other charitable organizations and projects. This includes two regional basketball programs and a martial arts academy. He has also trained and mentored hundreds of college students, many who continue to keep in touch with Mr. Won even from nations overseas.
Mr. Jeffrey Won has been for decades and continues to be one of the primary reasons our church is able to serve our community more effectively. In my 35 years of pastoral ministry, Mr. Won stands out as a truly incredible and genuine servant leader. Whether or not he wins this particular award and recognition, he will always be a winner in my eyes. Our church, our community, and our nation is blessed by Mr. Won’sdecades of effective and selfless service and dedication.
Sincerely,
Pastor Louis Lee, Chinese Community Church, Sacramento, CA
