Did you know that only 0.17% of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding goes to scientific research for Asian Americans, even though Asian Americans constitute nearly 6% of the US population? It is staggering to see the lack of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) representation in research when so many of us have four or even five generations of family in America.
The National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) needs more Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) to enroll in the Collaborative Approach for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Research and Education (CARE) Registry to address this inequality.
The CARE Registry is specifically designed to increase AAPI participation and representation in research focused on Alzheimer’s, dementia, and caregiving. This is an opportunity for AAPIs to participate in important research that may affect you, your parents, children, and grandchildren.
If you identify as an Asian, Asian American and/or Pacific Islander, are 18+ years old, can speak and read English, Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese), Vietnamese, or Korean, and are interested in participating in potential research projects, adding your name to the CARE Registry will ensure that scientists can gather the data they need for critical research. Being in the registry indicates that you are willing to be contacted by researchers to learn about and participate in various dementia, caregiver, and health-related studies. If and when you are contacted, you are not obligated to participate and can decline at that time.
I understand if you are hesitant to participate in surveys and other forms of studies. I never liked surveys either. I see them in emails and on receipts all the time. Usually, I skip over them. It wasn’t until I started working at ACC and community programs that I got to be on the other side of the survey and see how important they can be. How do we serve the community and make sure we are providing services that people actually want without feedback? Similarly, how do healthcare providers or policymakers make sound decisions without data from the community they serve? I realize now that taking some time out of my day to contribute to a cause that makes a difference is worthwhile.
To enroll in the CARE Registry, you will need to complete a brief survey online, by phone or in person, and receive $10 as a thank you. You can go online at tinyurl.com/acc8585, call Dani Lee at (916) 393-9026, ext. 339, or simply stop by the office! We would love to help you walk through it.
Inosi Naga, originally from Fiji, training at ACC SCSEP office.
I have been working for SCSEP for more than two years, and I have seen that this program can have a positive impact on mature job seekers’ lives. ACC- SCSEP has helped dozens of senior job seekers to find employment in the past five years. What really inspires me to work for this program are those moments when participants exit for unsubsidized employment with a big smile, or when you see a participant learning new skills and growing. It is important to note that ACC has been a key supporter of SCSEP participants by connecting them with more opportunities and community resources, especially during the COVID19 pandemic.
No demographic has been more impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic than older adults. SCSEP has helped older adults to stay employed during the pandemic. The program provided online training hours to participants so that they could continue to receive their benefits. Our immediate priority during the pandemic was the health and safety of our participants. At the beginning of the pandemic, we were able to secure a grant and provide laptops for participants. In the meantime, with the support of the Sacramento Public Library, we provided free hotspot devices to participants to help them engage in email communications, take online classes, and eventually learn how to search online for jobs using their own laptops.
Another benefit of SCSEP for older adults is civic engagement and reduced mental health issues. Isolation from the community and doing nothing can be very dangerous for one’s mental health. Our participants’ engagement in the community and their support of community organizations can have a positive impact on their overall well-being and stability. According to the National Council on Aging, the health of older adults also suffers when they struggle with finances. The SCSEP financial support is a huge help for the participants and allows them to be independent with less financial stress while searching for a job.
The program also provides participants with a variety of supportive services such as personal and job-related counseling, job search assistance, job referrals, technology training, utility assistance, and other community resources. The program team is working continually to connect participants with community resources. At this time, we are planning to organize a computer class for our participants where they will work with a computer instructor to improve their technology skills. I believe SCSEP is more than just a job training program for seniors. It is a golden opportunity for those who want to improve themselves and build a better quality of life.
To learn more about SCSEP, contact Haroon Abasy at habasy@accsv.org or visit accsv.org/senior-job-training-program.
Many healthcare professionals have dual caregiving roles at home which require them to juggle work, caregiving, and other family responsibilities. These are the ones sandwiched between taking care of their children, their parents, and sometimes a spouse who is ill.
Those who work at the ACC Care Center have yet another caregiving role: They care for vulnerable residents. Caring for dying, dependent, marginalized, or traumatized residents is particularly stressful, especially after caring for them over a prolonged period of time. A similar stress is felt by those who work at ACC Greenhaven Terrance and ACC Maple Tree village which provide 24/7 assisted living services.
