http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS Thursday, August 8, 2024 9
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2nd Sat 9:00-noonThe Burma Center at 765 Upton Avenue in Springfield has gone from a
shoestring budget in 2011 to raising $4 million in the past 12 months. (Shopper
News photo by Shelly Kehrle-Sulser)dents, since the beginning when she
volunteered at the Burma Center dur-
ing the Thawnghmung era.
“I joined in 2014. I was contract-
ing with them as a translator and in
an interpreter capacity,” said Khim,
“and community outreach coordina-
tor. I also taught ESL (English as a
Second Language) classes for them,
like helping out in every aspect that
I could while I was attending college
at KCC and went to Albion and after
I finished in Albion in 2014. That’s
when I joined Martha (as executive
assistant.)”
She eventually became a board
member and served until the latter
part of 2023, she said.
Khim for the last eight years has
sion is to oversee the ongoing work
to repair the roof, expand the park-
ing lot and make the other building
repairs.
Already, the Burma Center was
able to install air conditioning for the
first time.
“What I see for this organization
moving forward is ‘how do we make
sure in terms of organization, how do
we make sure that we’re sustainable
in the future?’” she said. “How can
we be self sufficient in the future and
not that non-profit organization that
always has to rely on grants? We are
in a really good position, because
we have this asset, this building, that
could really turn into something that
can generate some income.”
The building, she said, still has
some available space to lease that
could help toward those goals which
ultimately benefit the new genera-
tions of Burmese Americans.
“Everything also builds the human
resource side, the capacity for the
people in leadership,” she said.
“How can we develop more leaders
so that we will have more leaders
to lead our community moving for-
ward? So, building lots of leadership
capacity is part of what we do.”LOCAL 269-337-
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DIRECTOR
Continued from Page 8
Second Missionary Baptist
Church (SMBC)
will be celebrating
Women in Ministry
Day on Aug. 11, at
11 a.m.
The entire service
will be presented
by the women of
Second Baptist.
“This is about
celebrating women
in ministry here at
SMBC,” said SMBC
Rev. William J.
Wyne. “When I say
women in ministry,
this is women who
serve in various
areas of the ministry
of our church. So, it
will be a great Sunday morning
to see the diversity of gifts and
graces as it relates to the women
of SMBC.”
The featured guest preacher for
the event will be Pastor Monique
French, pastor of Washington
Heights United Methodist Church
in Battle Creek.
French serves as both pastor and
director of Washington Heights
United Methodist Church &
Community (WHUMCC) and as
Calhoun County Commissioner
for District 2.Pastor Monique French,
pastor of Washington
Heights United Methodist
Church, will be the guest
preacher for the Women’s
Day service at SMBC on
Aug. 11.Women in Ministry Day is Aug. 11 at SMBC
A native of Flint, she holds a
Bachelor of Science
in Psychology and
a Master of Science
in Community
and Agency
Counseling from
Troy University,
Montgomery, Ala.
She also earned a
Master of Divinity
from United
Theological Seminary
in Dayton, Ohio, and
received an honorary
Doctorate of Divinity
from Elbon-Solutions
College of Ministry
in Victorville, Calif.
In her current
role at WHUMCC,
French has branded the institu-
tion as the “Hub of H.O.P.E.” –
Helping Other People Excel.
French believes in the inher-
ent purpose and gifts bestowed
upon everyone by God, striving
to empower individuals to realize
their life’s mission and contribute
meaningfully to society.
The community is invited to this
special occasion.
SMBC is located at 485 N.
Washington Ave.been working in human resources at
Denso Corporation in Battle Creek.“My (Burma Center) predecessors
have done such an amazing job,”
said Khim, who hosted a visit by
Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist
recently to celebrate the state grant.
“Martha founded that solid founda-
tion, did a lot of groundwork, hard
work, to make the organization alive
and keep going. Tha came in and she
took that and brought the organiza-
tion to the next level. She’s really
good at building relationships, mak-
ing great relationships with every-
body in the community. And I think
that one of the reasons for these suc-
cesses is being one of those leaders
who has that inclusive mindset, who
wants to hold hands with other peo-
ple and work together. Now we’re
talking about that kind of money,
right? Millions of dollars. We would
have never thought of that when we
started it. I think our leaders prior
to me, were doing a really good job,
keeping the organization stewarding
the money, the people that trust in
us, and they did an amazing job.”
Going forward, part of Khim’s mis-