Volunteering strengthens the community. I want to introduce you to two students, Andrew Louie and Zach Gee, who do exactly this. At ACC’s Big Day of Giving Telethon on May 4th and 5th, we interviewed Andrew on his Eagle Scout Project for Boy Scout Troop 50 on building planter boxes for ACC’s Maple Tree Village Assisted Living and Memory Care facility and Zach on his volunteering at ACC’s Care Center.
Last summer, Andrew Louie built ten redwood planter boxes for the residents at Maple Tree Village to enjoy. Andrew shared that he chose ACC because his parents, family, and friends have been supported by ACC. He wanted to give back to the community and to give back as ACC has helped nurture his family and friends. Andrew chose building planter boxes because they would have a great impact on the residents and were supported by the ACC members and staff.
Andrew Louie with Scott Okamoto at ACC Maple Tree Village, talking about the planter boxes.
Building the planter boxes was a learning experience for Andrew, as he has very little experience in woodworking. Andrew wanted to make sure the style and design would endure over time, so he chose redwood for the planter boxes. He enjoyed the project and said this was a great experience overall. Andrew outreached to the ACC community to raise funds for his Eagle Scout project. He received donations and supplies and is very thankful to the ACC community for their support. Andrew thanks his coach Rich Shiraishi for coming up with the plans for the planter boxes and guiding him. Andrew is now a student at Sacramento City College and is active in his church and community. Andrew’s proud parents are John and Stephanie Louie.
On Sundays, you may see Zach Gee volunteering at ACC’s Care Center. Zach is an incoming junior at C.K. McClatchy High School and a super active member within his school community, having just been elected the president of his junior class and president of his school’s Asian Pacific Islander Student Alliance. This isn’t Zach’s first-time volunteering at ACC. In fact, he started when he was just 12 years old, working the bake sale at the annual ACC crab feed and serving meals at senior dinner functions. Zach says that he always wanted to volunteer at the Care Center, but had to wait when the pandemic struck, and ACC closed its doors to visitors. Nonetheless, when things began to settle down, he reached out to the Activity Coordinator in late October of 2021 and has been helping ever since.
Zach’s interaction with residents really brightens their day. He is the in-coming Junior Class President at C.K. McClatchy High School.
Zach spends about five to six hours of his Sundays at the Care Center. He transports seniors around the facility, helps prepare and conduct activities like yoga, exercise, bingo, and worship service, and ultimately tries to keep residents up and active. One of his most favorite activities is to engage in one-on-ones by taking residents on sunshine walks, conversing with and simply checking in on them throughout the day. Zach shared that there is a common response among the seniors when he asks them how they are doing: “S.O.S.” He learned that it stood for “same ol’ same,” and realized his interactions with the residents really brightened up their day. They get to see a new smiling face and sit and talk about whatever is on their minds. Zach says that as a 16-year-old, it’s incredibly rewarding and special to get to know them and learn about their long and full lives. He says that building special bonds with the seniors has truly been the best experience he has gotten out of volunteering at ACC.
We also talked with Zach’s father, Paul Gee, about his son’s volunteering. Paul says Zach has had a kind heart ever since he was little; he was always glued to his grandparents and adored them dearly. Paul specifically remembers the third time he picked Zach up from the Care Center, when his son shared that it was one of the most rewarding days of his life–all because he got to spend time with one of the seniors and learn about their life in Sacramento over the past decades. This was all a new experience for Zach and since he first started, he has doubled his shift hours. Paul noted that Zach looks forward every time to helping and spending time with the seniors, which is not typical of many teenagers. He said as Zach’s parent he couldn’t be prouder, and he thinks ACC is just the perfect place for a compassionate kid like him. Zach’s proud parents are Jeannie Cheung and Paul Gee. Zach’s mother shared with me that not only is her son the most loving child, but also the most driven. During the summer, Zach will also be volunteering at Mercy General Hospital, taking two college courses, and working his first job at Sprouts Farmers Market. Zach has a very full and fun summer ahead of him!
Andrew and Zach’s volunteerism is a perfect example of how young volunteers engage with the ACC Community and shows how intergenerational volunteering can be. If you are visiting a resident at Maple Tree Village, check out the beautiful planter boxes and, if you are visiting a loved one at the Care Center on Sundays, say hello to Zach. A big thank you from ACC Senior Services to Andrew and Zach for bringing joy to the residents of Maple Tree Village and the Care Center.
SCSEP is a program that ACC manages in Sacramento County to assist low-income seniors with job training and finding employment. We help them discover their strengths, build self-esteem, and become productive members of the workforce.
If you’re an older adult looking for employment, you may have discovered that many things are now done online. Looking at listings and applying for jobs are definitely more technical than in pre-Internet times. Online networking, virtual interviews, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) that shortlists resumes have created new demands that require more technical skills on your part.