I have witnessed firsthand the effects that our staff endured when they closely identified with residents, and ultimately absorbed the trauma or suffering of those they helped. When the pandemic hit, many of us went into full response mode and neglected to care for ourselves. Yes, we kept COVID-19 at bay, but the physical and emotional cost to ourselves was high. Our families felt the burden, too. Caregiver exhaustion is common all throughout the U.S. and is even more acute for those who work on the front lines of skilled nursing and assisted living.
Dr. Scott Stringer, ACC’s Medical Director, saw this coming. As a former emergency room physician, he knew what caregiver burnout looked like and how to prevent it. He promoted the idea of self-awareness, self-care, and setting boundaries. In other words, take care of yourself first. But in a complex environment like the ACC Care Center, how can healthcare professionals disengage from their caregiving role and find balance and respite? Is it even desirable? The answer is yes. At first, it feels like you are walking away from your responsibilities, but really you are going where you can recharge and come back better and stronger. It makes for a better you and for a better team. After all, professional caregiving requires intensity, endurance, and a positive attitude. The ability to sustain these qualities under adverse conditions, such as the pandemic, is essential. Setting boundaries and taking care of yourself first is possible at ACC because our management team and culture support it. My co-workers tell me to take a break or go home and rest, encouraging the respite I need to fully flourish. And I do the same for them. We are like a family. Everyone looks out for everyone, covering for each other when needed.
Open communication at ACC has allowed everyone from our CEO, Darrick Lam, to our staff members to learn about and support people who are struggling. And let’s be clear, at ACC there is no penalty or stigma attached to saying, “I need help” or “I have a personal problem.” We are well beyond that because our lives are too important. Anyone going through a rough patch knows they will be welcomed into a supportive environment. Indeed, I took time off to deal with some personal matters- and, upon returning, I was gratified to notice a caring element in each department. One could say that this higher level of human caring is the ultimate silver lining of COVID-19!
When someone has a problem that is not work-related, we try to help by being flexible at work. One person lost several family members in an auto accident. Do we proceed with our standard bereavement policy, or do we do something different because of the magnitude of the loss? What can we do to really help this person? Someone else was going through a major a financial crisis. We asked how can we restructure his job responsibilities and work hours to help him get through it? In both cases, we took care of them.
I’m very humbled to be working at an organization that adopts an ambitious mission, which is reflected in the day-to-day caring of our residents and of each other. With such a powerful sense of caring, ACC Care Center is more than just a facility to me. It is a group of amazing people. It is my work family. What other caregivers and I strive for the most is making a significant difference in individuals’ lives.
In the words of the poet Maya Angelou, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
ACC Rides drivers do more than just transport clients. They provide assurance whenever someone is feeling unnerved and worried. They show empathy and exceptional care to all our clients. While we often receive kudos for our work, we received three outstanding commendations all highlighting one driver – Kong Ho.
The first was received as an email to ACC staff noting how driver Kong truly took care of his family member, making her laugh. The writer further stated that Kong obviously cares about his work and his clients. The family member requested that his sincere gratitude be passed along to Kong.
Just a day later, ACC received an email from Nancy Yilk, HHP, the owner of Optimum Health on Riverside Boulevard, stating she was sending “a message of support,” expressing her gratitude to Kong and to ACC Rides for its work in the community.
Contacted later, Nancy told us the story. She said the pandemic has made people very edgy. She describes one of her clients, a 70-year-old woman, who was feeling this way. “ACC Rides came to to pick her up. The driver was Kong Ho. When arrived, the first words he said to her were so kind and understanding. He had such a generous soul.” Nancy was moved. “It’s not every day I meet people who treat others like this. Even the way he helped the lady into the car was done with great care. He made her feel safe, which made me feel safe for her.”
While we are proud of all the commendations received, this next one really stands out. Kong was transporting someone going to a doctor’s appointment. Upon arriving at the medical facility, the client became agitated and was yelling in the vehicle. She did not want to get out of the van to see the doctor and continued to yell and scream.
A medical doctor called the office requesting to speak to the ACC Rides’ Manager to share her appreciation for how Kong handled the situation. No one from the doctor’s office or the client’s family was able to persuade the client to come out of the vehicle, aside from Kong. The medical doctor was so impressed with how Kong handled the situation that she felt compelled to share her admiration and commend Kong for his professionalism and finesse in de-escalating the situation.
