On Thursday, June 19, 2025, First Senior Center of Georgia (FSCofGA) celebrated eight years of serving the Vietnamese senior community in Atlanta. The all-day celebration, entitled “First Senior Center: 8 Years of Passionate Dedication, Loving the Golden Years,” featured joyful performances, food, contests, and much more. FSCofGA staff, volunteers, and longtime members were recognized at the event, with longtime members being entered into drawings for various prizes, including cash, skincare sets, delicacies, gift cards, and an all-expenses-paid trip to San Francisco.
Several prominent state and county officials attended the celebration, including Gwinnett County District 2 Commissioner Ben Ku, Gwinnett County District 4 Commissioner Matthew Holtkamp, Georgia State Representatives Marvin Lim and Long Tran, and Gwinnett County Department of Planning and Development Deputy Director Tai Yi Su.
In an official resolution, State Representative Long Tran commended FSCofGA on their continued success and “extraordinary dedication to serving the Vietnamese elderly community.” County Commissioner Ben Ku issued an official proclamation that congratulated FSCofGA for “uplifting and empowering elders across our county.”
Von Tran, Executive Director of FSCofGA, shared her thoughts on the historic day in a speech to the crowd, “Eight years have passed, and we have achieved many notable accomplishments, but I still have so many dreams and plans for the First Senior Center. I want our center to continue to grow and thrive, so that we can care for and serve even more members.”
Over the past eight years, FSCofGA has expanded to a 26,0000-square-foot facility serving approximately 3200 households per month. Since its establishment in 2018, FSCofGA has evolved into a lifeline for low-income seniors, offering crucial services such as language support, food pantry assistance, benefits enrollment aid, senior wellness programs, affordable housing support, end-of-life care, transportation, and crisis management. FSCofGA has made significant contributions through direct services in Georgia since 2018, particularly in the Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, and Hall counties.
In the past year alone, FSCofGA has helped fund utility bills and rent for 47 households, conducted training sessions on Cancer detection in collaboration with the American Cancer Society, awarded a free burial plot to a low-income Vietnamese senior, and more.
This year, Von Tran has been honored twice by major Atlanta publications: receiving the Everyday Hero Award from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Leadership in Corporate Citizenship Award from the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
As with all events hosted at FSCofGA, and in keeping with the ceremony’s celebratory mood, the 26,000-square-foot facility was transformed with the use of extravagant and beautiful decor. This year’s anniversary followed a summer theme, complete with floral arrangements and stunning visuals.
Reflecting on her commitment to serving local Vietnamese seniors in the future, Von Tran said, “I will never stop learning, never stop striving, so that First Senior Center will forever be a warm and welcoming home, a solid foundation for the golden years of our members.”
About First Senior Center of Georgia:
First Senior Center of Georgia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free services to the Vietnamese elderly community in Atlanta and the surrounding areas. Learn more at https://fscofga.com/.
