Who We Are
Empowering the Olney Community Since 1984
Founded in 1984, the Korean Community Development Services Center has been dedicated to uplifting the Olney community in north Philadelphia. As a nonprofit organization, we provide essential services to new immigrants, helping them with naturalization and benefit enrollment. We also offer affordable housing solutions for low-income families and operate an early learning center, ensuring that every child has access to quality care and education. Our mission is to support and empower those in need, creating a stronger, more resilient community.
Years Experience
Your Trusted Partner in Community Support
Why Choose Us?
Proven Track Record
With over 40 years of experience, we have successfully assisted thousands of individuals and families in our community.
Comprehensive Services
We offer a wide range of services, including housing assistance, immigrant support, and early childhood education, all under one roof.
Community-Centered Approach
Our dedicated team focuses on building relationships and understanding the unique needs of each family, ensuring personalized support.
Our Services
We Provide The Best Service
Housing Assistance
We provide comprehensive support to help low-income families secure safe and affordable housing. Our team guides you through the process, connecting you with resources to meet your housing needs.
Immigrant Services
Early Learning Center
Our Mission
Our Vision
Dr. Jin Yu, Chair of The Board
Dr. Jin Hung Yu grew up poor in a small Koreatown in rural Manchuria. His father was a logger and he was the youngest of seven children. During the Korean War, he was drafted into the Republic of Korea Army. After the War, he served as a translator for a U.S. colonel.
After the War, he moved to Seoul in 1955 to attend college. There, he met an American there who encouraged him to get a college education in the U.S. After a journey that took nearly three days, he stepped onto U.S. soil in Seattle on January 20, 1961 – the same day John F. Kennedy was sworn into office. He witnessed President Kennedy’s inaugural address on live on TV at the airport. He was inspired when he heard JFK ask what we can do for our country and what “together we can do for the freedom of man.” Those words would eventually lead him to a career in public service, but he knew he needed an education first. Working full-time during the day and attending classes at night, he graduated from Wake Forest in 1963, became a U.S. citizen in 1974, and completed his PhD at Temple in 1979.
In 1984, he founded, with Mr. Moo Yoo, the Korean Community Development Services Center in Philadelphia. Originally established to help newly-arrived Asian immigrants adjust to life in their new country, its mission evolved over the years to address the needs of tens of thousands of low-income clients from many different backgrounds over the decades.
Since 1984, the Korean Center has served nearly 100,000 residents in Olney, helped over 80,000 new immigrants, provided over hundreds of families with affordable housing, and served over 2,000+ children from low-income families. As a result of this work, he has won dozens of awards including the following: the Philadelphia Human Rights Award in 1980, the Community Service Award from the Philadelphia Refugee Center in 1985, the Community Leadership Award from the Mayor of Philadelphia in 1986, the Prudential Insurance Company Leadership Award in 1989, the La Salle University Community Service Award in 1992, the Certificate of Appreciation from Asian Health Projects in 2003, and the Certificate of Appreciation from the City of Philadelphia in 2006.
Don Yu, Executive Director
Don currently serves as the Executive Director of the Korean Community Development Services Center in Philadelphia, PA. His professional experience spans strategic partnerships and fundraising, legal issues, board relations, financial sustainability, governance, and politics.
Prior to joining KCDSC, Don served as the Chief Strategy & Product Officer at Scholarship America, the largest nonprofit provider of scholarships in the U.S. He has also served as the Chief Operating Officer for former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative as well as Vice President for Applied Policy & Advancement at Common App. There, he oversaw strategic initiatives and product innovations that primarily served low-income and marginalized students.
Prior to joining Reach Higher, he served in a variety of positions as a political appointee in the Obama Administration, including Chief Transformation Officer at the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education and Special Advisor to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. In his time at the U.S. Department of Education, he played a lead role in the creation of presidential Executive Order 13592, Improving American Indian and Alaska Native Educational Opportunities and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities, as well as the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools program which honors secondary and postsecondary institutions for achievements in sustainability, health and wellness, and the reduction of environmental impact.
He also worked for several years as an attorney representing public school districts and before federal state courts and administrative agencies. Prior to his legal career, he was a high school English teacher and coach at a school in suburban Philadelphia.
Jim Reed
A native of Savannah, GA, Mr. Reed is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology and Spring Garden College. Mr. Reed has taught math in the Philadelphia Public School System and at Temple University.
Mr. Reed served for many years as an External Affairs Director for Verizon, was responsible for representing Verizon in Philadelphia, and has over 45 years of experience in all facets of telecommunications.
Mr. Reed has a long history of community involvement including chairing the Mayor’s Commission on Service to the Aging, serving as Chair of the Board of the Korean Community Development Services Center, and serving as a Board member for the Urban Affairs Coalition, West Philadelphia Partnership, Citizen Crime Commission, and many others.
Reverend Dae Young Um
Reverend Dae Yong Um first joined the Korean Community Development Services Center as the Senior Community Service Employment Program Director in 2001. During his 23 years of service at the Center, he has taught AIDS prevention courses, English as Second Language classes, and provided benefit enrollment assistance to thousands of new immigrants living in the Philadelphia area. He has served as a tireless volunteer for residents in Olney, Philadelphia for several decades.
Reverend Um has also served as a pastor at several churches in the Philadelphia metropolitan area including Canaan Korean Presbyterian Church, Young Sang Korean Presbyterian Church, and Market Square Presbyterian Church. He served as the Pastor of Korean Ministries at Market Square for 18 years through 2016.
Reverend Um graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Seoul National University, and received his Master of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary and his Doctorate of Ministry at Trinity Theological Seminary.
Reverend Um joined the Board of Directors at the Korean Community Development Services Center in June 2024.
Dr. Ethan Mitnick
Dr. Ethan Mitnick is the President and Founder of SchoolKit, an education consulting firm that collaborates with state education agencies and school districts to implement high-quality instructional materials across subjects like ELA, math, science, and social studies. Since its inception in 2013, SchoolKit has partnered with 13 state education agencies and over 120 school districts to enhance instructional quality and leadership.
Dr. Mitnick began his career as a bilingual special education teacher in the Bronx and later served as a principal in Brooklyn, New York. He holds an Ed.D. in Administration of Special Education Programs from Teachers College, Columbia University, an M.A.T. in bilingual education from Mercy College, and a B.A. from Dartmouth College.
Currently residing in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia, Dr. Mitnick is also an active speaker at educational conferences, including the ASU+GSV Summit.
Dr. Mitnick joined the Board of Directors at the Korean Community Development Services Center in January 2025 and serves as Secretary to the Board.
Tom Stafford
Mr. Stafford is the Executive Director of West Oak Lane Community Development Corporation. He oversees the day-to-day operations of the agency which has a staff of five. Donald has a history as a certified housing counselor at West Oak Lane CDC and is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. West Oak Lane CDC is a 501 c3 non-profit West Oak Lane CDC was established in 1980 and provides comprehensive housing counseling services to the residents of Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. WOLCDC also provided affordable housing for purchase or rental. The agency services approximately 400-500 clients per year, providing pre-purchase, post-purchase, foreclosure prevention, pre-loan, rental, consumer education, credit and financial literacy counseling. Monthly pre-purchase workshops are held for perspective homebuyers. The mission of West Oak Lane CDC is to create and maintain homeownership by providing quality housing counseling services.