ACC can help you cross the digital divide and learn these technical skills. We offer basic computer classes and one-on-one tech training. Thanks to a new ECMC Go Grant, we’ll also soon have drop-in computer lab times with tutoring.
But there is another, more important way we can help you prepare for the realities of the tech world. It has to do with having the right mindset, without which you will not be able to conquer the technical and other changes that face today’s workers.
Here are important tips that can help to make your job search journey easier and better:
1. Positive Thinking: Focus on becoming one of those people who can land a job regardless of their education, age, gender, and so on. Do not be held back by other people’s preconceived notions of you. If you want to find inspiring examples, connect with SCSEP to hear how our senior job seekers are exiting SCSEP after getting hired full-time by an organization. Being an optimist and believing that you can get a job related to your skills and experience is the most important step in your successful job search journey. Norman Vincent Peale, the author of The Power of Positive Thinking, said, “Change your thoughts and you change your world.”
2. Self-Improvement: Find ways to improve and update your skills and knowledge. Some examples of continual self-improvement: get better with job interviews, update your resume and LinkedIn profile frequently, set up informational interviews and attend job fairs, learn new technology skills, read more books, write a journal, and so on. Continual self-improvement and investment in your skills will make you an asset to any employer and show that you are job ready. Working on yourself also means you are adding to your competitiveness in the job market and will give you an advantage. To work on your personal growth, start with reviewing your goals, then determine what you need to do to get there. Zig Ziglar, an American author, salesman, and motivational speaker said, “If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.”
3. Persistence: Only those who have perseverance will succeed. In our SCSEP program, those who exit for employment and find the job they love are persistent in applying for jobs, doing the training, and improving themselves on a day-to-day basis. Napoleon Hill, an American self-help author, said, “Patience, persistence, and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.”
I have the pleasure of managing a team that helps seniors re-enter the workforce. SCSEP is more than a program. It’s a community of caring within ACC that helps seniors not only find employment but also find joy and meaning in the journey to this goal.
ACC basic computer skills classes are listed in our Summer Schedule at accsv.org/online.
The last few years have been undeniably difficult – not only because of the social isolation, loss, and stress from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community, we have also been afraid for our safety and our lives.
The rise in hate crimes against AAPI community members has reverberated. This fear for ourselves and our loved ones is a constant, looming stressor in our hearts and minds.
As we observe AAPI Heritage Month, I want to take the opportunity to address the importance of supporting mental health in our community – now more than ever.
For many of my fellow community members, the physical, mental, and emotional toll of these recent stressors has led to them experiencing mental health symptoms for the first time. For others, their mental health symptoms or conditions may have worsened.
Unfortunately, among the Cantonese-speaking community specifically, there is significant shame and embarrassment around mental health conditions. Many are afraid to speak to friends or loved ones about symptoms they are experiencing because they are worried that they will be shunned for being “crazy” or that community members will think spirits possess them.
The truth is that mental health conditions are as naturally occurring as physical health conditions. Just as we would not think less of someone for having a heart condition, a mental health condition should not change how we perceive a friend or loved one.
And like a physical health condition, the sooner you get help, the better it will be for your overall health and well-being. Talking to your doctor about treatment options and tools to manage mental health symptoms will prevent the symptoms from worsening and allow those living with mental health symptoms or conditions to lead a fulfilling, healthy life.
As Cantonese-speaking community members, alongside other AAPI communities, continue to carry this burden of fear for our physical safety, we have to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health conditions to support the mental health and wellness of our community and loved ones as a united front.
Only by reducing the stigma and shame around mental health conditions can we ensure our friends, family, and loved ones have access to the support and treatment they need. They deserve to know that there is hope and help available.
For the past ten years, the “Mental Illness: It’s not always what you think” project has been working to reduce the stigma around mental health conditions, promote mental health and wellness and inspire hope for people and families living with mental health conditions Sacramento County. The project conducts focused outreach to local multi-cultural communities, including the Cantonese-speaking community.
To learn more about reducing stigma among the Cantonese-speaking community, I encourage everyone to visit the StopStigmaSacramento.org community webpage here to learn how you can fight the stigma around mental health conditions. Additionally, English and Cantonese conversation-starters are available here if you are unsure how to connect with someone who may be struggling with their mental health, and there are resources listed here for those who want to seek treatment. Or consider joining the Stop Stigma Speakers Bureau, where you can share your personal story of living with a mental health condition or supporting a family member with a mental health condition to help dispel myths and stereotypes about mental health conditions. Lastly, learn about the Senior Safety Collaborative here, where you can find details about our Senior Escort Program for seniors who feel unsafe or uncomfortable in public without accompaniment – whether it’s just for a walk or a trip to the grocery store, we want to make sure you feel safe leaving your home.
