What Penn Asian Senior Services does

Penn Asian Senior Services (PASSi) is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization founded in 2004 by Im Ja Choi that delivers culturally and linguistically tailored senior care services across the five-county Greater Philadelphia Region. The organization's core service is in-home care for Asian-American and other Limited English Proficient (LEP) seniors, delivered by 600+ home health aides (HHAs) in 19 languages with bilingual homecare coordinators embedded in Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, South Asian, and Cambodian communities. PASSi serves 750 clients annually at a $22.8M operating budget, supported by 650+ employees across six wholly-owned operating subsidiaries plus the Montgomery County Senior Support Program.

PASSi's service portfolio is structured as an integrated ecosystem: Homecare Services (the Medicaid-reimbursed core), the Penn Asian Jubilee Center (PAJC) adult day care with daily transportation, the Evergreen Center senior community center (the region's first culturally-attuned recreation facility with a heated therapeutic saltwater pool and Asian-cuisine café), the Penn Asian Vocational Institute (PAVI, a state-licensed vocational school that has produced 877 HHAs and 388 CNAs), the PACE Center (benefits enrollment assistance for 19 public benefit programs under PA Department of Aging authorization), and PASSi Kitchen Xpress (a pandemic-launched meal delivery service that has delivered 27,000+ meals). The organization also operates the Montgomery County Senior Support Program as a community navigator and benefits coordination arm.

PASSi's revenue model is anchored in Pennsylvania Medicaid reimbursements for qualifying low-income seniors, supplemented by government grants (HHS $850K in 2008, PA DOL training grants), Evergreen Center membership fees ($15/mo individual; $30/mo family), donations via PayPal, and coordination funding for the PACE benefits program. Services are provided at no cost to qualified, low-income individuals. The organization pursues a community-led GTM motion relying on AAA referrals, county assistance offices, bilingual community coordinators, and word-of-mouth within Asian-American communities rather than digital marketing. Following Founder and CEO Emeritus Im Ja Choi's death in June 2022, Ken Yang, Esq. leads the organization under a Board of Directors chaired by David A. Miller (Temple University).

Name

Penn Asian Senior Services

Legal name

Penn Asian Senior Services

Website

https://passi.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Penn Asian Senior Services is a Philadelphia nonprofit that delivers culturally and linguistically tailored in-home care, adult day care, senior recreation, vocational training, benefits enrollment, and meal delivery services to Asian-American and limited-English-proficient seniors across the Greater Philadelphia region, in 19 languages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Senior Care Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Culturally & Linguistically Specific Adult Day Programs (HSABANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Senior Social Clubs & Community-Based Day Programs (Non-Clinical) (HSABANAK), Culturally & Linguistically Specific Adult Day Programs (HLADAIAL), Community-Based Senior Centers with Adult Day Services (HLADAIAJ), Social, Community & Senior Center Outings Transport (HSABAOAG)

Keywords

• Senior home care
• Adult day care
• Culturally attuned services
• Home health aide training
• Multilingual senior support

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Medicaid Reimbursements: The primary revenue source is Medicaid reimbursement for homecare services. Medicaid covers long-term in-home care for qualifying low-income seniors. Reimbursement rates are set by individual states (Pennsylvania). Services are available at no cost to qualified, low-income individuals. Up to 80% of revenue for home care agencies can come from Medicaid.
2. PACE Program — Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly: PACE Center assists seniors in accessing 19 public benefits including PACE pharmaceutical benefit, Medicaid, SNAP, LIHEAP, Property Tax/Rental Rebate, and Utility Assistance. Revenue is generated through coordination fees and state funding for benefits enrollment assistance.
3. Government Grants: PASSi receives grants from government sources. In 2008, received $850,000 over three years from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 2021, received a training grant from Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry to train 228 community members as HHAs and CNAs.
4. Membership Fees — Evergreen Center: Evergreen Center generates revenue through membership fees: Individual Membership $15/month or $100/year; Family Membership (up to 5 people) $30/month or $216/year. Also generates revenue from Café Green food and beverage sales.
5. Donations and Philanthropy: PASSi receives donations through PayPal (passi.us/donate). Executive Director Ken Yang issues annual appeals, particularly in recovery periods following pandemic disruptions. The organization received $105,000 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Health Leader Award which was donated to UPenn's School of Social Policy and Practice.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Penn Asian Senior Services (PASSi) is a nonprofit organization that delivers linguistically and culturally appropriate senior care services across the five-county Greater Philadelphia Region. Its offerings span in-home personal care, adult day care, a senior community center with recreational and fitness facilities, a state-licensed vocational school for home health aide and certified nursing assistant training, public benefits enrollment assistance, and a culturally attuned home-delivered meal program. All services are delivered in 19 languages and matched to clients based on shared cultural and linguistic background.

