Judge Lew helped build a very firm foundation of Chinatown Service Center (CSC) as a volunteer and helped counsel some of the youth on criminal matters in 1974. He became a board member and incorporated CSC into a 501(c)(3), drafted the by-laws, became the first President of the Board of Directors, and remained on a three-year term. He created a policy for the board to limit anyone to serve as the President not more than 3 years, aimed to ensure the dynamics of the growth of the center. He said in an interview, “I wanted CSC to be the most reputable non-profit service agency providing services to the public in our community, or wherever in a way that is honorable and honest and with full service to the satisfaction of the needy.”

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He continued paving the way for CSC and became a grantee of city fundings, turned into an agency with United Way, developed programs, and worked very closely with the umbrella association - Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA), who assisted with CSC getting its first city workforce grant. With only two staff at the time, CSC had no budget for more employees. He started implementing fundraisers at local restaurants, hundreds of people realized what CSC did and just came to support and filled the entire restaurant. Lew once said, “On every festival occasion I looked out at the crowd and I was seeing the people were happy and the people were thankful for what CSC provided them. This is a good human interest story more than anything else, it was just wonderful.”

 

Judge Lew has always been behind the scenes pushing CSC to the front, such as working with the government closely. “I was iron-fisted on keeping CSC clean and honorable and doing the good work so that we can sustain the support from the government.” He insisted.

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Judge Lew’s father was his solid rock and also had a big heart serving the community for many years, who influenced him to become a lawyer so he could help integrate and assimilate the Chinese Community with mainstream America. CSC was in the frontline helping immigrants wholeheartedly and successfully, it became an inspiration to many others, a lot of new non-profit organizations followed in the footsteps and were established as well. Judge Lew tirelessly devoted a tremendous amount of his time and effort to get CSC off the ground and elevated it to another level.

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Thank you for your loving heart, hard work and dedication to CSC and the community, you made a difference and you will be dearly missed!

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Respectfully,

Chinatown Service Center