Technology has become one of the most important skills for all generations. Without technology skills, one would be left behind. Online shopping, remote medical sessions, video calls, searching for information on the internet, and applying for jobs, all require being familiar with basic technology skills, such as knowing how to use a laptop, smartphone, and the Internet. To address this need, ACC started a technology class in August 2022 where seniors can learn technical skills such as sending and receiving emails, attending zoom meetings, or applying for jobs online. The class is taught by Kevin Ta, who has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from UC Davis. Sociology has helped Kevin to understand life from different perspectives and to be more empathetic. He learned technology by using it in his day-to-day life in school and college. He says, âI know how it is for people who do not use technology on a daily basis, that is why I have decided to help people, especially older adults, to grow and learn using technology.â He believes that older adults are very afraid of technology because it is something new to them, and that âthey feel older adults and technology donât belong together. Technology is something for the new generation. But taking one step at a time, I want them to know that they can learn technology, too. Obviously, it will take them some practice but that is something they can do.â
ACCâs Haroon Abasy leads quarterly meetings for SCSEP participants seeking to rejoin the workforce. Around 50 people attended this one on December 22, 2022
Kevin believes that older adults can learn and use technology 100%. Even if you did not grow up with it, then you can learn it, and if you do not take the time to learn it now, then you will be left behind. Regarding tips to learn technology, Kevin says, âI just want everyone to sit down, go on their computer, log on to the internet and watch YouTube videos, where all of the knowledge is at your fingertips. All they have to do is go on Google and search on YouTube and people will have information given to them. Sometimes you can just learn by watching a video and the internet has large resources.â He adds that you do not have to learn everything by tomorrow, it can take weeks and months to do it. It doesnât really matter how long it takes, what really matters is that you can do it and it is absolutely possible.
Karin Devi, who is taking the class, says, âAs a participant of the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), I am truly grateful for the opportunities for technological advancement and career-building skills. There is a commonality with many people of my age including myself. I have 20 years of experience working with Medical Billing Software, but I am not familiar with todayâs technology. I find this class a positive and encouraging environment where we can gain more confidence to use technology. Our class instructor, Kevin Ta, consistently engages in positive dialogue and interactions with students and communicates clearly for us to understand the material. I encourage anyone who is interested in advancing their technological skill set to take advantage of the opportunities that are being provided.â
Do you know what disasters we are most at risk for in Sacramento County? And how you can prepare for them? Here are five simple steps to help you get ready for a disaster. Your first step to getting ready is knowing what risks are in your area and how you can get alerts to stay informed when a disaster strikes. When emergencies hit, you will be able to get information from a number of sources â like our local TV news broadcast or on our local news radio. The second step is creating a plan to protect your people. Take a moment to think about who you want to connect with during an emergency. These people may be family, neighbors, friends, or caregivers. Write down their names and contact information, including phone numbers and email addresses. The third step is packing a âgo-bagâ of things you will need. Most disasters are unexpected and happen fast. Pack up those items now, such as important documents, cash, a map, medications list, phone charger, and a disaster-ready guide. Now, you and your family will have what you need when thereâs an emergency and when you need to leave your home. The fourth step is building a stay box for when you canât leave your home. Examples of things to pack would be: water, food, and trash bags. In some disasters, you may be safest staying at home. Last but not least, the fifth step is helping your friends and neighbors get ready. In large emergencies, firefighters and paramedics cannot help everyone in need right away. We must be ready to help ourselves, and those around us who might be less able to help themselves during a disaster.
Sacramento Countyâs greatest natural disaster is flooding. Here are five simple safety tips before a flood to keep you safe. Keep storm pipes and drains clear to prevent any water build up. Move valuable items to higher floors. Have a supply of plastic tarps and sandbags to keep water out. Always keep a car with a gas tank at least half full. Finally, learn the best escape routes to higher ground in your area. Floods can happen at any time and sometimes without warning. Here are a few more safety tips that will apply during a flood. Donât âwait and seeâ and leave when you are told! Donât drive in flooded areas; cars or other vehicles can be swept away or stall in moving water. The initial damage caused by a flood is not the only risk. Standing flood water can also spread infectious diseases, bring chemical hazards, and cause injuries.
If you would like more information or obtain a Disaster Resource Guide in another language, you can contact us at 916-393-9026!
