TAF 2020: COVID-19 Update

A Letter from TAF President Ho Chie Tsai and Executive Director Vincent Huang:

Dear TAF Family,

We hope you’ve all been staying safe and healthy during this challenging time. On behalf of the TAF Board of Directors, it is with a heavy heart that we are announcing TAF will not be hosting our annual conference in person.

This decision was not made lightly. In consultation with our medical specialists and Manchester University staff, we considered many factors that come into play during our TAF experience. There was a consensus that we could not move forward with TAF programming as planned given the current uncertainties of COVID-19. We couldn’t bear any risk of transmission not only to TAFers but to North Manchester — the rural Indiana town we’ve called home for twenty years — and to our extended family in higher-risk groups upon return from TAF.

Yet, this is TAF’s 40th anniversary, an important milestone for the Taiwanese American community. We will continue onward in creating the safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment that we’ve all come to expect, especially now during this unprecedented time. TAF’s mission has always been to foster personal growth and develop servant leaders; we do not abandon this dream to create a profound impact on humankind. Starting immediately, we will be re-envisioning TAF 2020 as a digital conference.

Indeed, such efforts have already been ongoing since the pandemic started, with informal online meetups and staff planning taking place over the past month and many more to come. We believe this digital format will be an opportunity to bring us together and interact in new and exciting ways — even some of us older alumni and parents! 

Our goal is to ensure that the TAF community continues to receive our love and support, even without a physical presence. This is uncharted territory for us all, and we’re relying upon you to contact us with any suggestions you might have. We are confident that TAF continues in the hands of some of the most caring and determined staff we’ve ever had, led by our dedicated Conference Director, Pei-Lynn Juang and her team of Program Directors. Together, they exemplify what servant leadership is all about.

Delivering this news is surreal for all of us. Many of us have attended TAF for decades, and while we too will miss the annual reunions and seeing your smiles in-person, we look forward to new opportunities to strengthen our relationships no matter the circumstance.

On behalf of the entire staff, we want to thank you for continued support, without which TAF wouldn’t be the community we are today.

Please fill out our survey if you are interested in participating in TAF 2020 Online. This is not a formal registration, but rather a resource to help our staff plan programming.

Stay tuned for more information about upcoming camper events and TAF 2020 Online!

With TAF Love to all,

Ho Chie Tsai

President

Vincent Huang

Executive Director