We would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every donor to ACC Senior Services this past year. While each issue of ACC Newsletter acknowledges donors who have given in that quarter, we also want to acknowledge the many businesses that have supported ACC over the years. Because of your generosity, ACC continues to offer a continuum of senior housing from independent living to assisted living and memory care to skilled nursing for over 270 residents. In addition, our home and community-based programs support our greater community with transportation, lifelong learning and wellness, senior employment training, and support for caregivers. In 2021, our programs helped 2,400 people live healthier and more meaningful lives.
The pandemic has touched all our lives and shown us how important it is to stay connected throughout the changes and challenges in 2020 and 2021. Through this, our commitment to the ACC community remains strong. We are blessed with many supporters and are excited for the new year. On behalf of the ACC Board of Directors and the ACC staff, thank you for your ongoing support.
With much gratitude,
Jean Shiomoto, ACC Board Chair and Darrick Lam, ACC President and CEO
Special thanks to the members of the ACC History Project Workgroup for their contributions to this and other articles commemorating ACCâs 50th anniversary: Gloria Imagire, May O. Lee, Frances Lee, Donna Yee, Hach Yasamura, Peggy Saika, Jean Shiomoto, and Ted Fong.
By Jean Shiomoto and Ted Fong
The Asian Community Nursing Home, later renamed ACC Care Center, opened in 1987. It was the culmination of a 15-year effort to provide much needed housing and health services to elderly Asians. With little experience and no capital, ACC improvised its way to success by finding the right volunteers with just the right knowledge, resources, and connections.
ACC was founded in 1972 as the Japanese Community Center (JCC) by an uncommon alliance of activists, businesspeople, and civil servants from the Chinese and Japanese communities in Sacramento. Under the leadership of its chairman, Leo Goto, they set out to develop a community center in south Sacramento complete with senior housing, a health facility and spaces for education and cultural activities. Skilled nursing was not on their radar at the time.
ACC was counting on federal funds to finance its project. These hopes were dashed in 1974 when the Nixon administration put a moratorium on funding for new housing projects. Undeterred, ACC focused its attention on its programs which had already gained community support. Besides its recreation programs of ceramic arts and knitting crafts, it started a nutrition program led by Kenji Morishige, called Tanoshimi Kai, for the Japanese speaking elderly and later was the model used to start up the Chinese speaking nutrition program. ACC was an ESL outreach site of Sacramento City Unified School District for immigrants learning English.
Watch “The Story of the Asian Community Nursing Home”
True to its activist roots, ACC also staged protests against United Way for ignoring Asian communities in their grant making. The protests led to United Way understanding the needs of the Asian communities and providing much needed grant funding.
ACC incubated and launched non-profit organizations such as Asian Pacific Community Counseling and Health for All, and started Summer Youth Training that later evolved to employment and training programs under Asian Resources. ACC assisted student-led organizations such as Asian Legal Services Outreach, law students from McGeorge and UC Davis King Law School, and medical students under Dr. Lindy Kumagai from UC Davis who started up the Paul Hom Clinic.
After launching these organizations, the ACC Board made a decisive move in the early â80s to rely more on community support rather than government grants to fund operations. They wanted to minimize competition with fledging community organizations seeking local and state funds. This kicked off the era of membership drives and fundraisers, which later proved to be useful skills when raising money for the nursing home.
In 1980, housing for the elderly made its way back onto the Boardâs agenda. On July 22, ACC held a community meeting at the Nisei VFW Hall on 5th Street, inviting people to share their ideas. People stepped forward to express the need for a nursing home that served Asians. Many of them grew up in multi-generational households that took care of grandparents. But with life expectancy on the rise, it was harder to do so as their loved ones required higher levels of care. Sacramento had not a single skilled nursing facility that attended to the language and dietary needs of their parents.
The idea of a nursing home gained momentum within ACC. In a 2015 interview with ACCâs Amy Voong, ACC President Chewy Ito said he was inspired by Helen Quan, who, with her husband Dale, delivered fresh fruits and other presents to residents in Sacramento nursing homes. The Asian residents they met were so isolated the Quans felt something had to be done. They and a small group of friends including Harry Sen and Earl Whang tried to start a nursing home project, but it never got off the ground. According to Chewy, Helen implored him to âdo something about it.â She donated money she had raised to ACC and became a volunteer.