It was a beautiful August summer evening as Crystal Baker and Karin Potter represented ACC at National Night Out in Elk Grove on Tuesday, August 2, 2022. The outreach event was held at Vintage Laguna Senior Apartments from 5 pm â 7 pm.
Apartment residents attended the event as ACC was introduced along with Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, and Ogden Insurance. Residents enjoyed ice cream as each vendor presented their available services. The event also entertained residents with raffles and prizes. At their table, Crystal and Karin had ACC brochures and souvenirs to hand out to interested residents. Many of the attendees had heard of ACC before but were unfamiliar with everything it offered. Residents asked many questions concerning ACC and were pleased to hear about the many services available to them, inquiring more about ACC Rides, Senior Escort Program, and all of the other programs.
The Elk Grove Police Department hosts National Night Out. This is a crime prevention event that is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. It is designed to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police/community partnerships, heighten crime prevention awareness, generate support for and participation in local crime prevention efforts, and build connections within the community.
Other National Night Out event locations included the Elk Grove Police and Fire Departments, which provided ice cream socials for the community. LifeSTEPS (Life Skills Training & Educational Programs) participated in these events with some local vendors. LifeSTEPS is a nonprofit provider of social services for resident services of affordable and supportive housing in California.
Simone Nazzal is the Public Education Specialist for Cosumnes Fire (part of Cosumnes Community Services District), where she manages Community Risk Reduction programming aimed at promoting safety and wellness across the lifespan.
Previously, she acted as the Education and Outreach Coordinator at Del Oro Caregiver Resource Center in Sacramento, where she developed educational programs to draw awareness to caregiving issues and opportunities for informal caregivers to build community connections and sat on the statewide CRC systemâs Education Committee.
A Stanford graduate, Simone serves on the Board of the Sacramento Stanford Alumni Association. In her spare time, she enjoys being an auntie (or âŃĐľŃŃâ), acts as a Community Educator for the Alzheimerâs Association, participates in Salsa and aerobic dance, and stays active in her faith community, Midtown Church.
ACC is honored to host her interview series with authors who write about caregiving.
On Saturday, September 17, 2022, ACC Senior Services, along with community partners, hosted the ACC 50th Anniversary Ohana Walk. 750 people registered for this event, raising more than $55,000. At 8:00 am, under clear skies and cool weather, walkers young and old set out on the 2.5-mile Greenhaven Pocket Canal Parkway. The six stations along the route provided the perfect place for friends and families to reunite after being away for so long. Following the walk, ACC hosted a picnic on its main campus with food, live music, bingo, pickleball, shaved ice, face painting, and exhibit booths. A big thanks to Wayne Kurahara and the Ohana Walk Workgroup for bringing everyone together on such a perfect day!
Team Winners
Most Registered Walkers
Friends of Parkview Presbyterian Church, 43
Most Pledges and Donations
Saika Superstars, $6985
Team with Greatest Distance Walked
Fong Bee Steppers, 88.5 miles
Most Team Spirit
Sakata Superstars
Greatest Distance Walked
Keiki (8 and Under), Youth (9-12), and Teen (13-19) Age Groups Combined
The ACC History Project started last year at the urging of Gloria Imagire who wanted to document ACCâs 50-year history âbefore all these people are gone!â We formed a workgroup whose regular members included Gloria Imagire, Hach Yasumura, Donna Yee, Frances Lee, Jean Shiomoto, and myself. The Workgroup produced eight episodes of The ACC History Project, which were livestreamed on YouTube, Facebook, and Zoom. We also wrote several history articles for ACC News, which are posted at accsv.org/history.
Through it all, we learned that ACCâs early growth was 100% organic. No artificial ingredients, sweeteners, or preservatives. Just hard work and perseverance. A program usually started from an idea that someone had, and was willing to run with it, or a community need so obvious it could not be ignored. The people we interviewed talked about how everything ACC produced was from scratch. Year after year, through three generations of volunteers and staff, things got done.
ACCâs grassroots history is unusual. To know its history is to know its strengths, which is helpful in planning its future. In the words of Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, âLife can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forward.â
What follows on these pages are new testimonials and interviews for your study and enjoyment.
