True Ohana is not just getting together for a golf tournament but instead is the connection that occurs when friendship and camaraderie becomes so strong that you feel like “family.” That was so much in presence at the ACC Ohana Golf Tournament that everyone enjoyed “da kin sore mouth” that comes from smiling all day long. It is said that “happiness is contagious” and that certainly was the case.
ACC Board Chair Jean Shiomoto welcomes golfers while ACC’s Michael Selland, Darrick Lam, and Kala Haley-Clark look on.
On the golf course, there was the Ohana of 155 golfers piling out of the vehicles in the nearly dark chilly early morning hours of the morning to register and enjoy a nice hot burrito and cup of coffee donated by Darrick in memory of his grandfather who taught him how to play golf. There was the Ohana of making that perfect shot or having one of your Ohana teammates do it. There was the Ohana of what used to be a bunch of mostly mid-age male golfers becoming and growing into a collection and young, mid-age, senior men and women of different levels golf experience and skill.
Rather than individual play like most other golf tournaments, the Ohana tournament was a friendly Ohana competition of teams playing together sharing the best shots to record a team score. The Ohana tournament had the most mixed teams, the most teams outfitted with their own team uniforms, the most newbie teams both to ACC tournament play, to ACC and even to golf. Even with all the new teams, there was still two-thirds of the teams that have played in multiple tournaments over the years and about a third that have played in nearly all the 13 previous ACC Tournaments.
Behind the scenes, Ohana was in full bloom. It was Mark and L&L making 150 musubi, General Produce donating bananas, Jean stuffing goodie bags, Lynn and some of her lady friends making scores of cookies and hosting the somen refreshment stand, Holly and Debi doing the bolo toss, Russ serving as a spotter on a Par three, Barry taking care of signage, Russ and Don working with Teal Bend. It was Teal Bend getting out tables and chairs for registration, Stephen collecting registration forms, developing the tee sheet and checking in players, it was Michael and Kala, brand new ACC staff persons coming out to help early morning when it was still dark, and many more others doing this in the Ohana Spirit just for the fun of it. Oh, it was Jeannie, Jeff, Jonathan and the photographers, Ted doing the Program and Jean writing a welcome message, and Darrick and Jean greeting all the golfers. Of course, there was the Ohana of the golf committee of volunteers under the leadership of Don and Brian. As with every Ohana, there are others who didn’t get mentioned. My personal apologies to each and everyone.
Written by one of the Ohana who did not get mentioned. Haha, it was a Great Ohana Day.
Tournament Winners
Open Division Low Gross
1st Place: Yin-Ping Li, Tina Tseng, David Tseng, Jenny Deng
2nd Place: Darrel Woo, Greg Jung, Jim Margolis, Russell Stiger
3rd Place: Derek Seo, Helene Kawaye, Mark Hayashida, Kyle Yamamoto
Women’s Division Low Gross
1st Place: Holly Fong Korach, Teri Yee, Suzan Sabado, Linda Yamanaka
2nd Place: Gail Tanaka, Audrey Yokoi, Jane Nakagawa, Donna Kunisaki
High Gross
Lorna Fong, Wendy Kagiyama-Yee, Beverly Shimizu, Carol Kudow
“She loved me, and she was so kind,” says 89-year-old Jeanne McGrath as she visited the old East Sacramento home of her late grandmother, Willmina Sloppye. Built in 1907, the home at 1400 37th Street brought back childhood memories to Jeanne who is now living with Alzheimer’s.
Willmina Sloppye
In 1932, Willmina Sloppye wrote and copyrighted a love song called, When I Dream My Sweet Dream of You. Says Jeanne’s daughter and caregiver Kathryn McGrath, “No one in the family had any idea that my great-grandmother was musical. How did she write this song? Why did she write it?”
Indeed, this was an amazing feat for someone with no formal education as census records show. The melody, harmony, and lyrics of the song could have been right out of Jerome Kern’s Showboat in 1927. The song is musically legit.