The ACC Board decided to explore âconvalescent care services,â a priority project for 1981-82. They even considered the purchase of a 121-bed skilled nursing facility, located in the south area of Sacramento. The ACC Board consulted with Edwin Hiroto, Administrator of Keiro Nursing Home in Los Angeles, and invited him to Sacramento to speak at an event. Spurred on by his encouraging words, ACC became even more focused on making the nursing home in Sacramento a reality.
From 1981 to 1983, key people entered the picture, took positions on committees, and used their influence to raise community support and money. Among them were Robert Matsui, Jimmie Yee, Illa Collin, Phil Isenberg, Dr. William Fong, Henry Takeda, George Oki, Ben Mar, Bill Wong, and Margaret Lim. There are too many to mention them all.
The driving force behind this type of organizing was ACCâs Chewy Ito. He owned the Shell station on Riverside Boulevard. People in government and business got gas from his station while he talked to them about ACC. Longer meetings were held at his âofficeâ at Vicâs Ice Cream. Today, his table is still there with his name on a plaque. âChewy knew how to round up the right people,â recalls Barbara Sotcan, who was the ACC Coordinator in the 1990s. âHe was a force of nature.â
By 1983, ACC had developed a well-oiled fundraising machine. Over 500 people attended its Holiday Auction in December 1982, which featured guest auctioneers Stuart Satow, Phil Isenberg, Tom Nakashima, Maeley Tom, Courtland Chow, and Sandra Gin Yep. ACC also hosted âEast Meets West,â a fashion show organized by Helen Quan. It raised $2,500. According to ACC News, âMolly Kimura and Maeley Tom coordinated models in a rich display of historical costumes and ultra-modern fashions.â Denise Masunaga, owner of the store Madam Butterfly in Pavilions, an upscale shopping center on Fair Oaks Boulevard, provided the ultra-modern fashions.
ACCâs operating budget was around $42,000 annually. It was only going to get larger with the development of the nursing home. Local churches played a big role in supplying volunteers and donors to keep ACC afloat. This included Sacramento Japanese United Methodist Church, Parkview Presbyterian Church, Sacramento Buddhist Church, and Chinese Community Church.
ACC Bingo started in 1983 and ran for 22 years. Frances Lee (center) was the Bingo Manager.
ACCâs fabled Bingo operation also started in 1983. Frances Lee, who was recruited to the Board by Gloria Imagire, volunteered to be the Bingo Manager. She said her son Robert had finished high school, and she was âlooking for something to do.â Frances and her husband Will ran Bingo for its entire run of 22 years! In the first five months of operation, Bingo earned $40,000. Thatâs $112,000 in todayâs dollars.
Money was still tight. The cost of the nursing home project was projected to be $3.8 million. The Nursing Home Finance Committee, chaired by Henry Taketa, retained the services of Gary Hicks (Gary would later join the ACC Board) of the Dowdell Corporation to secure bond financing that would be insured by the State. But ACC was nowhere close to having enough collateral to meet regulatory requirements.
The breakthrough came in 1983, when developer Angelo Tsakopoulos donated land on Rush River Drive to build the nursing home. In the words of Chewy Ito, âRobert Matsui introduced us to Angelo Tsakopoulos. Angelo was going to give us 1.5 acres, but when he saw the plans, he said âThat wonât fit on 1.5 acres!â We offered to buy the rest of the property, but Angelo said ânoâ and donated the full 3.5 acres to the Asian Community Nursing Home.â
Angelo had a history of making large charitable donations to the Greek and other communities. He had (and still has) many friends in the Asian community and appreciated their contributions to Sacramento. He also had land holdings in the Pocket Greenhaven area, to which many Japanese Americans and Chinese Americans moved after redevelopment displaced them from downtown Sacramento. Enough cannot be said about his endearing relationship with ACC Senior Services even to this day.
When Chewy announced news of Angeloâs land donation in mid-1983, it hit the ACC community like an earthquake, a good earthquake. Finally, there was a path to the finish line, except for one small detail. ACC needed a $2.1 million letter of credit to guarantee the repayment of the bond. Additional fundraising would take years to raise that amount.
The man who solved this problem was Victor Yee, Vice President of Sacramento Savings and Loan. One day while Victor was filling up his car at Chewyâs gas station, Chewy told him about the problem and lamented that three banks had turned ACC down. Victor took action and presented the case to the President of his bank, William Hegg. A meeting was called. It was attended by William Hegg and Victor Yee for Sacramento Savings and Loan; Chewy Ito, Toko Fujii, and Gary Hicks for ACC; and officials from the three other banks.