ACC hosted an afternoon of uplifting and informative talks for family caregivers. Livestreamed from ACC Senior Services on April 7, 2022. Watch the full program or click on the links to the individual presentations:
ACC’s Big Day of Giving Telethon is on May 4th and 5th this year, and we are going big again. Last year, ACC placed #5 among more than 650 participating non-profit organizations in the Greater Sacramento Area. Our goal this year is to raise $500,000 and take first place on the Big Day of Giving leaderboard.
With your support, we can raise the money needed to fund our ongoing pandemic response measures, expand our most popular home and community-based programs, and introduce new support programs for older adults and their caregivers. One of them is the ACC Care Navigation Program, which helps older adults get access to food, transportation, housing, health care, interpretation, and other services. Another is ACC’s Friendly Visitor and In-Home Respite Program. Please read Soojin Yoo’s recent article to learn more.
Leading up to the Big Day of Giving, we are hosting other “Big Day” events including ACC Big Day of Caring on April 7, ACC Big Day of Pickleball on April 14, ACC Big Day of Cooking on April 21, and ACC Big Day of Golfing on April 27. Except for the golf tournament, these will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.
Planning is also underway for the ACC Walkathon on Saturday, September 17 (tentative). A permit has been submitted to have the walkathon along the Pocket-Greenhaven Greenbelt. The workgroup, Chaired by Wayne Kurahara, is making this an intergenerational event, where young and older people alike will participate in the walk together. Look for more details in the next ACC News.
Plans are also underway for ACC’s 50th Anniversary celebration to be held in October. Jean Chong is chairing the event with the 50th Anniversary Workgroup co-chairs Gloria Imagire, Lori Lee, Jean Shiomoto, and Kala Haley-Clark. Stay tuned for updates.
Last quarter, ACC added several new classes and workshops to its lineup. This included James Scott’s talks on Sacramento’s history, Pachia Vang’s workshop on Hmong textiles, Julie Interrante’s end-of-life workshops, and Maryellen Burns presentation on immigrants and their impact on Sacramento’s food culture. They were well attended and introduced ACC to new segments of older adults. These speakers are well known in the communities they serve and we are fortunate to have them join our online programming. James is the archivist at the Sacramento Public Library and Maryellen Burns is a culinary historian and a prolific author. We also had former mayor Heather Fargo on a review of “We Can Do This!,” a book about the trailblazing political women of Sacramento.
Programs like these truly enrich the lives of our older adults, keeping them connected with ACC. If you watched the livestreams on YouTube, Facebook, and Zoom, you probably noticed Home and Community-Based Program (HCBP) Administrator, Jeri Shikuma, and Program Manager, Dani Lee, introducing our presenters and providing rich, heartfelt commentary. Thank you, Jeri and Dani!
Much has changed at ACC since its founding 50 years ago, but one important thing has not – our innate desire to bring human services to people who fall through the cracks. ACC was started by activists, social workers, and community organizers who developed programs that are still with us today.
In Episode 6 of the ACC History Project, “From One Became Many,” we saw these servants of the people run with their ideas and start new organizations like Health for All, Asian Job Resources, Tanoshimi Kai, and Asian Pacific Community Counseling (APCC). Harold Fong and Raymond Lee broke off and started the People’s Bookstore and then Asian Health Clinic, which today is the Paul Hom Asian Clinic.
Raymond Lee was also the director Asian Job Resources, which was spun off from ACC in 1981. May O. Lee took over this position and changed the name to Asian Resources, Inc. (ARI). Later, ARI incubated and launched My Sister’s House. So, one could say that ARI is a grandchild of ACC!
Even people who just hung around ACC’s Tambara House were apt to start something new. Andy Noguchi and Dean Lan were involved in the startup of organizations like Asian Legal Services Outreach (ALSO) and Asian Pacific State Employees Association (APSEA). Jeff Ogata, who co-hosted Episode 6, writes about this golden era in his recent article.
April is National Volunteer Month, and the Volunteer Services Committee is hosting a Volunteer Appreciation Drive-by Lunch on April 9. We will celebrate our wonderful volunteers who generously donate their time in support of ACC. Many of the ACC Board of Directors will be there packaging the lunches and saying thank you to the volunteers. The Pocket Pickers and the Gracious Ladies of O Kehaula’I Hula will provide entertainment as volunteers drive through to pick up their lunch. The delicious lunch will be catered by My Sister’s Café, a sister organization to ACC. A big, big shout-out and thank you to all our volunteers!
As we noted in the last newsletter, we are in the third year of the pandemic, and we continue to be challenged by COVID-19. Especially with the severe a staffing shortage at our care facilities as we continue to compete with other health organizations for care staff. The ACC Care Center, Greenhaven Terrace Assisted Living, and Maple Tree Village continue to follow the guidelines issued by the California Department of Public Health.