Willmina and Charles with baby Carl
In 1998, before she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Jeanne discovered Willmina’s manuscript after her mom passed, but she filed it away for another 23 years. In April 2021, Kathryn brought the song to the attention of Soojin Yoo, a social worker at ACC Senior Services, who was helping her plan for Jeanne’s care. Kathryn wanted Jeanne to hear the song while she was still able to appreciate music.
ACC Senior Services collaborated with James Scott, the archivist at the Sacramento Public Library, to research Willmina Sloppye and the mystery song. On July 28, 2021, ACC and James Scott presented their findings to the McGraths at ACC Senior Services in Pocket-Greenhaven.
Original manuscript of “When I Dream My Sweet Dream of You”
Willmina Sloppye was born on August 12, 1882, in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and passed in Sacramento on November 15, 1958. She married Charles L. Sloppye, 13 years her senior, on November 14, 1900. Her mother Erie was a founding “pioneer” member of the Millport Lutheran Church. According to James, “It was common in those days for children to receive much of their primary education from church. The bible, hymnals, and musical education would have been part of this. One can only assume this is how she learned to read and write music.”
What could explain Willmina’s musical influences? James dug up the 1930 census showing that the Sloppye family owned a radio. They could have acquired it at Weinstocks or Bruener’s on K Street. And they would have listened to the Sacramento Bee’s KFBK 1310 to the likes of the Guy Lombardo Orchestra and songs from George Gershwin. Living on 37th Street, Willmina could have taken the streetcar to the Fox Senator and Hippodrome on K Street, and to so many other entertainment venues. The Alhambra Theatre, built in 1927, was just a 10-minute walk away.
The presentation at ACC was hosted by Mary Nakamura and livestreamed on YouTube. Christine Miyashiro performed Willmina’s original composition to the visibly moved McGraths. “That was amazing. She was a smart lady,” reacted Jeanne. Kathryn said she had goose bumps and added “That was absolutely beautiful. Thank you for bringing it to life.”
This story is as much about Willmina’s music as it is about Alzheimer’s and the love between a daughter and her mother and their connection to their past. Thank you to Jeanne McGrath, Kathryn McGrath, James Scott, Mary Nakamura, Christine Miyashiro, and Robbie Yee for participating in this story.
Click here to watch Christine Miyashiro sing Willmina Sloppye’s love song, “When I Dream My Sweet Dream of You.”
Next year marks ACC’s 50th anniversary. In preparation for this, ACC is hosting a series of monthly talks and activities documenting the rich history of ACC Senior Services.
In June 2021, May O. Lee, Gloria Imagire, and yours truly organized the ACC History Project workgroup to start the task of collecting historical documents and interviewing people. Other members of the workgroup include Frances Lee, Peggy Saika, Hach Yasumura, Donna Yee, and Jean Shiomoto.
ACC was founded in 1972. Many people today are not aware of the involved process that brought the different community stakeholders to the table. The story begins in the late 1960s when members of the Sacramento Asian community felt a dire need to address the social and economic inequities facing minorities. Asians had no political power. This gave rise to Asian Community Services (ACS) and Japanese Community Center (JCC) in the early 1970s that eventually evolved into ACC.
The full story of ACC’s founding will be told in a three-part series starting on Monday, July 26. Hosted on Zoom, the first session will start with a tribute to the late Chewy Ito, ACC’s Founding President. Moderators May O. Lee and Jean Shiomoto and invited guests will reflect on Chewy’s life and his contributions to ACC, followed by an overview of the ACC History Project, which will continue into next year.
“People want to know how ACC became what it is today,” says May O. Lee. “Where did its vision and drive come from? How did all this get translated into ACC’s major projects and the creation of so many other community organizations like Health for All, Asian Resources Inc, and Tanoshimi Kai?”
In addition to how ACC was founded, the ACC History Project will look at how other programs came to fruition, including transportation, social services, lifelong learning, and Meals on Wheels by ACC. Every decade of ACC’s history will be covered in the next 12 months.