This was the first time ACC Rides received a call from a medical doctor sharing an experience with one of ACC Rides’ drivers. There’s always a first, but we at Rides were so excited we had to share with everyone – we could not just keep it to ourselves.
All these exceptional compliments came in within a span of thirty days! KUDOS Kong! You represent ACC Senior Services truly well.
This year for the first time, ACC will host a walkathon on Saturday, September 17, 2022. This event will be one of the ACC 50th Anniversary Celebration events. The ACC 50th Anniversary ‘Ohana Walk not only celebrates the 50th Anniversary but also is designed and intended for the ACC ‘Ohana.
‘Ohana is Hawaiian for “family.” The target audience for participation will include the entire family, especially the children and grandchildren of ACC Seniors, as well as the family and friends of other nonprofit organizations that serve the ACC community.
The ‘Ohana Walk will include different age-bracket divisions from keiki to super seniors. The ‘Ohana Walk will have teams of walkers representing their families and organizations. Walkers will seek pledges in support of their participation in the event. It will feature some friendly competition and include an ‘Ohana T-shirt, lots of prizes, and complementary items. Donors may sponsor a walker for a flat amount or for half mile increments, measured in “checkpoints.” All proceeds of the event will support our residential facilities and our home and community-based programs.
The ‘Ohana Walk will be held at the Greenhaven Pocket Canal Parkway. The entire route is 2.5 miles end-to-end with six Checkpoint Stations, 1⁄2 mile apart. Each Checkpoint Station will be staffed by participating sister organizations. Participants may start and end at any of the Checkpoints where the distances walked will be recorded. Tracking and record-keeping of the pledges will be done with an on-line app designed for walkathon events. Following the ‘Ohana Walk, a celebratory picnic with hot dogs and hamburgers is planned at the ACC Campus.
All registered walkers will receive an ACC ‘Ohana Walk T-shirt.
Adults, ages 20 to 79 years old, $35
Youth, 9 to 19 years old, $15
Keiki, 8 years and under, and Super Seniors, 80+ years old, FREE
To learn more, visit our event page at accsv.org/ohana or contact Wayne Kurahara at kurahara@sbcglobal.net.
ACC Senior Services raised over $308,000 for this year’s Big Day of Giving! ACC’s 50th anniversary campaign for the Sacramento regional fundraising marathon was nothing short of big, including four thrilling lead-in events and a two-day telethon featuring both classic acts and new surprises. Long-time donors and new supporters alike joined us for poignant conversations on caregiving, delicious cooking demonstrations, and pickleball and golf tournaments. Yet the two-day telethon definitely stole the show, treating viewers to back-to-back evenings packed with entertainment. Linda Cabatic’s article on the Big DAYS of Giving events will take you through every profound, delicious, exhilarating, and entertaining step of our Big DAYS of Giving program.
Jean Shiomoto, Don Morishita, and Holly Fong Korach announced the winners of the golf tournament.
Staff and volunteers alike are still celebrating this year’s result, not only because it broke another all-time fundraising record, but also because it means exciting months ahead for our programs.
As part of our 50th anniversary, we are committing to an even more responsive and comprehensive Community of Caring. This includes expanding our Home and Community-Based Services with a “No Wrong Door” caregiving approach – in essence, services that identify and address everyone’s needs in full.
Thanks in part to Big Day of Giving, we are formally launching our Senior Escort Program (SEP), which offers volunteers to accompany adults over the age of 60 for walks, errands, and other activities. This program arose from the Sacramento Senior Safety Collaborative (Sac SSC) in response to growing anti-Asian hate incidents, the majority of which have been targeted at seniors. Program volunteers are trained in bystander intervention to help make potentially uncomfortable public outings easier and offer companionship and support throughout the outings. The program’s soft launch in 2021 scheduled 35 outings, and program staff aim to have at least 30 monthly outings and events for participants this year.
Jeri Shikuma with Suleka Lindley, the owner of Thai Basil Restaurant, on ACC’s Big Day of Cooking.