Chewy Ito holds a shovel with Angelo Tsakopoulos at the Groundbreaking Ceremony on October 6 1985. Illa Collin and Thomas Chinn look on.
Chewy presented ACCâs project. William Hegg then urged the other banks to participate in the deal and said that Sacramento Savings and Loan would underwrite the full amount if they still chose not to. They chose not to. Unfazed, Sacramento Savings and Loan issued the letter of credit. In a recent interview, Victor said, âit was an easy case to make for my bank, because the nursing home brought so much value to the community.â
On August 22, 1985, the California Health Facilities Authority approved the $3.8 million bond issuance for the Asian Community Nursing Home, 30-year fixed rate at 9-1/4%.
The design of the nursing home was done by Herb Niiya and his firm, Vitiello and Associates. It was based on a design they had completed on a similar project. In 1984, ACC formed the Nursing Home Advisory Board to present the design to the community and solicited input about what services would best serve them. Bob Garrett from the Florin United Methodist Church was its chairperson, followed by Art Imagire. Ray Gee, a consultant from Eskaton, was also a member. He went on to become ACCâs Housing Specialist and Controller, teaming up with ACC CEO Donna Yee to develop ACCâs Park City properties, ACC Greenhaven Terrace, and ACC Maple Tree Village.
Ben Yokomizu was the Site Manager overseeing ACCâs interests in the project. He was the link between the contractor (Murchison Construction), the architect (Vitiello and Associates), the ACC Building Committee, and ACC staff. Prior to ACC, he was a construction engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers.
Groundbreaking for the Asian Community Nursing Home took place on a windy, dusty day on October 6, 1985. It was attended by more than 200 people. Chewy Ito gave the welcoming message, followed by congratulatory remarks from Angelo Tsakopoulos, State Senator Leroy Greene, Supervisor Illa Collin, several state officials, and Thomas Chinn, representing the community at large. ACC Board member Toko Fujii was the emcee. Reverend Virstan Choy from the Chinese Community Church and Reverend Joyo Ogawa from the Sacramento Nichiren Church gave the invocation and benediction.
The Grand Opening Ceremony of the Nursing Home took place on November 6, 1986. Frederick Takayesu became its first Administrator. Patricia Harada, RN, was the Director of Nursing. Calvin Hara was the Director of Administration and Operations. Barbara Horikoshi Firebaugh was the new ACC Coordinator.
There was still some finishing work that had to be done on the building and ACC still had to pass the state inspection. At the start of 1987, the Board added new members, including Nancy Akabori, Joyce Sakai, Dr. Henry Sugiyama, Gary Hicks, Eugene Kim, and S.C. Miura. In April 1987, the Asian Community Nursing Home opened its doors for business.
The story of the Asian Community Nursing Home offers an important lesson for the future. When a community works together for a common goal, great things can happen. This episode in our history brought out the best in people â compassion, creativity, patience, and selflessness. May the next 50 years bring out the same in all of us!
For more articles and videos on the history of ACC Senior Services, visit accsv.org/history.
As many of you have heard, LLWPâs fearless Program Manager, Susan Sarinas, retired from ACC in December. What would be a job description for her replacement; superwoman? This succession will be challenging, but I look forward to continuing her efforts fostering community relationships, implementing in-person and online classes, and managing clubs and rentals.
Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Dani Lee, I was born and raised in Sacramento, and I am finishing my Masterâs in Public Health from the University at Albany. I feel overwhelming support from our volunteers and community members, and am astounded by the ACC family welcome I am receiving.
Dani Lee, Program Manager, ACC Lifelong Learning and Wellness
2021 was a year of changes, with some ups and downs for everyone to say the least. The pandemic continued to affect every aspect of life, and the Lifelong Learning and Wellness Program was no exception. The questions about in-person events versus online were frequently asked, but with our population being at such a high risk, our leaders wanted to be as safe as possible. There is no doubt that in-person learning and wellness has its benefits, but online offerings have shown us just how wide of a reach we can have, and gives us hope for the future.
While some of the social interactions have been missed, the online response has been tremendous! In November, we had some registered viewers and participants from five different states! We engaged a live audience for our variety of topics this fall, including the ACC history project, zero-emission car demonstration, David SooHooâs cooking, and much more. We have live streamed more than 500 classes, workshops and concerts in 2021! We were able to engage people who otherwise would have no connection to ACC.