To attend these presentations, sign up at accsv.org/online. If you would like to join the ACC History Project workgroup, contact Ted Fong at tfong@accsv.org.
Episode 1 of the ACC History Series: Jean Shiomoto, May O. Lee, Brian Chin, Donna Yee, Gloria Imagire, Darrick Lam, Glenn Watanabe
Upcoming ACC History presentations
These presentations are the first in a year-long series that will explore ACC’s 50-year history.
Monday, July 26, 2:00 pm – ACC History Overview and Tribute to Chewy Ito, moderated by May O. Lee and Jean Shiomoto
Monday, August 23, 2:00 pm – The Story of the Japanese Community Center (JCC), moderated by Peggy Saika
Monday, September 27, 2:00 pm – The Story of Asian Community Services (ACS), moderated by June Otow and Hach Yasumura
ACC Remembers the Past and Sends a Message of Peace for the Future
If you have visited one of the ACC Senior Services facilities since April, you may have noticed a display of tsuru (origami cranes) to greet you as you entered. You may have asked, “This is beautiful. But why are they here?” Here’s the story…
ACC Maple Tree Village lobby display, designed by Scott Okamoto.
It started two years ago, with the creation of Tsuru for Solidarity (T4S), a nonviolent, direct action grassroots organization of Japanese American social justice advocates and allies – many of whom were incarcerated as children in U.S. concentration camps during WWII. Since March 2019, T4S has mobilized to support communities directly impacted by unjust immigration and detention policies and other forms of state and racial violence. #CloseTheCamps #NeverForget
Planning had been underway in earnest for a June 2020 T4S “National Pilgrimage to End the Camps” and protest march on Washington, D.C., where survivors and descendants would place 125,000 cranes (“tsuru” in Japanese) on the White House fence – one tsuru for each of the 125,000 incarcerees of Japanese ancestry who were unjustly held in U.S. concentration camps during World War II. People of Japanese descent from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico were planning to protest the continued caging of children and separation of their immigrant families. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the country shut down, and the national pilgrimage and protest were postponed.
ACC Greenhaven Terrace community room display with resident Sherry Yamazumi, designed by Brittany Yamada.
Instead of the D.C. protest, Tsuru for Solidarity hosted “Tsuru Rising!”, a virtual protest to close the camps, and Kimochi Night, a space for cultural celebration and healing. For three days, T4S brought together 1,000 attendees, 30,000 online viewers, nearly 250,000 tsuru (from churches, Girl Scouts, Buddhist temples, families, Nisei seniors, an origami class at San Quentin, activist groups, university clubs, other countries, and many more), seven direct actions, 22 healing circles for change, and dozens of artists, organizations, and activists – all of whom gathered as a collective community toward transformative solidarity.
The significance of the tsuru is to remember those who were incarcerated during WWII, and to show solidarity with detainees who are incarcerated today. The cruel conditions and neglect they have endured are being dangerously worsened by the pandemic.
With over a quarter of a million tsuru in storage, T4S has been spreading tsuru across the country, continuing protests to close the migrant detention camps. In addition, tsuru are being spread in communities as a sign of peace and love.
ACC Care Center lobby display, designed by Marissa Belmes.
According to Detention Watch Network (a national coalition-building organization with a goal to abolish immigration detention in the U.S.), the average daily population of detained immigrants in the U.S. increased from approximately 5,000 in 1994 to nearly 40,000 in 2017. After 30 years of expansion, the U.S. detention system now holds as many as 400,000 immigrants annually.
As a result, Tsuru for Solidarity, set a NEW goal of 525,000 tsuru – to honor those Japanese Americans incarcerated during WWII and to include the number of immigrants incarcerated annually. Through folding tsuru, T4S will show that immigrant children, youth, families and other detainees seeking safety in the U.S. will not be forgotten.
