Kandelia was born over 40 years ago as the Vietnamese Friendship Association. Our goal was to support Vietnamese refugees moving to Seattle after the Vietnam war as people were seeking to provide opportunities for their families to survive and ultimately succeed. Due to the resilience, support, and success of the Vietnamese community, over the years, we evolved to serve all immigrant and refugee communities looking for the same goals.

The Vietnamese Friendship Association (VFA) is now known as Kandelia. Our new name honors our Vietnamese heritage and reflects what our families and students have experienced. Kandelias are a type of mangrove found in Vietnam and many other Asian countries. This mangrove creates seedlings that when ready, drop into the water. Seedlings can be transported great distances and survive in this transient state for up to a year. When it finds its new home, the kandelia will change its shape to plant itself into the mud. Once rooted, it will access nutrients to support its growth. To survive, it can change the density of its roots to adapt to its environment, but if the plant finds that it is not thriving in its location, it actually can uproot itself and float to another environment that it can find success in.