As everything was offered for free, we have been relying on donations and sponsors to help support our staff and instructors. Please let us know if you are interested in being involved, we couldnât be more appreciative of what our community has given, from volunteering all the way to sponsorships â you are all so precious to us.
The Delta variant came as a shock to most, but gave us the signal to put a hold on in-person events and large gatherings. With the coldest months still upon us, we plan to attempt more hybrid (both in-person and online) opportunities, with the anticipation of in-person exercise classes in April! Cold and flu season will continue, but we look forward to taking advantage of the warmer months. These hybrid presentations will allow a small portion of vaccinated, masked, and distanced participants, and will help our transition to a new version of what ACC will become.
As we move forward with this new model of life, our program is exploring a new framework of what exactly âLifelong Learning and Wellnessâ means and hopes to provide for the community. Enhancing health outcomes, such as reducing sedentariness, is a priority for us. We also want to enhance our communityâs knowledge about, sometimes difficult, but significant topics like how to approach hospice and have meaningful conversations with someone who is passing. We want to heighten an individualâs motivation and self-efficacy to live a life that they desire.
We have some exciting speakers this quarter including food historian Maryellen Burns, end-of-life educator Julie Interrante, and historian James C. Scott from the Sacramento Public Library. We also have Lana Chong Fongâs Joong Boot Camp coming in February! So stay tuned. I look forward to meeting you all in 2022!
Happy New Year! Itâs good to see that the vaccine and continuing safety measures have allowed us to get out of the house, socialize, and travel again. At ACC, we are slowly resuming in-person activities, classes, and workshops. We are also gearing up to celebrate our 50th anniversary. Indeed, there is much to be happy about in the new year!
Once again, we are happy to share the ACC Care Center has been named one of the âBest Nursing Homes in the U.S for 2021-2022â by U.S. News and World Report. The Care Center is among the elite 13% of 15,000 nursing homes that are designated as âHigh Performance.â This yearâs rating factored in COVID-19 vaccination rates, infection control violations, resident safety, and prevention of ER visits. COVID-19 changed the field quite a lot. According to the report, âa significant percentage of Short-Term Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care programs that would otherwise have qualified as âHigh-Performingâ were downgraded at the time of publication.â Congratulations to Administrator Tamara Kario and the ACC Care Center Team. The pandemic has challenged ACC to reimagine the delivery of services, not just skilled nursing and assisted living, but the other âlifelong servicesâ that older adults need. This includes social services, health and fitness programs, transportation, nutrition, and caregiver support.
The demand for these services is increasing as people live longer and their caregivers, many of them seniors themselves, reach a point where they need relief. Many of us have been caregivers or are caregivers today.
In response, we reorganized ACC Programs into ACC Home and Community Based Services. One of its first initiatives was to bring online classes and workshops into peopleâs homes via livestreaming on YouTube, Facebook, and Zoom. To date, we have livestreamed more than 600 class sessions, workshops, and concerts. Under the direction of Program Administrator Jeri Shikuma, the program recently received a $7,500 grant from the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, as well as $1,000 sponsorships from Bruce Yoshida, Dr. Leland Lee, and Russell and Mira Nakano to fund production costs. Letâs keep those sponsorships coming!
In addition, ACC is committed to expanding its services through a âno wrong doorâ approach. This person-centered framework provides seniors with a Care Navigator that will offer short-term case management services. In coordination with County and other nonprofit providers, ACC will provide direct services to older adults in Sacramento who require assistance with food, transportation, housing, health care, interpretation services, long-term care planning, and employment opportunities. Planning is in place to hire a full-time social worker/navigator to staff the Care Navigation Program. This individual will provide direct services to older adults and enable them to access services in the areas mentioned above so that they will be able to maintain their health and independence in their own homes.
2022 is the 50th Anniversary of ACC Senior Services. To begin the celebration, we launched the ACC History Project, a series of presentations that examine key developments in ACCâs history. The recent ones covered the development of the Asian Community Nursing Home and the history of ACC Bingo. The next episode is âFrom One Became Many,â scheduled for February 21 at 2 PM. Hosted by May O. Lee, it will look at all the community organizations that spun off from ACC. There are many! You can register by going to accsv.org/online.