One local group wanted to express support for the T4S National Pilgrimage in Washington, D.C. – a book discussion group sponsored by the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library. The librarian selected, “Kiyo’s Story: A Japanese-American Family’s Quest for the American Dream” because of its powerful narrative of courage and resilience. Those in the book discussion group were so moved by “Kiyo’s Story,” they folded tsuru to express their collective concerns with U.S. immigration policies, with a plan to have the tsuru join with the other cranes when the protest occurred in D.C. When the pilgrimage and protest march were postponed, the group thought they could extend the message of hope, peace, and celebration, to local libraries and other venues. At the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven library, you’ll find books related to the Japanese American incarceration and immigration along with the tsuru. The tsuru are on display in the foyer entrance into the library.
ACC Senior Services lobby display, designed by Perfecto Bravo.
In an effort to spread the message of peace, joy, and hope, ACC Senior Services has also created displays of tsuru in every facility lobby for staff, volunteers, and residents and their family members, to brighten their days and to share information about Tsuru for Solidarity. ACC Senior Services has been a proud T4S supporter and created beautiful displays in all venues for staff, residents and their families and friends, and visitors.
All of the tsuru on display at ACC Senior Services were folded by Jim and Jean Kawano of Sacramento, who individually folded 20,000 in support of Tsuru for Solidarity and its mission.
Betty Eng, one of the members of the library book discussion group, is a life-long Sacramento area resident and community activist. She has been a long-time comrade and friend of Satsuki Ina, co-chair of Tsuru for Solidarity. Betty participated in original discussions of the formation of the Asian Community Center in the 1970s. According to Betty, “I am pleased that ACC has taken on sustaining and long-term policies regarding the pandemic, attacks on Asian American community and issues of the elderly. The services provided by ACC such as independent and assisted living facilities, on-line classes and workshops, transportation and Meals on Wheels have also been an amazing contribution to the community.”
Crane Folding A Poem by Betty Eng, Community Activist, Ed. D. May 12, 2020
Folding cranes, folding cranes, cranes, cranes
For the “National Pilgrimage to End the Camps”
www.tsuruforsolidarity.org
125,000 cranes for the number of Japanese women, men and children
Incarcerated in camps during WWII
Brutal camps, still, incarcerating refugees today
Strands of cranes to protest at the White House
Spread the wings for flight to receive my wish
For hope, peace and a celebration of life
I fold origami paper with care to honor and to pay tribute
Following same instructions and steps
Yet, each crane takes on a different persona: one is strong and proud,
Another is defiant and resilient, another is goofy and having fun…
By Jeri Shikuma, Administrator, ACC Home and Community Based Programs
I have been in my new role as ACC’s Home and Community Based Programs Administrator for over a month now and am happy to have this chance to say hello to our ACC community.
You might be wondering, “What is Home and Community Based Programs or HCBP?” It certainly is a mouthful compared to the “Programs” moniker we used to go by! HCBP is a standard term for programs that provide “person-centered health and human services to individuals who need assistance with everyday activities in their home or community.” HCBP helps people age in place at home, rather than moving into a facility for care.
Here at ACC, our vision for HCBP is more expansive than this normal definition, which is often associated with Medi-Cal. The HCBP Division at ACC consists of our in-person and online lifelong learning and wellness programs, our caregiver support programs, and our essential services such as ACC Rides. Many of these are typically viewed as Home and Community Based Programs and Services, while others are not, such as our array of fitness and health promotion offerings (think Pickleball!) and our computer technology and job skills training.
So why did we decide to change our name? The shift in our division’s name represents ACC’s commitment to provide a true continuum of services from active aging and lifelong learning and wellness, to long-term support services and end of life care. In our last ACC Newsletter, Darrick Lam, our President and CEO, talked about his focus on researching and developing more home and community-based services for ACC. Over the last several months, we have been exploring opportunities like PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) to see what other models and programs we may want to add to our continuum of services that will help increase the health, well-being, and independence of older adults in our community.
The name change to Home and Community Based Programs also highlights our commitment to person-centered care. That means addressing and respecting all aspects of what makes someone who they are, taking into account their social, economic, and cultural attributes as well as their physical and mental conditions. It also means creating a system or network of services that is user-friendly and accessible across many types of programs in-house at ACC as well as in our broader community. To that end, HCBP has been working with staff from all divisions at ACC to create effective ways to assess individuals, inform them of available resources, and connect them to the people and services they need both in-house and in the community.
