Mission

The mission of Nepali American Center (NAC) is to build a community/cultural center in Chicagoland that provides a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment to celebrate and embrace cultural diversity for community members of all backgrounds. The center will be a platform for spiritual activities akin to Nepali traditions and provide support and opportunities for health and human services, education, and community building through a diverse range of programs, events, and activities. The center encourages mutual understanding and respect among its members and fosters cooperation with members from other communities, irrespective of their age, identities, race, ethnicity, and religious beliefs.

Objectives

• Establish a cohesive and harmonious group of Nepali Community
• Build environment for harmonious living and promote it as its main identity
• Institute support structure in settling down and adjusting, and maintaining lifestyles to new Nepali immigrants
• Showcase the beauty, values and the virtues of Nepal and Nepali culture
• Preserve Nepali cultural heritage by continuing our traditions and educating the younger generation to understand and foster it
• Provide opportunities for social, cultural, and educational exchanges with people from the mainstream American society

Goals

• Establish a common venue for community activities
• Organize and celebrate Nepali festivals and religious ceremonies 
• Host interactive programs with prominent visitors from Nepal
• Provide educational including reading and writing and instructional programs for the younger generations in Nepali language and culture.
• Institute educational, health care and financial aid programs for refugees, recent immigrants and those in need
• Organize social, cultural and educational interactions with other communities

Charitable Donations in Nepal : One of the objectives of Nepali American Center is to unite Nepalese people living in  the Chicagoland area  to participate in charitable works in Nepal. NAC members have participated in this effort to provide monetary help during natural calamities such as flooding, earthquake and helping orphans.  Charitable Donations in Nepal

Chicago Chautari Times: The first issue of this newsletter was published in April 2009 and it  has been published monthly since then. Initially it was called Temple Times and later renamed as ‘Chicago Chautari Times’. ‘Chautari’ is a common resting place for foot travelers and also a gathering place for various events in Nepal.  Chicago Chautari Times

Classified Online Services: During Nepali American Center (NAC) year end annual meeting held on November 25, 2018, the executive committee discussed how to enable communication between community members to fulfil their needs directly without going through NAC email and telephone calls.  Classified Online Services

Earthquake Donation: Many of our fellow Nepalese perished from the devastating Earthquake of April 2015, many were injured and dead, and there was also huge damage and loss of properties. Nepali American Center reached out to fellow Nepalese and friends of Nepal asking for donations to help the victims for immediate relief and reconstruction.  Earthquake Donation

Spiritual and religious monthly puja and prayer: Even before calling it Nepali American Center by name, the activities of Nepali American Center started around May 2006. Its formal program started with puja on the first Saturday of June 2006 at Radhey Shyam temple Bloomingdale. NAC members  have been organizing this monthly puja, pravachan, devotional songs (bhajan/kirtan) service regularly on the first Saturday of every month since then. This unique program is attended by 100s of devotees regularly and is widely known  through various means such as publications, presentations at various events, word of mouth from attendees including visiting family members.  Spiritual and religious monthly puja and prayer

Deusi-Bhailo programs: Nepali American Center (NAC) organizes traditional Deusi-Bhailo programs at or around the festival of Tihar (Deepawali). Accompanied by their parents, young children in traditional Nepali attires participate in this event visiting different community members’ homes door to door. They sing and dance in the deusi-bhailo songs, which are typically initiated by a leader in the group and followed by the rest. Musical instruments such as Madal (Nepali drum) and flute are also played.  Deusi-Bhailo programs

Nepali Mela 2019: Nepali American Center (NAC), in collaboration with other local Nepali organizations, organized its third Nepali Mela (Fair) on Saturday June 29, 2019.  It was an attempt to renew cooperation and coordination of all Nepalese in the Chicagoland area in an outdoor setting with specific emphasis on Nepali flavors (not sure what would be the right word here, tradition or culture?.  Nepali Mela 2019

Virtual meetings: Apart from its regular activities, members of Nepali American Center (NAC)  started year 2020 with renewed fervor after successfully organizing Nepali Mela 2019, a historic event in Chicago. Its board members showed greater zeal for the need of accelerating activities in raising funds for building a long-cherished Nepalese (should we remove Nepalese?)  facility in Chicago. This new / rekindled vow dealt a serious impairment shortly after.  Virtual meetings

Support Refugees and Computer Distribution: Nepali-origin Bhutanese refugees, have the same background such as culture, tradition, language  as the Nepali-Americans already residing in Chicago, US. When the Nepali-origin Bhutanese arrived fresh around the Chicagoland region with unknown culture and system, we felt very close to them and supported them based on their individual requirements.  Support Refugees and Computer Distribution

Cooperation and Coordination with existing Nepali social organizations and groups: The following are various Nepali social organizations and clubs in Chicago. Their goal is to offer one or more types of services to some or all members in the community. A person may be affiliated with one or more of these organizations. Sometimes, a member may put sole trust in a particular one and in some cases in several of them. It is therefore imperative for us to have a coordination body for a number of reasons. Cooperation and Coordination with existing Nepali social organizations and groups

NAC YearBook 2020: While conducting various virtual programs via zoom and Facebook during the Covid19 pandemic, NAC also successfully completed one kind of entertaining program dubbed “Talent Show” featuring popular singers, artists and most importantly giving a platform for hidden talents that exist within the community.  NAC YearBook 2020

Virtual Musical Talent Show: You may have attended the live program streamed directly through zoom and Nepali American Center (NAC) Facebook on Saturday July 11 from 7PM. This first of a kind unique entertaining event was dubbed as “Virtual Musical Talent Show”.  Virtual Musical Talent Show

Children’s School: As our children grow, they learn the values and traditions of American culture and society. However, they need to learn Nepali culture and value as well to keep their heritage, identity and of course to learn the value system Nepali culture offers. … Children’s School

1. Partner with other community based organizations and groups in an on-going basis to work towards achieving our Objectives.
2. Hold fundraising events and programs to raise funds to acquire an interim venue to fulfill our Goals. Use this venue to generate revenue for operating and capital funds.
3. When sufficient capital has been raised, build a self-sustaining facility that is accessible to all Nepali community members and friends to serve our common social, cultural and civic needs and accomplish our Mission. The tentative plan is to acquire an adequate site that can amply accommodate the following:
   • An auditorium that holds up to 500 attendees for meetings, celebrations, and performances
   • A hall to conduct spiritual discourses and religious activities
   • A library for educational materials and to display Nepali cultural artifacts
   • Other rooms for: office space, meetings, educational activities, and souvenirs
   • A kitchen and a dining area
   • Parking area to accommodate event participants

Social Welfare Director: Prajesh Parajuli

Program Quality Director: Kshitiz Shrestha

Media and Publication Director: Durga Phuyal

Public Relations Director: Sanjay Bhusal

Editor in Chief: Binod Dhungel

Executive Members:
Anita Baral
Nitesh Pant
Raju Kumal
Sushil Jha
Sushil Sharma

Advisor
All NAC Trustees

Previous Officers List