We are excited to share ACC is planning a 50th Anniversary golf tournament, several concerts, cooking shows, and the Big Day of Giving Telethon in May. The official 50th Anniversary celebration event is planned for this fall along with a new event, a walkathon for everyone of all ages to enjoy. The Co-Chairs for the 50th Anniversary are Gloria Imagire, Lori Lee, Jean Shiomoto, and Kala Haley-Clark. We are also planning retro events such as bingo and the craft and bake sale. Keep a lookout for many fun events! We want to thank Michael Yang, ACCâs IT Specialist, for designing the 50th Anniversary logo and Greg Mar for donating his graphic design skills to professionally digitize the design.
We want to thank Chiang Wang, who has given so much to ACC, for his service as our Vice Chair of the Board. Tim Corcoran will be the new Vice Chair beginning in 2022. We also want to thank Joyce Iseri, whose term ends, for serving on our Board for six years, most recently as the Board Secretary. Betty Masuoka will be the new Board Secretary. Finally, we want to welcome Brent Luu as our newest Board member.
As we enter 2022, we want to thank the ACC staff, donors, supporters, and all our volunteers for supporting ACC and keeping ACCâs momentum going through 2021, a challenging year. Our 50-year history has shown ACCâs resiliency, compassion, and vision that have been passed down for more than three generations. These are the qualities of ACC that will continue to carry us through the next 50 years.
ACC Rides is excited to announce that volunteer Dale Yamada received ITNAmericaâs 14th Annual Max and Helen Israelite Volunteer of the Year award from one of ACC Ridesâ funders, ITNAmerica.
ITNAmerica is dedicated to senior mobility, and it is their goal to ensure that outliving the ability to drive safely does not lead to a life of isolation. They support sustainable community-based transportation by leading a national transportation network grounded in research, policy, analysis, and education. ACC Rides is one of ITNâs âTrusted Transportation Partners.â
This prestigious national award went to a very deserving person. Dale has been a volunteer with ACC Rides for over twelve years, and has volunteered more than 8,750 hours, providing more than 10,000 trips to ACC riders. Dale takes his commitment seriously and goes above and beyond. He is known to provide transportation outside ACC Rides business hours for clients as well as purchase meals for clients who were alone on holidays and even furnishing nutritious snacks to clients finishing dialysis. Twice, he has come across a client who had fallen. Had Dale not taken additional steps after finding no answer at the door, the outcome would have been dire. Dale is not only a driver, but a friend to many of ACC Ridesâ socially isolated clients.
When ITNAmerica asked for Daleâs comments, he replied that he retired rather early from the State of California and felt the need to give back for the sacrifices of those who came before him.
In addition to his commitment and loyalty to the ACC Rides program, Dale volunteers for the Buddhist Church of Sacramento, assisting for two full days during their Annual Japanese Food and Cultural Bazaar, and assists with fundraising events for ACC as well as provide an annual monetary donation to ACC Senior Services.
ITNAmerica stated the nomination letter was very moving, and the committee agreed unanimously that Dale should be the recipient of this award. He will receive a Tzedakah (Sedaka) Box, commissioned and crafted by a Maine artist. A Tzedakah box is traditionally kept in Jewish homes, and it held coins collected for charity. Tzedakah is a Hebrew word meaning âjustice,â specifically doing the right thing by helping people or causes in need â a very fitting award indeed for a man who has done so much to help so many. ACC Rides is proud of Dale and all of our committed volunteers.
U.S. News & World Report rated ACC Care Center one of its Best Nursing Homes in the country for 2021 and 2022. Our short-term rehabilitation and long-term care earned the High Performing status rating, making the Care Center among the top 13 percent of the nationâs facilities for these types of care.
This award reinforces what we already know about our Care Center, that it sets the gold standard for compassionate, culturally appropriate healthcare. It opened in 1987 as the first skilled nursing facility in Sacramento to address the culture, language, and dietary needs of elderly Asians. Today, ACC Care Center serves everyone.
Our staff and volunteers take pride in the stellar care our residents receive and are thrilled to see our teamâs hard work rewarded on a national level.