On February 28, 2022, ACC put in place a COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Policy for all ACC employees. ACC employees must be fully vaccinated by February 28, 2022, with the exception for medical or religious exemptions. All new hires must be fully vaccinated before they can commence employment. Fully vaccinated means, you have received all doses of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the World Health Organization (WHO) and within 15 days of becoming eligible, you have obtained a booster shot. ACC continues to put in place best practices.
We also want to share with you that Greenhaven Terrace Assisted Living had their annual Department of Social Services site Inspection on March 2, 2022, with zero deficiencies. Thank you to Greenhaven Terrace Administrator Yesenia Jones and all the staff for their hard work.
On a sobering note, we are shocked by the War in Ukraine and saddened by the suffering of the people there. Let’s support them any way we can, reminding ourselves that democracy and freedom are hard to win and easy to lose. Many local businesses are supporting relief efforts for Ukraine by donating what you purchase from them go to relief funds. We have done this and the thank you we received from the business owner was heartfelt. You can do this, too. As we go forward, let’s continue to look for ways to identify the humanitarian needs of our community and respond with compassion and action.
A 50th birthday deserves more than one day of celebration, which is why ACC Senior Services is celebrating with multiple events. ACC will start with “Big Day” lead-in events throughout April and cap this off with the “Big Days of Giving,” a two-day telethon on May 4th and May 5th. The celebration features a mix of pre-pandemic favorites and exciting virtual programming for new and existing supporters alike.
The Big Day of Giving (BDOG) is the 24-hour online giving marathon for regional nonprofits that has made a profound difference since its inception in 2013. The $7.2 million raised across Sacramento last year helped shine a bright spotlight on more than six hundred charitable organizations.
ACC is one of these charitable organizations! Last year’s BDOG telethon raised $210,000 – more than double the $100,000 goal – and gave crucial support to our COVID safety measures and operations. In addition to careful safety measures at our three residential facilities and in-person programs like Rides, the Big Day of Giving funds allowed the Lifelong Learning and Wellness Program to pivot to online programming to reach our community at home. This pivot provided and helped expand services to older adults while classes were closed at the ACC campus. It also showcased ACC’s services to people who did not know about ACC. The online classes, workshops, and support groups have become so popular that they will be a lasting part of ACC’s Lifelong Learning and Wellness Program.
In addition, ACC Care Center’s COVID response and vaccination rates also earned U.S. News and World Report’s national Best Nursing Homes rating. This would not have been possible without the safety measures funded by the Big Day of Giving.
This year’s Big Day of Giving Telethon is on May 4th and 5th, 4:00-8:00 PM. Join the livestream at accsv.org/bdog2022.
What the Big Day of Giving Means This Year
“Care” took on new layers of meaning during the pandemic and is the heart of what this year’s Big Day of Giving donations will fund. Older adults whom we protected with lockdowns need extra care and support even if they live independently. Our 50th anniversary goals focus on older adult’s individual needs with ACC offering a new Care Navigator Program, Options Counseling, and Senior Escort programs; as well as expanded services with Rides, Lifelong Learning and Wellness Program (LLWP), the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), and activities for the residents in our facilities.
The new programs are part of a larger “No Wrong Door” initiative that helps identify and meet an older adult’s needs in full, not just in the first program they encounter. Care navigators and options counseling help older adults navigate health and social services from understanding the best options to enrollment assistance and referrals. Senior escort volunteers who are also trained in bystander intervention offer exercise, companionship, support, and most of all safety for older adults during public outings. These programs, combined with Rides expanding Saturday group outings for ACC senior living facility residents and same-day service scheduling, further our Community of Caring through more options
Our expanding programs, meanwhile, stand on our conviction that growth, development, and education aren’t just for the young. Both LLWP and SCSEP empower clients through skill-building and our expanded classes are in direct response to participant feedback. Clients at home have loved searing, frying, or stirring along with live cooking demonstrations, while SCSEP’s job-seeking participants have needed more technological literacy to work or seek employment during lockdown.
“What strikes me most about ACC is its mission has always been the community’s needs,” said Marketing and Development Director Kala Haley-Clark. “Before I was even born our founders were building programs and services around our clients’ needs. That focus stays with us today, and it’s the reason I am so proud to be part of this incredible organization.”
Why Support ACC for the Big Day of Giving?
The Big Day of Giving is special in that donors aren’t just supporting organizations they love, but helping new donors take notice. BDOG donors and nonprofits alike love watching the leaderboard to see which organizations climb to the top – and learn more about what those leading organizations stand for. Your donation to ACC’s Big Day of Giving campaign lights the way for donors across the Sacramento region to learn about our programs, be part of our impacts, and share our story with others.
In short, you demonstrate what our Community of Caring stands for when you support our Big Day of Giving campaign.