In addition to this wonderful program debut, well-established programs and resources will benefit from the Big Day of Giving. ACC Rides will expand to offer more same-day service scheduling, a vital option for seniors with mobility issues who have an urgent errand to run or who forget to schedule a ride to an appointment. This flexibility will give Rides participants peace of mind. Speaking of flexibility, Lifelong Learning & Wellness is expanding its fan-favorite cooking demonstrations with a wider variety of dishes, including plant-based cooking classes requested by our supporter community.
Julie Meline and Kala Haley-Clark tallied the telethon totals.
Of course, our 50th anniversary fundraising campaigns also go to maintaining care of our residents, programs, and services. This support is essential for keeping ACC on a strong foundation and helps us make important improvements (like a new roof for our ACC Greenhaven Terrace independent and assisted living facility) and continue COVID safety measures.
The secret to our success, as always, is the strong Community of Caring that supports care of our residents, programs, and services. More than 600 gifts came in for this year’s Big Day of Giving, and nearly one-third of this year’s donors supported the Big Day of Giving last year. These loyal supporters not only gave to support our Community of Caring but got the word out to their friends and family, helping us welcome 77 brand new donors who fell in love with our mission.
Brian Soublet processed phone donations during the telethon.
Finally, several major gifts from Roger and Florence Fong, an anonymous donor, Joaquin Ngarangad, Darrick and Jackie Lam, David and Jean Shiomoto, and Craig and Kathi Sue helped us reach third place on the Sacramento Region Community Foundation Big Day of Giving campaign leaderboard and beat last year’s Big Day of Giving total by nearly one hundred thousand dollars. Roger and Florence Fong declared their $50,000 gift during the May 5th telethon, causing a huge cheer to erupt in between entertainment acts. Several of our leading donors leveraged their gifts in new ways by pledging a gift to a matching fund pool, allowing donors to double their impact. In fact, over a quarter of our Big Day of Giving funds raised were dedicated to our matching funds pool.
All of ACC thank our generous supporters, without whom none of this would be possible. We are honored that you are the BIG heart behind our Big DAYS of Giving!
As a board member of ACC, I could not be more delighted to also be a volunteer for its Big Day of Giving. Organized by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, the Big Day of Giving helps nonprofits throughout the Sacramento region raise money for their respective causes. This year, they collectively raised more than $13M. ACC raised $308,000, placing #3 among the 700 organizations that participated.
Remix Barbershop Quartet with Dar Haag, Renee Beers, Kent Borrowdale, and Stan Trumbull, the youngest member at 81.
This year, ACC organized five events leading up to the Big Day of Giving on May 5. The first event was an afternoon of uplifting and informative talks for family caregivers. The Big Day of Caring was livestreamed from ACC Senior Services on April 7, 2022. George Connor, guitarist/singer/songwriter and member of Asian Pair and the Guitar Ensemble, opened and closed the Big Day of Caring with his excellent singing. David Troxel, co-author of the book Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer’s Care, was one of the guest lecturers who provided information on memory care. Diane Kidwell of New Leaf Senior Transitions shared tips for decluttering and downsizing your home. Paula Hayashi, Realtor and Senior Real Estate Specialist with Coldwell Banker, discussed selling your home, and Julia Interrante talked about creating meaningful experiences during end-of-life. ACC’s own Jeri Shikuma, Soojin Yoo and Virginia Wieneke provided information about services that can help with caring for seniors, and Yesenia Jones discussed transitioning to long-term care.
Nilda Valmores, center, was one of the telethon’s honorees. She sang For Good with Tina Macuha, accompanied by Ted Fong.
The Big Day of Pickleball Tournament was held and livestreamed on April 15, 2022. Information was provided on the Pickleball Club, which started in 2015, and a lot of friendly competition and laughter were abundant that day. Mike Lee and Jan Goto served as the Masters of Ceremonies for the tournament and club leaders, Sunny Jung, Jeannie Fong, and Gary Berg, were the stalwart volunteers that helped to put the tournament together.
Savory smells permeated ACC’s Administrative Campus on April 21, 2022, when ACC livestreamed the Big Day of Cooking. Well-known Sacramento chefs provided instruction on cooking some of their favorite dishes. Lana Fong Chong demonstrated the art of wrapping joong using a wooden mold, which was designed by her father-in-law Alvin. The wooden joong molds were made by Peter Dileanis. (Joong is sticky rice, Chinese sausage, pork belly, peanuts, and salted egg yolks wrapped in bamboo leaves.) Lana also recognized Oto’s Marketplace for their generous support of ACC and for their donation of the rice for the cooking demonstration.
