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美國德州休斯頓聯邦災難緊急事務管理專家－彭少梅
《Helping others is her simple pleasure…》
Story of a determined, hard-working woman who makes an impact in people’s lives.
Q: Tell us about yourself. Where do you live? What do you do?
A: My name is Mai Banh. I live in H ouston with my husband. I work for FEMA. I am also a program coordinator at Asian Community Development Corporation, a non- profit agency. I help first time home buyers by providing home buying workshops and affordable housing resources in Mandarin and Cantonese.
Q: How long did you attend Duc Duc High School?
A: I graduated from Duc Duc High School in April 1975. We used to call it "曙 光" class. It was the highest class in Duc Duc High School.
Q: Tell us about your journey. When did you arrive in U.S.?
A: I left Vietnam for Malaysia by boat in April 1989. I stayed in Pulau Bidong and Sungai Besi refugee camp for four and half years to wait for screening and resettlement. Finally, I passed the screening and was accepted by Japanese delegation. I resettled in Japan in November 1993. I worked and continued my education at an adult night school in Japan. I married my husband in 1999 and joined him in Boston, Massachusetts in 2000. Once again, I had to start my life over in the U.S. I worked full time as a baker in the restaurant in the early morning shift and attended community college as a full time student at night. After completing ESL classes, I continued to fulfill my college major. I got a Science Associate Degrees in Medical Information Management and Administrative Information Management in 2005 and landed a customer service job in an office setting. In 2007, my husband retired and we moved to Houston for warmer weather and affordable housing. We’ve been here ever since.
Q: What did you miss most about Bien Hoa?
A: I missed Duc Duc School, Dong Nai River, and Cau Ganh Bridge because I had many fond memories there.
Q: What FEMA stands for? What does it do?
A: FEMA is an acronym of Federal Emergency Management Agency. It is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The agency's primary purpose is to coordinate the response to a disaster whether natural or man-made that has occurred in the United States. (Referencewww.fema.gov)
Q: What made you want to work for FEMA?
A: In September 2008, several counties in Texas were hit by hurricane Ike. Houston is the second largest Asian population in the United States after California. Many Asians including Vietnamese and Chinese were affected by hurricane Ike. While working part time at a doctor office, I was actively searching for a better job. One day, I got a call from the local workforce commission to offer me a job to work for FEMA. I decided to take the job because I felt I could use my bilingual skills to help these people and to earn a better living.
Q: Describe your roles and responsibilities at FEMA.
A: My position at FEMA is Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) Specialist. DSA specialist works to conduct outreach, contacts survivors to provide FEMA information, registration intake, performs case inquiry, and explains FEMA process to the affected community. The goals of the Disaster Survivor Assistance Program are to build and sustain an expeditionary cadre that can address disaster survivor's immediate needs. We provide support to disaster survivors at their homes or in their communities, offering options for how to access programs that can help them move forward in their recovery. (Reference www.fema.gov)
Q: Which government departments does FEMA work closely with?
A: FEMA works closely with state and local Emergency Management Agencies.
Q: Can I volunteer for FEMA?
A: FEMA doesn't accept volunteer. If you are interested to work for FEMA, you can access it at www.usajob.gov or www.fema.govto check for any job opening.
Q: What keeps you going? How do you unwind?
A: Helping people who suffer due to loss by disaster, especially helping LEP ( Limited English Proficiency) people, assisting them to move forward to get FEMA disaster assistance in their recovery, those are all my pleasures.
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: I love to cook and bake cakes.
Q: How do you define success?
A: To me, success is what you can contribute and help other people.
Q: What are you grateful for?
A: I’m grateful for 我們的董事， 家長們的努力出錢出力建校，老師們的教訓。如 果沒有他們的付出, 我將不會有今天的成就. I am very proud of Duc Duc High School students.
Interviewer: Laura Tran
Viết thư cho Banh Thieu Mai, xin nhấn vào ĐÂY.
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