How You Can Help
There are several ways to support ACC Senior Services for Giving.
Donate to ACC. Note on your check or online donation that you want your gift to support our Big Day of Giving campaign, and we will add your gift to our total.
Donate to ACC through the Big Day of Giving website. You can find us at bigdayofgiving.org/accseniorservices where you can donate or create your own fundraising page to share with friends. You can schedule your gift as early as April 21st, or you can donate on the Big Day of Giving to watch us climb the leaderboard!
Share our story. Our community is the reason we get to celebrate our 50th anniversary. Help us ensure the next 50 years by helping us build that community bigger and stronger.
Join our Big Day of Giving events. A birthday isn’t really a birthday without a party. We hope to see you at our wonderful lead-in events and two-day telethon!
Give yourself a hand. You are the heart of our success, and you should be proud!
ACC’s Big Day of Caring took place on April 7, 2022. This was a lead-up event to the Big Day of Giving.
Family caregivers are exhausted — physically, mentally, and emotionally. They start healthy. They’re working full-time and caring for a family member part-time. Driving mom to a doctor’s appointment, restocking her refrigerator, taking her to a friend’s house for the afternoon are relatively easy tasks and provide quality time to catch up. Light duty, easy, sometimes fun. But when chronic disease and dementia start to take over a loved one’s life, that’s when family caregivers become vulnerable. Their health declines. Many become depressed. Many leave their jobs.
This happened to Kate Washington. She was at ACC in February to talk about caregiver burnout. Kate is a food writer and former restaurant reviewer for the Sacramento Bee. She has a Ph.D. in English from Stanford University. She and her husband Brad have two children and were having a good life. But when Brad was diagnosed with cancer, everything changed, including the nature of their relationship. Brad became the patient, and she was his caregiver. Kate took on a new full-time job for which she had no training. She coordinated treatments, administered IV drugs, cleaned commodes, managed medical appointments, and dealt with insurance companies. Kate kept Brad alive, but she was crumbling inside. On top of being a caregiver, Kate still had to be a dutiful mom and wife. She spoke at ACC about her experiences and her book, “Already Toast, Caregiving and Burnout in America.” The title speaks for itself.
Kate is in her late forties. Now imagine someone in her 80s thrust into the role of caring for a spouse with dementia, chronic illness, or a disability with no outside help. How is this humanly possible? Yes, we all know someone in this predicament. As Kate wrote about in her book, this is a problem that communities all across America face. In the world’s wealthiest country, unpaid family caregivers live in a society that provides very little structural support. Many of us in the ACC community can relate to this all too well.
So, why not just hire a professional caregiver or move your loved one to assisted living or a skilled nursing facility? It is not that simple. For many people, these options are not affordable or desirable. Many families can’t even agree on what’s best for mom or dad at this point. Families struggle and enter into conflict when deciding what’s best for their loved one. In the meantime, the loved one and the person doing the primary caregiving suffer. Despite all the services that our government, healthcare providers, and insurance companies seem to provide us, very little is done to help the family caregiver. That’s where ACC is making a difference.
For family caregivers facing burnout, in-home respite care goes a long way to helping them avoid burnout. At ACC, we send a volunteer or “friendly visitor” to a home, so that the family caregiver can take a short break, recharge, and do other things away that are important and meaningful. Accepting respite care reminds the family caregiver of the adage, “to help someone, you have to help yourself first.” Here’s another way to visualize this. When you are on an airplane and the oxygen masks drop down from the overhead compartment, you put your mask on first then assist your child.
ACC’s friendly visitor is there just to talk to the care receiver, watch TV together, read the news, play cards, or go for a walk. He or she doesn’t have to do house chores or personal care. He or she is there just to provide companionship and safety supervision. What a difference this volunteer makes. Everyone’s quality of life has improved!
As the saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Likewise, it takes a community of caring to support us as we age. The Friendly Visitor and In-Home Respite Program at ACC is looking for volunteers who want to make a difference in people’s lives, including their own. It is deeply satisfying work. All of us need respite and companionship at different points in our life. The need only increases with age.
A thriving and resilient nonprofit organization, particularly one situated in the healthcare sector, relies on a leadership team with diverse and relevant backgrounds and skillsets to guide its growth, development, and evolution. A passion for the work is an essential prerequisite.
Exemplifying these attributes, we are proud to profile our two newest additions to the ACC Board of Directors; Betsy Donovan and Brent Luu. Betsy Donovan joined the ACC Board of Directors on July 1, 2021, and brings over thirty years of experience in skilled nursing, administration, and adult healthcare expertise. While Betsy’s invaluable experience as Eskaton’s Chief Operating Officer and her many years as a licensed Skilled Nursing Administrator check every box in terms of relevant professional expertise, it is her passion for older adult care that comes through when you speak with her about ACC’s work.