ACC Pocket Pickers performs at many ACC events throughout the year.
Dick Mazon and Patty Wood sang “Won’t You Come Home Bill Bailey.”
Raeselle Lourdes, owner of Ube Café, demonstrated the art of making Ube white chocolate chip brownies. (Ube is a purple yam typically used in Filipino cuisine.) Sou Saelee showed how easy it was to make a colorful and delicious Thai Papaya Salad. Billy Ngo, the owner of Kru, demonstrated the technique for breaking down the loin of a tuna and was appreciative of the donations from Sunh Fish and Oto’s Marketplace for his cooking demonstration. Award-winning chef David SooHoo demonstrated his techniques for making Peking Duck and provided his insights about the connection of cultural heritage to food. He also sat for an interview with culinary historian Maryellen Burns, who is also a regular ACC presenter. ACC’s own Soojin Yoo showed how easy it was to make Korean barbecue and Suleka Sun-Lindley, owner of Thai Basil Restaurant and Veg Café & Bar, demonstrated the techniques for making a delicious curry noodle salad.
The 15th Annual Golf Tournament became the Big Day of Golf, which was held at Teal Bend on April 27, 2022. Chaired by Don Morishita and Holly Fong Korach, the event sold out weeks before, with 160 golfers participating. Golfers received commemorative jackets and were treated to a burrito breakfast provided by ACC’s President and CEO Darrick Lam. Their meal included spam musubi from L&L Hawaiian BBQ and somen prepared by Lynn Kurahara and her team. The Hole-in-One prize was donated by William Yee, Winston Ashizawa, and Holly Fong Korach and John Korach. Since there was no Hole-in-One winner, the money was donated to ACC.
ACC staff produced “We Will Survive,” a music video that inspires hope for the post-pandemic future. Jay Sloan and his co-workers busted out their moves in celebration.
The main Big Day of Giving event was our two-day telethon held on May 4th and 5th. Emcees Jean Shiomoto, Tim Corcoran, Jeri Shikuma, Scott Okamoto, and Dani Lee were vivacious, fun, and as popular as the acts they introduced. New acts this year included the Remix Barbershop Quarter (the youngest member is 81), Ho’opili Hawaiian Band with Carla Fontanilla, Larry Lew and the Jazz Crew, Yesenia Jones, Patty Wood, and Dick Mazon. Returning acts included Merv Maruyama, Maeley Tom, the Gracious Ladies O Kehaula’i Hula, ACC Pocket Pickers, ACC Folk Guitar Club, and Asian Pair.
Franklin High School Vocal Ensemble
The theme of the telethon was Compassion. Just about every performer and presenter told a story about a family member or about their journey as a caregiver, and how compassion is ingrained into ACC’s culture. High schoolers Andrew Louie and Zach Gee gave moving testimonies on why they volunteer at ACC. Tamara Kario, Soojin Yoo, and Virginia Wieneke told stories about the exceptional ACC employees who serve the community with purpose and passion. The students who performed in Franklin High School’s Vocal Ensemble spoke about living with their grandparents and why it’s important to support older adults in their remaining years.
Maeley Tom sang selections from the Great American Songbook.
The telethon paid tribute to Lonnie Wong on his retirement from 50 years in journalism, 41 of those years at Fox40 News. Lonnie emceed a 30-minute segment of the telethon with co-host Scott Okamoto. Nilda Valmores, the Executive Director of My Sister’s house, was also honored. She is stepping down after 18 years of service and turning the reins over to Yen Marshall, formerly an executive of AT&T and a well-known leader in Sacramento’s nonprofit community. Television personality Tina Macuha joined Nilda in a touching performance of For Good from the musical Wicked. Lonnie and Nilda were presented with a special edition of the ACC News with their pictures and tributes from friends in the ACC community.
The production team livestreamed the Big Day of Pickleball, the Big Day of Cooking, the Big Day of Caring, and the telethon on YouTube and Facebook.