Our goal is to create a “no wrong door” approach to ensure that our clients, residents, participants, and community members are able to navigate the system of services, make informed decisions, and resolve their issues successfully.
There is a lot of work to be done, but it is all good and important work. We look forward to welcoming many of you back to in-person classes and expanding our online offerings and events, we’re delving into expanding our long-term care and essential services, and we’re piloting new ways to build our referral and follow-up capacity. Home and Community Based Programs staff and volunteers are working hard to create useful services and engage you in meaningful experiences. If this resonates with you, I hope you’ll support us, and let us know your thoughts and ideas and even share some of your talents and resources. I look forward to meeting many more of you personally in the months to come. In the meantime, you can always send me an email or check out one of our great classes, workshops, or programs!
ACC Big Day of Giving on May 6, 2021, raised a record-breaking $210,000 for ACC Senior Services, smashing our goal of $100,000! Over 500 donations were received via ACCSV.org, the Big Day of Giving Sacramento Region Community Foundation website, the ACC telethon phone bank, US mail, and in-person drop-offs. ACC’s total places ACC in the top 5 on the Big Day of Giving (BDOG) leaderboard, right behind the Salvation Army and Sacramento Food Bank, SPCA, and Yolo Food Bank. And we’re pleased that 100 percent of our Board members made contributions this year!
Our success is due to the strong partnership among Board members, staff, and volunteers. The BDOG working group met regularly since February to plan this year’s event. The six-hour epic telethon featured over 60 program segments with 140 performers, presenters, and panelists from the ACC Community. Our MC’s – Stuart Satow, Tim Corcoran, and Jean Shiomoto kept the program lively and engaging. Ted Fong and his amazing production crew put on a professional-quality, entertaining show live-streamed over YouTube, Facebook, and Zoom. Board members stepped up and handled phone bank duties. ACC’s Chief Financial Officer Lisa Poon, Fund Development, IT team led by Perfecto Bravo, and many other staff and volunteers provided support (and food!) to keep everyone going for the telethon that turned into a six-hour event!
And we did all this amid a pandemic.
We’re very grateful to our donors and the entire ACC family for giving their time and treasures for Big Day of Giving 2021. We really did “Go Big” – for our organization and community, staff and volunteers, and especially the seniors whom we’re dedicated to serving.
Thank you.
Jean Shiomoto and Titus Toyama Co-Chairs, BDOG 2021
Thank you to all our 2021 Big Day of Giving Supporters!
TRAILBLAZER – $10,000 and up Anonymous Winston & Loretta Ashizawa
HUMANITARIAN – $5,000 to $9,999 Anonymous Vivian & Wilson Lem Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society Alliance Shirley Opie & Wayne Shimizu Craig & Kathi Sue Helen Yee Herbert K. Yee & Inez F. Yee Foundation Yee Law Group
BENEFACTOR – $2,500 to $4,999 Nami Berg Tim & Tonya Corcoran Mona Gergen Walter Liang Betty Masuoka Steve & Jan Muraki David & Jean Shiomoto Chiang & Ruth Wang Glenn Watanabe & Nancy C. Wai-Watanabe
COMPASSIONATE CONTRIBUTOR – $1,000 to $2,499 Harold Arimoto Vicki & Jeffrey Bezzone Mark Blagdon Bruce & Emily Chapman Brian & Jean Chin Phil & Evelyn Chin Joyce Iseri Willie & Nancy Fong Charles & Doris Kobayashi Clement Kong Arlene Lance Alfred & Joleen Lee Andrew Liou – First Republic Bank Richard & Deborah Llata Baron & Jean Lowe Edith Mar Paula Mishima Joaquin Ngarangad Marlene Oehler Maureen Quintal Heidi Sakazaki Chris Tomine Titus & Donna Toyama Winston Wong Jan Yokoi Donna Yee William & Judy Yee