Betsy Donovan
Betsy describes her 93-year-young mother as an independent, tech-savvy, and healthy adult living her best life. Betsy’s love and appreciation of older adults have been a motivator her entire life, shaping her views of aging and longevity. In this way, Betsy says ACC’s mission resonates deeply with her. She admires ACC’s connection to community and its diversity of innovative services and programs designed to support older adults and meet them where they live.
Betsy’s connection to ACC is not new; as a former member of the founding Board of Directors for Meals on Wheels by ACC, her support for ACC dates back more than a decade, and her return to a leadership role in the organization is to be celebrated indeed!
Brent Luu joined the ACC Board of Directors on January 1, 2022, and brings over twenty years of pharmacology expertise, in practice as a Clinical Pharmacist as well as education in his current capacity as a professor teaching the Foundation of Pharmacology at the UC Davis School of Nursing.
Brent Luu
Brent’s appreciation for the marvels of modern medicine took root in his childhood admiration of his father’s work as an herbalist and acupuncturist. He is absolutely enthusiastic in his description of how medication works in the body, providing cure and treating symptoms in such a simple but incredibly effective way. I can attest that, even after a mere thirty-minute conversation with Brent, I am left with a certainty that any student of his will enter their career in the healing arts with a passion for quality care.
Quality of care is core to Brent’s philosophy, and what he finds so inspirational in ACC’s work. Like ACC, Brent recognizes that we are positioned to attend to the needs of a growing population of older adults, and he is determined to help guide ACC’s work to provide quality and compassionate care for this community.
Members of ACC’s Board of Directors are volunteers, giving of their time and expertise to serve the organization. Betsy and Brent each exemplify the spirit of volunteerism at its finest, and ACC is not the only organization to have the good fortune of their support.
Betsy and her sisters are founding partners of the Sunshine Family Outreach Center, a 501(c)(3) community benefit organization providing community and educational services to North Highlands neighborhoods.
Brent is a member of the Tzu Chi Buddhist Foundation, serving as the Sacramento Deputy Medical Coordinator. This foundation is a non-government organization that focuses on education, humanistic culture, disaster relief, medicine, and environmental protection.
Learn more about each of these nonprofit community service organizations at https://sunshinefamilyoutreach.center and https://tzuchi.us/what-we-do
This Spring, the cul-de-sac where ACC Maple Tree Village is located will be renamed Kado Court to honor the renowned architect and friend of ACC, Ed Kado, AIA. For over 20 years, Ed Kado donated his services to ACC. He designed ACC Maple Tree Village, which opened in 2019 and the renovation of 7375 Park City (2001), now the location of Meals on Wheels by ACC offices. He spent over two yearsdesigning and planning 75 units of subsidized housing for seniors (2010), which was not built due to lack of funding. He then designed 24 assisted living units at ACC Greenhaven Terrace (2014), the renovation of 17,000 square feet of classroom and office space at the ACC Campus (2015), and, over the years, has worked with residents, staff and state officials on the renovation of the ACC Care Center.
“During one planning session Ed shared memories of visiting his father at the ACC Care Center in its early years, and how ideas to improve the privacy and space for residents came from that experience,” said Tamara Kario, ACC Care Center Administrator.
Councilmemember Rick Jennings, Donna Yee, and Ed Kado at the groundbreaking ceremony of ACC Maple Tree Village on September 7, 2018.
Ed’s keen sense of design and functionality is responsive to input on how space will be used and how lifestyle and work processes can be supported. “Ed is collaborative and fully engaged with you to get it right,” said Donna L Yee, retired ACC CEO. “He does not try to fit us into a preconceived idea. He uses a problem-solving approach on every aspect of a building.”
Added Howard Harris, a past ACC Board member, “To manage costs, we negotiated our big projects on a fixed cost basis, where the architect is paid by the contractor. I can’t remember how many times the contractor asked who was paying Ed, because he was such an advocate for ACC.”
In 1998, Ed Kado told the Sacramento Business Journal, “In 1941, when I was 7 years old, my family was put in a concentration camp in Colorado. My father lost everything. We got out of there in 1945, and my mother had a sister living here in Sacramento, so we moved in with my aunt. I was good in math, and I was good in art, so in junior high, I knew I’d be an architect, because I knew it took those things to be an architect.” Ed attended C.K. McClatchy High School and Sacramento City College before going to U.C. Berkeley.
Ed graduated from U.C. Berkeley in 1962, earned his license in 1967, and opened E.M. Kado & Associates in 1970. One of his best-known designs is the Ziggurat, the 10-story pyramid-shaped building that was built by the Money Store in 1997. It is in West Sacramento on the shore of the Sacramento River. He also designed a building for Union Bank, the visitors center for the Almond Growers, the Beuhler Building for Sutter Hospitals, and several buildings for California State University Sacramento. He also helped design the Crossroads Shopping Center near the Executive Airport. He designed Oto’s Marketplace and Mahoroba Japanese Bakery as well as many private residences.