May O. Lee
Little did I know when I was hired as the Coordinator in 1976 by Chewy Ito, President of the then-called Japanese Community Center, that I would be part of a lasting 50-year legacy known as ACC Senior Services. Having come from the Seattle area where there was a visible and vital International District with its Chinatown, Japantown, and Filipino communities, I was at a loss trying to find something similar in Sacramento. I didnât realize that redevelopment broke apart this community and only a semblance remained on 10th Street and parts of Broadway near the Southside Park area. Volunteering at first at JCC/ACC, I met lifetime friends like Peggy Saika, Wanda Chang Shironaka, Kathy Omachi, and, of course, Harriet Taniguchi who induced or influenced me to be part of the Asian American Movement where so many organizations evolved from ACC: Stepping Stones/Asian Pacific Community Counseling, Health for All. Upon receiving my degree in Social Work, I took over and started Asian Resources, Inc.
Hach Yasumura
I have always been active in advocacy and support for language and cultural access to health and human services. As a social worker for the Sacramento County Department of Social Welfare, I assisted our Asian and Latino Caucuses to develop a list of volunteer interpreters for our non-English/limited-English speaking clients. This was done in the early â70s until the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors supported our efforts to have paid certified bilingual staff. We also supported the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act which was signed into law in 1973.
Many of our established agencies were not sensitive to serving our non-English/limited-English speaking communities. We, in the Asian and Spanish-speaking communities, began to develop our community-based, nonprofit agencies in order to provide those services.
This was why I began to support having a community-based organization, Asian Community Services, which began in 1970 at the âYellow Houseâ on the grounds of Parkview Presbyterian Church. A group of us, members of the Asian community and many students from the local colleges, began to advocate and support language access and combat racism.
When the members of the Asian Community Services decided to disband, some of us felt it was necessary to continue. We eventually moved to George/Toshi Tambaraâs rental house. Thus, we organized the Japanese Community Center of Sacramento Valley (JCC). The Board of JCC did a survey led by Leo Goto and Peggy Saika to determine the needs of the community. The survey indicated the need for senior citizen housing. The project was directed to expand its service to a broader Asian community. However, funding for senior citizen housing never materialized due to changes in federal funding. The project, led by âChewyâ Ito, Leo Goto, Earl Shiroi, and others, was then directed toward a possible Asian nursing care home. The organization changed its name from the Japanese Community Center to the Asian Community Center of Sacramento Valley.
Frances Lee
The late Chewy Ito and his friends attended the grand opening of ACC Maple Tree Village (MTV) in 2019. He was ACCâs President for 19 years and the driving force behind the Asian Community Nursing Home which opened in 1987. Chewy became a resident at MTV where the community room is named after him.
My time with ACC goes way back to 1980 when I joined the ACC Board. Since then, I have seen the amazing growth of ACC, the planning and building of our 99-bed care facility, the purchase of the Prudential building which is now the Meals on Wheels office, the purchase of Greenhaven Terrace, the purchase of the Merryhill School for the ACC offices and the building of Maple Tree Village. What a whirlwind this has been! I am so proud to have been an active part of the early years, especially my work with the volunteers at ACC Bingo and the annual Craft and Bake Sales.
Linda Revilla
During my years as Program Director, one of the things the Programs team really enjoyed doing were special events. We had legendary Lunar New Yearâs luncheons with the Chung Mei Lion Dance Troupe; luncheons for Caregivers and their loved ones during National Caregiver Month; we brought Tom Ikeda from Densho, writer/filmmaker Frank Abe from Seattle, Judge C. Kobayashi, and more VIPs for our commemorations of Executive Order 9066; holiday parties with sing-alongs; concerts with Asian Pair; Open Mic nights; and one of my favorite memories, the Senior Senior Prom, where Lois and Keiji were crowned Prom Queen and King. Iâll never forget one woman who would call us up months in advance, to make sure we knew that she wanted to attend one of our holiday luncheons- she said she really looked forward to it every year. We knew that many older adults with no family often only had ACC to celebrate with. I appreciate the free reign we had to be creative and do fun and meaningful things for the community.
Jessie Lee
The beginning of anything and everything is different for everyone. It can be a project that involves a few or hundreds of people or it can be a soul-searching way of life for oneself. One thing is for sure, whether it be for a community or for oneself, there must be a sense of commitment and dedication to realize an unmet need and/or to realize a dream.
I became involved with the ACC for both reasons. When my mother got very ill in 1980, I floundered. I was lost. I had no one to turn to help me get through this difficult time. When she died in 1981, I struggled and stumbled through many stages of grief and the seeds were planted firmly in my mind. It was not right; no one should have to go through that turmoil. There was such a great unmet need for help not only for her but for me as well.
