th
29
Anniversary
Benefit Gala
APRIL 30, 2026
5 PM | COCKTAIL RECEPTION
6 PM | DINNER AND PROGRAM
Strengthening Our Foundation
Building a Lasting Place to Belong
This past year has brought us exciting new opportunities and valuable partnerships, and we are ready to move forward stronger and more connected than ever.
Homecrest will dedicate this evening to honoring our past, uplifting our present, and investing in our future. As we celebrate 29 years of service, we recommit ourselves to building a space for every member of our community.
HONOREES
.png)
Henry Chen, MD
Dr. Henry Chen is a board-certified internist and geriatrician who has dedicated more than two decades to serving the healthcare needs of New York City residents, with a particular focus on Asian immigrant communities in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Throughout his career, Dr. Chen has been a steadfast advocate for equitable and culturally competent care, ensuring that underserved community members have access to high-quality medical services delivered with kindness and understanding. Beyond his clinical practice, Dr. Chen has played a transformative role in shaping community-based healthcare systems. He currently serves as a board member of Rendr, the largest integrated medical group serving the Chinese community in New York. His leadership extends through his service as Past President of the Association of Chinese American Physicians (ACAP), Founder and CEO of the Eastern Chinese American Physician IPA (ECAP), Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Chinese Community Accountable Care Organization (CCACO), and Founding President of SOMOS. In recognition of his extraordinary service, Dr. Chen has received numerous honors, including the United States Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, the Tribute to Excellence in Healthcare from the United Hospital Fund, and multiple recognitions from state and federal elected officials. He has also been named a Power Player in Healthcare for five consecutive years, reflecting his enduring commitment to community health and leadership.
Yan Lian Kuang-Maoga, Esq.
Partner at Pitta & Baione LLC
Yan Lian Kuang-Maoga is a Partner at Pitta & Baione LLP, managing the firm’s practice areas in Elder Law, Medicaid Planning, Trusts and Estates Planning, Probate, Estate Administration, and Special Needs Planning. Additionally, Lian represents Pitta & Baione clients before the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (9/11 VCF) in seeking compensation on behalf of deceased loved ones. A 9/11 survivor herself, Lian is committed to the firm’s mission of providing holistic advocacy on behalf of 9/11 clients by representing clients in Surrogate’s Court to obtain and collect a 9/11 VCF award on behalf of lost loved ones. Lian also counsels clients who are receiving other government benefits which may be impacted by their 9/11 VCF award. She is a graduate of the City University of New York School of Law where she served as a student-attorney in Main Street Legal Services and as a Brochard Foundation Fellow. During law school, Lian worked for the Legal Aid Society’s Brooklyn Office for the Aging and the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House. Lian has worked closely with the elderly Chinese Community first as a caseworker at LaGuardia Senior Center then as a geriatric case manager at the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens’s case management program prior to her legal career. Lian has been recognized by the New York Times as a Top Attorney and named a Super Lawyer’s Rising Stars for 8 years in a row (2014-2021).
Cecilia Huang
Co-Founder and CEO of
Yin Ji Chang Fen New York
City Eye Optical New York
Mabu Cafe New York
Cecilia Huang has always believed that determination makes difficult things possible. She often compares building a business to farming: preparing the ground carefully, planting with intention, and returning day after day to tend what has been started—knowing growth comes not from haste, but from patience and consistency. This philosophy guided her more than twenty years ago when she worked her way through school to earn her U.S. optician’s license. After establishing two successful optical shops in Brooklyn and Queens, she transitioned in 2019 to her hometown’s culinary traditions, bringing authentic congee and rice rolls to Manhattan’s Chinatown. When the pandemic disrupted the city, she did not step away; she stood with her team and kept her kitchens open when reliability and comfort mattered most. Her vision has since expanded across Flushing and Brooklyn, most notably with the 2022 transformation of a Doyers Street space into a Hong Kong–style café—a “time tunnel” where memory and modern life meet. Across industries, Cecilia’s work reflects a rare resilience. She understands that success is not a single moment, but a series of deliberate choices, sustained over time and shared with the communities that grow alongside her.
.png)
Melody Zhao
Founder of Sharing Heart
Melody Zhao is the founder of Sharing Hearts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering families and strengthening community connections through education, resources, and support. She also serves as a parent coordinator at PS 105 and previously worked for many years as a social service case manager supporting families and individuals with special needs. Melody’s path into social work began during her college studies in psychology, when she translated for Chinese-speaking parents of children with special needs. Recognizing the critical need for bilingual social workers, her professor encouraged her to pursue this work, leading Melody to a career advocating for underserved families. She later earned a master’s degree in social work, grounding her practice in compassion and a deep understanding of community dynamics. In 2005, Melody transitioned into a parent coordinator role, becoming a vital link between families and schools. Through workshops and programs, she helped create a supportive school environment where parents could connect, share, and uplift one another. These experiences inspired her to establish Sharing Hearts, working alongside educators and community leaders to foster inclusion and enrich lives through art, education, and shared resources. Melody believes that when people come together with empathy and purpose, communities can fulfill their collective goals and promises.