Ed Kado designed the Ziggurat building in West Sacramento
ACC Maple Tree Village’s street address will be changed from 7579 Maple Tree Way to 18 Kado Court. The new street name was unanimously approved by the City of Sacramento’s Planning and Design Commission after our application was considered in a public hearing in the Fall of 2020. A City permit has been obtained to replace the signage at the intersection of Alder Tree Way and Maple Tree Way. ACC staff will be working with the California Department of Social Services, as well as the US Postal Service and all City departments to be sure they are informed of the address change.
Episode 6 of the ACC History Project was livestreamed from ACC main campus on February 21. From One Became Many covered the origins of several Sacramento Asian American and Pacific Islander service organizations. Is there one person or one entity that should be credited for starting these nonprofit organizations?
Many of them were started or heavily influenced by ACC and some were started by community activists who were part of the forerunner organizations, Asian Community Services (ACS) and the Japanese Community Center of Sacramento Valley (JCC, later renamed to ACC). You can hear about those important organizations and individuals in Episodes 3 and 2, respectively.
First, let’s look at Health for All, Tanoshimi Kai, Asian Resources, Inc., and Stepping Stones (now Asian Pacific Community Counseling), organizations that were directly related to ACC.
Around 1980, Health for All (HFA) was incubated by ACC from ideas that June Otow developed. At that time, June was an outreach worker at ACC and an original member of ACS. May O. Lee was a social work intern and recalls working with June and many volunteer mothers from the Southside neighborhood to do outreach and gain support for a preventative health clinic. ACC provided start-up funds and $1,000 came from the Sacramento Presbytery Mission Action Committee. HFA would eventually rely on Medi-cal reimbursements.
June Otow and her fellow co-founders of Health for All
Many health and nursing professionals, Chinese and Vietnamese interpreters, and ACC board members were involved in launching HFA. Attorney Phil Hiroshima incorporated it. Dr. Richard Ikeda succeeded June as Executive Director.
In the first ten years, HFA had staff that spoke seven languages and served many of the southeast Asian refugees coming to Sacramento County. HFA established the first school-based clinic in Sacramento, an Alzheimer’s Day Care Resource Center, and four Adult Day Health Care programs. Eventually, HFA operated seven clinics, many housed at neighborhood schools to ensure preventative health care and immunizations were available to low-income communities.
ACC spent a lot of time identifying community needs for seniors. This led to the founding of Tanoshimi Kai with much of the grunt work done by Kenji Morishige. Tanoshimi Kai addressed the nutritional and socialization needs of the elderly Japanese. There were two sites. On Fridays, the Sacramento Buddhist Church hosted one and on Wednesdays, the Sacramento Japanese United Methodist Church hosted the other. Mrs. Minnie Tanihara took reservations and Betty Kashiwagi was the Nutrition Site Manager. Staff was paid through a grant from the Area 4 Agency on Aging.
A similar site was set up for the elderly Chinese at the New Helvetia Housing Project. It was run by Edna Liang.
Asian Resources, Inc., had its origins with ACC. In 1979, ACC ran the Summer Youth Employment and Training program. It was started to help Vietnamese college students and their families get jobs and financial support after the fall of Saigon. ACC applied to the county to receive funding. After the summer ended, ACC developed the Asian Manpower Program with Kathy Omachi as its Director.
With the support of ACC, Raymond Lee spun off the program, incorporated it as Asian Job Resources Project and became the Director, but he had to leave shortly after for personal reasons. Soon after, May O. Lee became Executive Director. She wrote a new funding proposal, hired new staff, and organized a Board of Directors. The Board changed the name to Asian Resources, Inc. May would be the Executive Director for 26 years before retiring. Elaine Abelaye followed, and now Stephanie Nguyen is the current Executive Director of this successful organization.
A young Darrick Lam from U.C. Davis interned at Health for All in 1986.
My Sister’s House, Sacramento’s domestic violence shelter and services organization, was incubated by Asian Resources, Inc. Using the model of providing initial support, ARI staff person Carole Ching, community activists Hach Yasumura, Jean Chong, and Elaine Chiao, among others, planned and launched My Sister’s House.
Asian Pacific Community Counseling started as Stepping Stones in 1986 with Kathy Omachi as its first director. Harriet Taniguchi was on the ACC Board at that time. She recalls that there was a lack of culturally relevant and bilingual mental services for the API community.