ACC produced nine hours of livestreamed programming that required months of planning and preparation. Members of the Big Day of Giving workgroup, co-chaired by Jean Shiomoto and Titus Toyama, divided and conquered the heavy lifting along with Ted Fong, the executive producer of the telethon. This included researching and producing each show segment, scriptwriting, emceeing, the phone bank, front door donor collection/performer check-in, IT support, video production, volunteer management, marketing, donor relations, set design, camera operations, audio engineering, and even the hospitality service (food!) for the people working the telethon, performers, and presenters. Eighty percent of the show was live, supplemented with more than 25 pre-recorded segments. One of them was the epic “We Will Survive” music video produced by Perfecto Bravo and Ted Fong that featured ACC staff and volunteers dancing and singing.
Gracious Ladies O Kehaula’i Hula
Donations for the Big Day of Giving started in early April and peaked on the second day of the telethon, which opened with Roger and Florence Fong calling into the show with a $50,000 donation! There were 600 donors, with 83 donating over $500 and 77 new donors.
A big THANK YOU to all our donors, volunteers, performers, and presenters who made this year’s Big Day of Giving the biggest ever.
When Mollie Oto passed away in January of this year, Sacramento lost a community leader and a very special person. Her legacy was felt at this year’s Big Day of Giving Telethon on May 4th. We interviewed her daughter, Cheryl Inouye, who talked about a $5,520 gift to ACC from Oto’s Marketplace and Ray Yamamoto of A Sushi Experience.
According to Cheryl, every year during the Christmas Holiday season, Oto’s Marketplace, together with their employees, Mollie Oto, and Ray Yamamoto (A Sushi Experience), come together to raise money for charity.
Darrick Lam (L) thanks Cheryl Inouye (C) on half of ACC Senior Services, with Kala Haley-Clark (R)
Cheryl said her mother was a very generous person and gave donations to many groups including Special Olympics and the American Cancer Society. If you went to her home, she would have stacks of envelopes with donations on the table. ACC is one of the organizations that she supported and believed in because of what it does for seniors.
During the holiday season, Oto’s Marketplace has a raffle with its employees, where Oto’s provides the prizes, chooses a charity, and employees purchase raffle tickets. Cheryl said both Mollie Oto and Ray Yamamoto each match the employee’s donations – dollar for dollar.
Historically, they supported the Make-A-Wish Foundation. But in 2020, when COVID took its financial toll on local nonprofits, Oto’s Marketplace decided to direct their giving locally. In 2020, they chose Meals on Wheels by ACC. In 2021, they received a letter from ACC in celebration of its 50th Anniversary and decided to choose ACC Senior Services.
Cheryl shared they are very proud they had 100% participation from approximately 45 employees, especially with many of the young employees whose first job out of high school is at Oto’s Marketplace.
Cheryl also shared a wonderful story about one of their prize winners who had to dig deep for the extra $20 to purchase one ticket, not only with the hope to win but knowing it was going to a good cause.
Cheryl talked about her mother’s work ethic, love of the community, and taking any leftover bentos to ACC Greenhaven Terrace to share with the residents. Cheryl said her mother was all about giving back and that seniors need a purpose. This is a wonderful legacy for Mollie Oto, Oto’s Marketplace, and Ray Yamamoto of A Sushi Experience.
From ACC Senior Services a heartfelt, thank you to Mollie Oto, Oto’s Marketplace, and Ray Yamamoto of A Sushi Experience for their generosity and many years of support to the local community and ACC.
May O. Lee moved from Seattle to Sacramento in 1975 and quickly became a community activist. In 1976, Chewy Ito, ACC’s board president, hired her as ACC’s first paid coordinator. “Chewy wanted someone who had fire in her belly and was fluent in Chinese and English,” says May. “I answered the call.” With that, May began her decades-long relationship with ACC.
After joining ACC, May went back to school at Sacramento State for her master’s degree in Social Work (MSW). As a social work intern, she worked with others at ACC to conduct an assessment of needs among older Asian Americans in the Southside Park neighborhood. The study led ACC to develop social programs at the Tambara House, Tanoshimi Kai nutrition sites at the Buddhist Church of Sacramento and the Sacramento Japanese United Methodist Church, as well as English and citizenship classes. She also helped June Otow from ACC to start Health for All, a preventative health care immunization clinic primarily for immigrant families. ACC was one of many community organizations benefitting from her energy, leadership, and ability to organize service programs.