I became actively involved in ACC several years later through volunteer work. I was nominated for the Board of Directors and was later elected president. Our main focus at that time was to increase our membership and to help pay off the debt on the nursing home. But we also had our dreams of an ACC office and a community center. During those early years, we were still holding our Board meetings in a conference room at the nursing home. Our dream at that time was to find a place to call ACC home and to have a community center where people could meet for information, education, socialization, and lots of fun and games. In 1996, we started on the journey to fulfill our dream. We started the search for a physical location. Dr. Vic Okamoto and I spent many hours looking at possible locations and meetings with agents. When Vic left our organization, and as President, I appointed Wil Lee and Chewy Ito as co-chairs of the Acquisition Committee for our new home. Through the hard work and dedication of Wil and Chewy and active support from the Board of directors and the community, the grand opening of our new home at 7375 Park City Drive was held on June 22, 2002.
What began as a dream and a vision became a reality when the nursing home opened in 1987. As we continue this journey in meeting the needs of seniors and families, we must continue our dreams. Our Rides program, Meal On Wheels, Bridge to Healthy Families, Lifelong Learning and Wellness Program, and all of our programs need you. We want your dreams, your expertise, your skills, and your time to help make yours and everyoneâs dreams come true. Imagine the possibilties!!!
Janet Sakata
All the ACC accomplishments are wonderful. The continuum of care provided for elders (Independent Living, Assisted Living, Care Center and Maple Tree Village) provides us with security knowing thereâs a place when it is needed. One of their best programs is Rides. We sighed as the seniors eagerly unbelted before the bus stopped and then raced off through ACC doors. The joy of seeing their smiles and laughter after attending a class is the best reward!
Ray Gee
Over the past 50 years, ACC founders, leaders, management, and staff have faced what sometimes appeared to be insurmountable challenges in providing a continuum of senior services in the South Sacramento community. For the most part, those challenges were successfully overcome with the support of the community and the dedication of volunteer leaders, capable management, and devoted staff. Due primarily to the impact of COVID on all ACC operations, ACC now faces its greatest challenge ever in order to sustain its services and remain financially viable. I trust that current leaders, management, and staff will again persevere.
Raymond Lee
Asian Community Services, the precursor of ACC, presented a change in the philosophy and goals of the Asian American movement in Sacramento. We were students and young people. We all had an intense desire to serve the community but lacked an overarching goal and the means to achieve it. AT ACS, we learned that it was not enough to just help people. We learned to galvanize and empower them to determine their needs and seek solutions. Helping the people simply meant assisting the human service department in their tasks and their tasks only. The struggle never ends. The fight goes on. This is the beginning. These are the roots.
Don Morishita
For the first half of its 50-year existence, ACC was known as the operator of the highly successful nursing home. A small group of founders, led by Chewy Ito, recognized the need for a skilled nursing facility in the Asian community, and through the generosity of persons like Angelo Tsakoupolis and the hard work of volunteers, a nursing home was built in the Pocket-Greenhaven. Funds raised from bingo became the primary source of income for its operation. But the need for increased senior services was becoming apparent as the baby boomer generation was nearing its senior years. I was fortunate to be invited to join the Board of Directors in the late 1990s.
At the time, ACC consisted of the nursing home and a recently acquired building now occupied by Meals on Wheels by ACC. There was an executive director and a small staff housed in cramped quarters at the nursing home. This is where my wife, Sheri, first started volunteer work assisting office staff with their daily duties. The Board, together with the new Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Donna Yee, through many facilitated strategic planning meetings spent many hours developing the vision and strategic direction which laid the foundation for what is now ACC today: offering an array of programs including skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living, transportation, senior programs and the Meals on Wheels program. ACC was much smaller back then and I recall being part of a âworking Boardâ since the committee structure was not yet implemented.
Board meetings regularly lasted over three hours as we poured over detailed financial reports questioned many expenditures and discussed and made decisions on almost every topic imaginable. As Board members, we and other volunteers spent several days under the supervision of Howard Harris, wielding sledgehammers and hand tools and doing the demolition work on the Park City building to ready it for the construction of staff offices and classrooms for our first senior center.
