For Immediate Release: June 7, 2010

Contact: Shandon Phan, 703-647-6462 |  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Falls Church, Virginia – Boat People S.O.S., Inc. (BPSOS) is providing new services to assist victims of the Gulf Coast oil spill, especially the large population of Vietnamese Americans living in the area. 

“As a community organization working on the ground, BPSOS is focusing our resources to meet the urgent needs of the affected families in the Gulf Coast region,” said Dr. Nguyen Dinh Thang, Executive Director of BPSOS.

Already struggling to recover from the recent natural disasters, communities in the Gulf Coast region are now facing another devastating human-made threat to their livelihood. The recent Gulf Coast oil spill severely cripples the shrimping and seafood industries, two major sources of employment for residents in the area.

Through its network of offices in the region, including New Orleans, Louisiana, Biloxi, Mississippi, and Bayou La Batre, Alabama, BPSOS is offering various forms of assistance services:

1. Direct Services: Since food stamp benefit (SNAP) was made available to all Mississippi and Alabama residents who are recently unemployed or underemployed beginning June 1, 2010, BPSOS offices in Bayou La Batre and Biloxi have assisted approximately 150 individuals with food stamp applications, BP claims, OSHA training registrations, Vessels of Opportunity Program applications, employment opportunities, and immigration services consultations. In addition, BPSOS also partnered with Foreign Language Services to place two full-time contractors to assist community members in Bayou La Batre with applications for food stamp and unemployment benefits;
2. Community Education & Advocacy: Establish a weekly Vietnamese radio program (Sunday, 7:00 – 7:30pm CST) to keep Gulf Coast Vietnamese residents informed of the latest news related to the oil spill and government responses. This radio program, using sub-carrier frequency, reaches 80% of the Vietnamese population in the Gulf Coast. After Hurricane Katrina, BPSOS distributed radio sets to thousands of households along the Gulf Coast. In addition, BPSOS has held town meetings to assess needs and joined other organizations in advocating for local, state and federal service programs for affected individuals, families and businesses.
3. Legal Assistance: BPSOS has recruited volunteer Vietnamese-speaking attorneys to provide legal assistance to oil spill victims within the first few weeks of the oil spill. On June 25-26, in partnership with several Vietnamese American bar associations, including the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California (VABANC), the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Southern California (VABASC), and the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Washington DC, BPSOS will mobilize its Vietnamese-speaking attorneys to the region to help conduct legal clinics in New Orleans and Biloxi. Volunteer attorneys will provide access and education concerning BP claims policy affecting thousands of Vietnamese fishermen. The clinics will be co-hosted by Louisiana Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao and the Mississippi Center for Justice. 

Founded in 1980, BPSOS is a national Vietnamese-American community organization operating at 18 locations across the United States and via four affiliated locations in Taiwan and Southeast Asia.  Our program areas include direct services, advocacy, media, community development, and research.

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