GRATEFUL GIVER – $500 to $999 Keith & Karen Adachi Courtney Bailey-Kanelos Linda Cabatic & Cy Rickards Calpo Hom and Dong Architects, Inc. Jean Chong Nick Crane – RBC Wealth Management Peter & Susan Dileanis Jeannie Fong Catheen Gardella Justine Garibay Howard Harris Grace Hatano Paula Higashi & Fred Taugher Jeffrey Hiratsuka Esther Hokama Judith Keen Dian Kiser & Teresa Boschert Holly Fong Korach Barry & Ricarda Lim Sue Lim Dianne Louie Linda Louie Janie Low Anthony Lum Candy Mar & Ken Philipson Don & Sheri Morishita Margo Miyashiro Lois Nishimura Gail Oshima Masashi & Mollie Oto Dale & Helen Quan Kenneth & Rachel Salca Melanie & Jenn Segar Mary (Kee) Tan Ronald Tanaka Janet Tedesco Ron & Maeley Tom Antoine Waterford Kathy Wong Jason Wu Kimland & Ellen Yee Walton & Linda Yip Elsie Yun
Something you might not know about Diana Atkins, ACC’s beloved SCSEP office assistant, is that she’s a world-class singer. In fact, her voice is classified as coloratura soprano—a rare distinction reserved for vocalists with expansive tonal range.
“I can sing all over the piano, up to the last High C,” she says via Zoom from her Sacramento home, where she is working remotely thanks to a SMUD Shine Award laptop she received from ACC. In other words: she’s the real deal.
Diana has been sharing her voice with lucky crowds ever since she was seven years old. At that time, she began accompanying her pastor father to street ministry sessions he gave in downtown Stockton, where Diana spent much of her childhood. Diana remembers standing in an outdoor marketplace atop an orange crate, shaking her tambourine and leading her father’s audience in song. Eventually, people started coming out just for her.
Diana’s music career took off from there. She moved to Los Angeles in 1958, and for a brief period in her early twenties was signed to Gordy Records, an early label from Motown founder Berry Gordy— until her father, the pastor, caught wind of a love song she recorded that had a little too much love in it.
Diana transitioned to gospel and is still singing to this day. She established herself as a vocalist for gospel pioneer James Cleveland and a member of the LA Community Choir. Due to her unique vocal gifts, Diana was frequently sought after by choirs, churches, and music schools around the nation, and has travelled as far as Hawaii and New York as a performer and teacher over the course of her career.
It’s a great story, the story of Diana the singer—ask her about it sometime, and she might tell you about it herself. But it’s not her whole story. While Diana has been busy singing over the last 60 years, she’s also been busy with everything else that comes over the course of a full life.
Diana has four children, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. (Football fans will recognize her grandson, Ahkello Witherspoon—a star cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers.) After moving from Los Angeles to Sacramento in 1981, she held longtime jobs as a medical transcriptionist and then as a social worker in the foster care system. Through the second job, Diana has also been a foster mother to twenty-two foster children, and she still keeps in contact with many of them.
On top of all this, Diana is a lifelong learner who has received three degrees—including a recent sociology degree from Cosumnes River College, at age 78. She wants to spread the word to other seniors: “You don’t have to get bored when you go to school, it’s fun, and nowadays you can do it online from the comfort of your home!”
Despite her many achievements, Diana hit in a rough patch in summer 2018. She had been out of work, and just when she found her new training assignment job—as a Rides office assistant through ACC SCSEP program — her daughter suddenly passed away.
Diana’s new coworkers told her she could delay her start date and take more time to rest, but Diana felt sure that being alone at home would make her depressed. So, she says, “I started to work the day after we had my daughter’s funeral service—and it brought me so much joy, oh my God.”
She goes on to describe the community she has found at ACC. The new friends she made helped support her through that dark time, she says, and have continued to bring light to her days ever since. “It was really good for me. Really—it saved my life.”