Paul and Marion Ono, Reverend Hei Takarabe of the Parkview Presbyterian Church, Dr. Luke Kim, Raymond Lee, Reverend Ninh Nguyen, Jane Tamano, Joan Hirose, Harriet, and others, organized to address this need. Through public advocacy and testimony, they were able to get funding from the Sacramento County Mental Health Department. Hence, Stepping Stones was born.
Reverend Ninh requested a separate program for the Southeast Asian community so Stepping Stones agreed to share resources, leading to the founding of the Southeast Asian Assistance Center.
Next, several other community organizations were started by activists who were part of ACS or who were inspired by “hanging out” at the Tambara House, the home of ACC. This includes the Yellow House tutoring and recreation program, the Asian Health Clinic, Asian Legal Services Outreach, and the Asian Pacific State Employees Association.
In the spring of 1970, Parkview Presbyterian Church approved the use of their house on the corner of 8th and T Streets for a tutoring and recreation program for students from William Land School. The students went there after school and in the summer. Because of its color, the location was dubbed the “Yellow House.” Lillie Yee Shiroi was in Professor Isao Fujimoto’s class at UC Davis and volunteered at William Land School. She recalls William Land’s students were more than fifty percent Chinese and many did not speak English well. That situation led to the creation of the tutoring program. Students from Sac State and UC Davis continued to help with the program.
Isao Fujimoto
Professor Fujimoto, who recently passed away, joined UC Davis in 1967 and headed up the Community Development Program. He also started the Asian American Studies program. Professor George Kagiwada also mentored students who wanted to do community work in Sacramento.
Raymond Lee and Harold Fong, two of the original members of ACS, boldly struck out on their own to establish the People’s Bookstore to promote socialism. They modeled their services after the Black Panther’s “Serve the People” program. They started programs like free film series, free day care center, free tri-lingual community newsletter, study groups, and a free health clinic inside the bookstore.
The health clinic eventually became the Asian Health Clinic. Dr. Lindy Kumagai started the clinic and recruited medical students from the UCD School of Medicine to staff it. The Bookstore continued to provide translators, transportation, and publicity. .Raymond stated that potential liability issues stopped them from continuing to have it in their bookstore but the health clinic continued elsewhere staffed by students from UC Davis. Today, it continues to operate as the Paul Hom Asian Clinic, the oldest existing Asian health clinic in the United States. It is led by medical director Dr. Ron Jan.
Asian Legal Services Outreach (ALSO) began in 1973, started by law students from UC Davis and McGeorge School of Law. Andy Noguchi, Joan Nosse, Wilfred Lim, Brent Kato, Clement Kong, and Will Yee were some of the eager students ready to create “good trouble” for the community. Despite not having a lot of experience, they helped with immigration forms and other administrative issues. The founders were part of ACS, which identified legal support as a community need.
The Tambara House is where people and ideas mixed freely. Illa Collin is shown here at an open house. Wanda Chang Shironaka, an ACC board member, is standing behind her.
ALSO closed in the summer of 1976 but was revived in the Fall by students from UC Davis King Hall. It was incorporated in 1977 and started receiving grant money so it could hire staff to continue with full-time services to the community. ALSO originally had office space in the Tambara House. The law students got to mingle with the other social workers and volunteers that hung out there. ALSO closed its doors after 20 years of operation.
The Asian Pacific State Employees Association was founded by another group of people not directly affiliated with ACC. But Dean Lan, one of the founders, recalled spending many hours meeting at the Tambara House to discuss issues of civil rights. He says meeting people like May Lee, Andy Noguchi, Hach Yasumura, Randy Shiroi, and Raymond Lee was inspiring because of their dedication to social activism.
So, was the Tambara House the “one?” Many of the people we interviewed commented on how wonderful it was to drop into the Tambara House and meet like-minded people. Harriet Taniguchi remembers that she was the coordinator for JCC as her social work placement. JCC converted the garage into a classroom for ceramic classes, Koto and Go. Social work students, recruited by Earl Shiroi, passed through for meetings and activities.
Earl’s name comes up often as the person who had the vision of organizing the community by focusing on needs and having activists work to create organizations that would provide those services. He was a mentor to many of the social work students that went on to start successful organizations.
Many other people continue to pop up in the history of ACC. Take, for example, a young UC Davis student named Darrick Lam, who did an internship at Health For All in 1986. Darrick went on to get a master’s degree in Social Welfare and then worked for the City of San Francisco and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Now, he’s the CEO of ACC Senior Services!
I think everyone agrees that neither ACS nor ACC is the “one” that created the “many.” In my opinion, the ONE is the shared vision of all those past leaders that providing services, education, and advocacy to our community was critical to being unified to exercise the power that came from that vision.
That’s the legacy of people like Earl Shiroi, Leo Goto, Chewy Ito, and the hundreds of other folks that ACC has been documenting. As ACC and other groups continue to expand services, it’s clear that there’s more work to do. Stay tuned.