Mom-daughter duos (left to right): Judy Poon (91) and Helen Louie, Gail Tom and Ruby Tom (98), Laura Chan and Lena Fong (91), Junko Egi and Teruko Ono (99)
For many years, ACC has hosted a very active Mahjong Club. But when COVID hit, this club–like so many others–had to stop meeting to ensure everyoneâs continued good health. But the ACC Mahjong Club is now back and meeting outdoors!
Mahjong has a long history. It began in China in the 19th century. In the early 20th century, it began spreading across the world. I was told that the game was originally invented by Chinese sailors who played the game on their boats while they were out at sea. The game is has a set of 144 tiles based on Chinese characters and symbols and is usually played in groups of four people. It is described as âa game of skill, strategy, and luck.â Watching the club members at ACC play, you can also see that it is a game that really exercises those brain cells.
At a couple of the clubâs card tables, you can often find four ladies in their 90s playing along with their daughters. Watching them play you can see their skill, strategy, and luck at work and their pleasure in being there. Junko Egi shared that her mother, Teruko Ono, age 99, really enjoys club days because she has met new people which has expanded her social network and she now has folks who know the game and she can play with. Teruko only speaks Japanese, but she can play with Chinese and English-speaking club members without any problem and she loves getting out and being with other people.
Gail Tom also noted that her mother, Ruby Tom, also looks forward to coming to the club gatherings twice a week because at her motherâs age, 98, there just arenât many folks her age to interact with anymore. Ruby also enjoys meeting new people at the club that she would not have otherwise ever met. Gail shared that her motherâs nickname is âthe dictatorâ when it comes to playing Mahjong because âwhatever she says goes even if itâs against the rulesâ and Ruby usually wins!
Judy Poon, 91, makes her move. âShe knows this game inside out,â says her daughter, Helen Louie.
Judy Poon, age 91, is another long-time player. Helen Louie describes her mother as a cautious player but very good at her strategy. She too really looks forward to this social time and the brain stimulation involved in playing. âShe is up and ready to go on Mondays and Fridaysâthe Mahjong days,â Helen shared.
âThe Mahjong Club is one of the groups that provides an important opportunity for the large number of seniors to meet with others who also speak their language and share their cultural traditions and be able to connect,â said Dani Lee, the ACC Lifelong Learning and Wellness Program Manager. âItâs just wonderful to be able to host them back onsite again!â
The Mahjong Club meets on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9-11 am on the patio at the ACC Program Center. New members are welcomed, and prior experience is not required. Thereâs a beginnerâs table where new players are coached in learning how to play the game.
On Thursday, September 15, President Biden hosted the United We Stand Summit at the White House to counter hate-fueled violence across the country. ACC Board Member Titus Toyama was one of several community heroes featured in videos created for this summit, highlighting the important work they do to build bridges and unify their communities. Recorded via Zoom from his home, wearing his ACC T-shirt, Titus represented ACC and the Sacramento Senior Safety Collaborativeâs Senior Escort Program, a grassroots initiative developed in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate incidents since the pandemic. Titus is a founding volunteer of the program.
The Senior Escort Program (SEP) provides trained volunteers to accompany seniors on outings like walks in their neighborhood or trips to the grocery store. âI get so much out of this program,â says Jessie Lee, a SEP participant and past ACC Board President. âIf it wasnât for it, I wouldnât be able to leave the house as much as I do. Iâm able to get around, I can go shopping and things like that, but sometimes I kind of worry in case anything happens. But with an escort, I feel so safe all the time.â
SEP also gives volunteers and senior participants a way to connect with one another, build bridges across ages, backgrounds, and communities. âI think one of the most wonderful part of all this is the social part of it. Being able to connect with other human beings is wonderful. Every volunteer has been great,â adds Jessie.
âItâs a great way for me to just engage with seniors and I have learned so much from them,â says Titus. âIâve learned about their lives and how theyâve stayed active so as I get further along in my retirement years, Iâm learning lessons myself about how to stay active, and how to just enjoy life and not be constrained by being alone.â
Recently, the program has also been assisting seniors who are experiencing vision loss. The Society for the Blind provides training for SEP volunteers so they feel comfortable being sighted guides. The service has been very well-received. One participant told staff, she appreciates the opportunity to get out in the neighborhood so people are aware she lives there.
Titusâ appearance at the United We Stand Summit coincides with the formal launch of the SEP in our community. SEP has a waitlist and needs more volunteers to meet the demand. If youâd like to get involved, build bridges, and make your walks more meaningful, contact Crystal Baker at info@sacssc.org.