Besides making friends, what Diana appreciates most about working at ACC is being exposed to new cultures. She hadn’t met many Asian people before, and she says she’s now learning all kinds of stuff. “I’ve learned I can eat without ham hocks,” she says with a laugh. She’s also learned she likes tea, and yoga—but mostly she talks about “the delicious food” her coworkers make.
Working from home during COVID, Diana has continued learning new things. She’s been able to take virtual classes at the Urban League through SMUD, where she has gained skills in customer service and financial literacy. And recently, she started her new position as the SCSEP office assistant, helping other SCSEP participants complete their distance learning and job development forms and activities.
But of course, she misses the office (and especially the food). She’s got a bucket list of things she wants to do when she can return in person, including taking a tai chi class—another new thing her ACC co-workers have introduced to her.
“This has all been eye-opening for me,” she says of her time at ACC. “I’ll be glad when I go back in person.”
2021 began with, as some would say, a shot in the arm as residents and frontline workers at ACC Care Center, Greenhaven Terrace, and Maple Tree Village got their COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccine took less than a year to develop, a fantastic triumph of science and technology, showing what is possible when government, companies, and organizations work together.
As our community continues to adjust to life with vaccinations and the COVID-19 pandemic, ACC Senior Services is now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. ACC has started putting together a COVID recovery plan on visitation guidelines for in-room, indoor, outdoor, and large indoor communal spaces.
The pandemic has drawn attention to what it means to age in place. This year, ACC will develop a plan to determine which home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) meet the needs of people who want to get person-centered care in their home or community, instead of in an institutional setting. ACC is working on a speaker series to invite experts in HCBS to help ACC and the community learn about these services. In early March, Jeannee Parker Martin, President & CEO for LeadingAge California, conducted a workshop for our Board members and volunteers on “Trends & Strategies for Home & Community-Based Services.” In early April, we will have a special presentation by the California PACE Association on “The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. We will continue to keep you posted on the speaker series and the development of the plan.
Even before the pandemic, ACC and Meals on Wheels by ACC recognized people’s desire to maintain their autonomy and independence at home. Today, together, we provide transportation, home nutrition, and referral services to meet their needs, all of which we consider a good start towards planning for HCBS.
In January, Governor Gavin Newsom released California’s Master Plan for Aging (MPA), which Darrick helped develop as a member of the MPA Stakeholder Advisory Committee. The article on page 2 explains the critical features of the state’s 10-year plan. As part of MPA implementation, Darrick has been appointed to the California MPA Equity In Aging Advisory Committee, which focuses on applying an equity lens thoughtfully and thoroughly to MPA implementation activities and the California Department of Aging’s services and programs, particularly those in response to COVID-19.
Darrick plays a significant role in planning the American Society on Aging’s Diversity Summit On Aging Annual Conference scheduled in early April. He will serve as the host for a panel featuring Jennie Chin Hansen, RN, Commissioner at Healthy California for All Commission; Professor Fernando Torres-Gil, Ph.D., first Assistant Secretary for Aging at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services – Administration on Aging; and Percil Stanford, Ph.D., President at Folding Voice LLC.
We want to take this opportunity to welcome Deborah Kania as the new administrator for ACC Maple Tree Village. Deborah is a Registered Nurse whose career has spanned over 35 years in the health care field, working with seniors in various settings. Her experience includes skilled nursing, acute hospital, hospice, and PACE (Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly). She was, in fact, the early Director of Nurses at ACC Care Center back in the day!
In recognition of National Women’s Month, we want to acknowledge the many women of ACC, past and present, who have made many significant contributions and tirelessly work for and on behalf of ACC as Administrators, managers, staff, and supporters. One is Donna L. Yee, who led ACC for 17 years before her retirement at the end of 2017. As ACC navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Melanie Segar, ACC’s Chief Operating Officer, and Tamara Kario, ACC’s Care Center Administrator, worked diligently to keep residents and staff safe in all of ACC’s facilities. As there is not enough space to name everyone, we give a shout out to all the women of ACC
ACC Online Programming has enjoyed a strong run since it began in October 2020. To date, we have live-streamed more than 150 class sessions, workshops, concerts, and community meetings on YouTube, Facebook, and Zoom. We have seen a rise in attendance from people both inside and outside Sacramento! Help us continue to keep our seniors active and engaged by supporting ACC. To donate, go to accsv.org/donate or contact Thyan Pham at tpham@accsv.org.