Dr. May O. Lee with friends Carol Sakai and Irene Uno in April
From 1982 to 2006 May was the founding Executive Director of Asian Resources, Inc, a nonprofit focused on job readiness, particularly for those with limited English proficiency. And in 2000, May was instrumental in starting My Sister’s House, which serves Asian and Pacific Islander and other underserved women and children impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. In 2014, she helped found API-Rise Fund, to increase philanthropy in the API community and support social justice projects focused on education and community organizing.
May Lee has also been a stalwart organizer to boost US Census counts, get out the vote, and organize anti-Asian hate awareness and action, all while continuing her support of API service organizations.
Today, May is one of Sacramento’s most ardent community activists and volunteers. In April she received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (LHD) from California State University, Sacramento. Among several celebrations of this well-deserved recognition was a small gathering at Sacramento State’s Julia Morgan House – on April 6th, hosted by Campus President, Robert S. Nelsen.
May’s fondness for ACC Senior Services and its history is evident in her participation in the ACC History Project. She has been a producer and host of several episodes covering ACC’s 50-year history.
When asked what advice she would give to young people starting a career in social work, she said, “Know your family history within the context of its impact on the role in overall American society. This will be your guide as you embark on any career. It will lay the foundation as you strive for civil and social justice in your community.”
Thank you, May O. Lee, for your work in the Sacramento community and at ACC. Congratulations on receiving the distinguished Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Sac State! It has been a pleasure working with you.
On May 5, 2022, Congresswoman Doris Matsui visited ACC Senior Services for an update on the Senior Escort Program, which was created by the Sacramento Senior Safety Collaborative in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes. ACC is a key partner in the program’s operation. Ms. Matsui represents California’s Sixth Congressional District, which encompasses metropolitan Sacramento. In Washington D.C., she is a leading voice in the effort to enact laws against hate crimes. As a person born in an internment camp in Arizona during World War II, she is keenly aware of how hate and prejudice can be normalized in civil society.
The meeting was attended by Darrick Lam, President and CEO of ACC, Jean Shiomoto, ACC Chair of the Board, Titus Toyama, ACC Board member and representative of the Florin-Sacramento Valley JACL, John Yoshikawa, Vice President of the Adult Buddhist Association and Board member of the Sacramento Chapter of the JACL, Jeri Shikuma, Home and Community Based Program Administrator, and me, the Senior Escort Program Manager.
Meeting of the minds (left to right): Titus Toyama, Jean Shiomoto, Dani Lee, Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Darrick Lam, Jeri Shikuma, and John Yoshikawa
It was an honor to have Congresswoman Doris Matsui take the time to learn more about our Senior Escort Program and our efforts working with the community to promote safety as well as physical and mental health for seniors and their families. We spoke about the need to address anti-Asian hate, especially in a community that often under-reports and is seen as the “model minority.” Congresswoman Matsui agreed with these concerns and reinforced her support for ACC which goes back decades.
Titus and John are members of the Sacramento Senior Safety Collaborative. They shared their experiences as volunteers for the Senior Escort Program. Jeri spoke about the potential of this program to bridge the gap between generations by connecting high school and college volunteers with seniors of different cultural backgrounds. She also spoke about the valuable training that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) provided to ACC and how we plan to do the same for the greater community. ACC wants to mobilize activism in the young community, just as we did 50 years ago. This is a great opportunity for younger generations to take action on social issues that face underserved communities.
The Congresswoman also mentioned how our program aligns with the Build Back Better Act. Her office stated, “By passing the Build Back Better Act, we are unleashing the potential of American workers and families by giving them the tools they need to succeed. I fought hard to include several provisions that will make meaningful improvements to the lives of Sacramentans. I worked to ensure it makes historic investments to expand access to quality home-based services and care for millions of older adults and people with disabilities.”
The Senior Escort Program will officially launch on September 6, 2022. The Sacramento Senior Safety Collaborative will also be present at this year’s ACC Ohana Walk on September 17 to recruit more volunteers and hand out freebies. There’s no better place to find available volunteers that can walk than a walk-a-thon right? We are finding that this program really benefits from volunteers who enjoy having a good conversation with new people, and who truly are kind to their core. We have seniors who barely get out of their homes unless a volunteer is present, and we know there are many more in the same situation. In order to help more seniors in need, more kind-hearted volunteers are a must.