Product overview

Penn Asian Senior Services (PASSi) is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of linguistically and culturally-attuned senior services across multiple divisions. The organization operates six core programs: (1) Homecare Services providing in-home care for seniors across the five-county Greater Philadelphia Region in 19 languages; (2) Penn Asian Jubilee Center Adult Day Care offering daily transportation and social/health activities; (3) Evergreen Center Senior Community Center providing recreational, educational, and fitness facilities including a pool and sauna; (4) Penn Asian Vocational Institute (PAVI) offering HHA and CNA certification training plus Vocational ESL; (5) PACE Center providing benefits assistance for 19 public benefit programs; and (6) PASSi Kitchen Xpress delivering culturally-attuned meals to seniors. These programs work together to address the comprehensive needs of Asian-American and limited English proficient seniors, from home care to community engagement to workforce development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Penn Asian Jubilee Center (PAJC): Adult day care center providing culturally and linguistically respectful center-based programming for Asian seniors with capacity for 100 clients daily.
• Evergreen Center
• Penn Asian Vocational Institute (PAVI)
• PACE Center
• PASSi Kitchen Xpress

Products and services

• Homecare Services Comprehensive in-home personal care for seniors across the five-county Greater Philadelphia Region, delivered in 19 languages with caregivers matched by cultural and linguistic background. Services include scheduled home visits, medication reminders, bathing/grooming/dressing assistance, meal preparation, light housekeeping, companionship, and hospice care.
• Penn Asian Jubilee Center Adult Day Care Adult day care center providing daily transportation to and from the facility, with culturally attuned social, cultural, and health programming including engaging activities, health screenings, exercise, nutritious Asian lunch, and cultural performances such as Korean dance.
• Evergreen Center Senior Community Center The region's only senior community center providing culturally and linguistically attuned services, with a saltwater pool and sauna, fitness center, art classes, dance classes, computer literacy, café serving Asian lunches, and individual ($15/month or $100/year) or family ($30/month or $216/year) memberships.
• Penn Asian Vocational Institute (PAVI) State-licensed vocational school providing free training for Home Health Aides (two-week 80-hour course), Certified Nursing Assistants (seven-week 120-hour course), and Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL) in partnership with Penn State University Abington.
• PACE Center

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving 750 clients with 650+ employees and $22.8M annual budget — largest Asian LEP senior care provider in Pennsylvania
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MERCY FleetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2020MERCY Fleet serves as the transportation partner for PASSi Kitchen Xpress meal delivery program. With MERCY Fleet's help, PASSi delivered more than 27,000 meals across the Greater Philadelphia Region since April 2020, ensuring seniors do not go hungry during the pandemic.
• Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Senior ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPASSi's Montgomery County Senior Support Program is funded through the support of Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Senior Services. The program assists Montgomery County seniors in accessing supports, public benefits, and resources needed to live independently in the community.
• Penn State University Abington CampuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenn Asian Vocational Institute's 100-hour Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL) course is provided in partnership with Penn State University's Abington campus. The course helps individuals with limited English proficiency build skills to succeed in the healthcare workforce and prepare for CNA training.
• PACE — Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly (PA Department of Aging)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn January 2017, PASSi opened the PACE Center under the Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly (PACE) Program from the State Department of Aging. PACE Center provides education and application assistance for public benefit programs to limited-English proficient Asian seniors.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SEAMAAC (Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition): Philadelphia-based nonprofit serving Southeast Asian immigrant and refugee communities with social services, elder care, and youth programs. Most direct geographic and demographic peer, operating a similar multi-service community-embedded model.
• Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC): NYC-based nonprofit serving Asian-American communities with social services, senior programming, childcare, and workforce development. Highly comparable in mission, multi-program structure, and culturally attuned service delivery to Asian LEP populations.
• Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC): NYC-based nonprofit providing culturally attuned social services to Korean-American families including senior programs, mental health, and domestic violence services. Comparable in serving Korean-American seniors with community-embedded model.

Broad incumbents

• BAYADA Home Health Care: Large multi-state home health care provider offering adult and pediatric home health, hospice, and rehabilitation services. Comparable in operating a Medicaid-funded home health aide delivery model at significantly larger scale across diverse populations.
• Addus HomeCare: Public personal care services provider (NASDAQ: ADUS) operating Medicaid-funded home care programs across multiple states. Closest publicly traded comparable for PASSi's Medicaid-reimbursed home care revenue model and personal care services.
• Visiting Angels: National franchise network providing non-medical senior home care services. Comparable in delivering in-home personal care and companion services to seniors, though PASSi's culturally specific approach differentiates it from the franchise model.
• Meals on Wheels America: National umbrella organization supporting 5,000+ community-based senior meal delivery programs. Comparable in operating home-delivered meal services for low-income seniors, the core model PASSi's Kitchen Xpress is built on.
• PACE Programs (e.g., InnovAge, Trinity Health PACE): Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) providers serving dual-eligible seniors through integrated medical/social models. Comparable in operating Pennsylvania-licensed PACE programs and integrated senior care, though at significantly larger medical scale.

Regional players

• MANNA (Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance): Philadelphia-based nonprofit providing medically tailored home-delivered meals to people with serious illnesses. Comparable in operating a meal delivery service in the same Greater Philadelphia geography and serving low-income populations with nutritional support.

Emerging players

• National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA): National nonprofit focused on improving quality of life for Asian American and Pacific Islander seniors through benefits enrollment, multilingual helpline, and advocacy. Comparable in targeting Asian-American seniors with limited English proficiency for public benefits access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Penn Asian Senior Services