Finally, on Thursday, May 6, ACC will host its Big Day of Giving Virtual Telethon. Building on the immense success we had last year, ACC is looking to raise at least $100,000. If you would like to be a supporter or a performer in this year’s event, contact Thyan Pham at tpham@accsv.org. See you on May 6!
Like all health and human service providers, ACC’s staff and volunteers have been challenged to continue to provide essential services for our seniors while keeping everyone safe at the same time. This is especially true for our ACC Rides Transportation Program. Despite these challenges, we have been honored to receive the Safety Recognition Award for Excellence In Safety from NonProfits United Vehicle Insurance. This award represents the third consecutive year that we’ve been honored. All three banners are proudly displayed in our office area.
Additionally, ACC Rides received special recognition from the Agency on Aging Area 4 for “Exceptional Performance for overcoming unprecedented challenges during the COVID19 public health emergency.” The timing in receiving the award could not be more special as we celebrate the initial distribution of the vaccines that brings with it a hope for a better tomorrow.
Both awards are testaments to the dedication and skill that our staff bring to their jobs and how our combined caring for others make this a better community for all.
In a challenging time when so many of our vulnerable seniors are faced with physical and social isolation, the transportation services provide by ACC Ride’s staff is more important than ever. We will continue to transport seniors to life-saving treatment and provide other essential services like home-delivered meals that help all members of our community to stay safe.
We are thrilled that the majority of our transportation staff members have received the COVID-19 vaccine. We will continue to use personal protective equipment and follow CDC guidelines to keep our clients, volunteers, and staff safe.
My parents started their 68 years of married lives apart. My father, Shi Chen (Mark) Chiang, worked in Hong Kong while my mother, Kok Pei Chiang, moved to the United States. Yet, once they were reunited, they were rarely apart, even at ACC Care Center where they both resided.
On February 27, 2021, my mother passed away at the Care Center. My father used his last words to call out for her the next morning and passed away the evening of February 28, just 18 hours after his wife. Their amazing story of being together all the way to the end was made possible by ACC.
After serving on the ACC Board back in the day with some of the “originals” like Chewy Ito and Winston Ashizawa, I was excited to see ACC expanding into the senior independent living market and my parents were one of the first couples to move into ACC Greenhaven Terrace after the facility was purchased in 2007. I was grateful to have my parents within minutes of my own home. At the beginning, they were very shy because they were native Cantonese speakers, and their English was limited. But after a couple of years, as more Cantonese-speaking residents moved to GT, they made many friends and could be seen “high-fiving” others in the Community Room.
Activities were a big part of their lives, especially those that were culturally focused. I could tell the activities made my parents feel lively and important instead of old and useless. Although my mom was frail and couldn’t participate in the exercise classes, she enjoyed just being in the room, watching and moving her feet along to the music. My mom started planting and I could tell she was having fun. GT-organized birthday celebrations, trips to Red Hawk, hanging out in the mah-jong room visiting with friends, and free coffee were other highlights. These types of supportive activities are so critical for the elders and really enabled my parents to thrive and flourish during their time at GT.
My parents resided at GT for almost 12 years before moving to the ACC Care Center due to failing health. Their participation in daily activities continued at the Care Center where having employees who speak other languages was essential to their well-being. I consider it a blessing that my parents were able to be cared for at another ACC facility after being unable to continue safely living on their own. They spent their final 2 ½ years at the Care Center.
My family, Joe , Gulnara, Brittany, Marshall and Sophia are so thankful for the wonderful, compassionate care my parents received and all of the happy memories ACC helped to create.