âCongratulations to Care Center Administrator Tamara Kario and the Care Center staff,â ACC board chair Jean Shiomoto said about the ratings. âWe are extremely proud of this national recognition by U.S. News & World Report accomplished by the leadership of Tamara and the dedicated staff. Their unwavering commitment to the residents and their families is deeply appreciated by the ACC Board of Directors and the ACC Community.â
This yearâs ratings carried additional requirements, making the award even more prestigious. U.S. News & World Report required at least 75 percent staff vaccination rate. Of more than 15,000 skilled nursing facilities evaluated in the ratings, barely 2,000 earned a single High Performing rating. ACC Care Centerâs 100 percent staff and resident COVID-19 vaccination rate earned it both ratings for short-term rehabilitation and long-term care.
As part of ACCâs 50th anniversary celebration, Jean Shiomoto and Ted Fong have written an article about how the Care Center got started. Their article is on page 6.
Congratulations to the Care Center team for these much-deserved awards!
ACC is pleased to introduce Michael Selland, CPA, as ACCâs new Director of Finance. Michael was the Controller at Agency on Aging Area 4, the funding agency for the Federal Older Americans Act programs in Sacramento and six other counties. As a result, he is familiar with ACC fiscal operations and our staff. Michael obtained his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the California State University, Sacramento and is a CPA.
One thing that Michael did not know about ACC is how popular pickleball is. âNow I know, because the courts are right outside my window,â he says. Michael loves to travel and has been to six of the seven continents. He adds, âI still need to check Antarctica off of my list.â
ACC also welcomes Kala Haley-Clark, MPA, MNM, as the new Marketing and Development Director. Kala leads ACCâs philanthropic giving, grant proposals, and sponsorship programs. She also manages the donor services staff who are responsible for processing and acknowledging thousands of annual gifts for ACC Senior Services and Meals on Wheels by ACC. Kala obtained her Master of Non-Profit Management and Master of Public Administration from the University of Oregon, Eugene, and her Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from UC Davis.
Prior to ACC, Kala ran development and marketing for Integrative Healers Action Network, an emergency response nonprofit helping wildfire survivors and first responders. She was inspired by her grandmother, who earned a masterâs degree in gerontology and worked with older adults.
Outside of work, Kala trains for triathlons, watches rugby and hockey, plays Dungeons and Dragons, and is an avid reader.
Finally, ACC welcomes Moses Momoh, RN, who joined the ACC Care Center as its new Director of Nursing. Working under the Care Center Administrator, Tamara Kario, Moses oversees the nursing staff and overall nursing operations.
Moses has worked in skilled nursing for most of his career, including 17 years at the VA hospitals in Dallas, Houston, and Mather. His experience also includes mental health, telemetry, trauma, and staff development.
Moses likes to play Scrabble. He is also an avid tennis and ping pong player. But when asked if he plays pickleball, he said he had not heard of it before. Welcome to ACC, Moses, our pickleball courts await you!
ACC Senior Services congratulates Susan Sarinas on her retirement from ACC Senior Services. Susan was our Lifelong Learning and Wellness and TEAM & CHANGES program manager. She played a vital role in developing many of our programs and services at ACC, helping build our Community of Caring. Weâre going to miss her in our HCBP Division!
I got a chance to talk with Susan over lunch and learned so much. Hereâs an excerpt of our conversation:
JS: Talk about your early days at ACC.
SS: When I first started across the street at Park City, I worked for $12/hour. I had no office, no cell phone, no extension. Doreen had a desk with a typewriter extension and I would sit next to her and use that as my desk. Iâd do outreach, flyers, bill reviews, all of that. Later I took a position at GT assisting the residents, answering calls, giving tours, doing marketing. Then Bridge to Healthy Families came along. They needed someone for outreach, education, and workshops. No one else was doing outreach and marketing except Kory at the Care Center. Some years I did 20 or more events on behalf of all of ACC and MoW.
JS: What about LLWP?
SS: LLWP was always ongoing. When I took over, we were across the street at the Meals on Wheels building and we had the Computer Lab, two conference rooms, the lobby and the Wong and Kiyama room for classes. After we moved to this building in 2014, we could have lots more classes.
JS: Talk about the classes.
SS: We had lots of language, taichi and yoga classes, different levels and different times so people could come after work too. Yoga pilates was really popular. We tried to have something for everybody.
JS: When did you start bringing Buster to ACC?
SS: I found him 11 years ago on Franklin Blvd. at night. I opened my car door and he jumped into my lap! I got a letter from Kaiser designating him as a comfort dog for mental health (laughs). So, Buster has been here since my 2nd year. Heâs seen it all!
JS: Over all these years, what stands out the most to you?
SS: Helping all the seniors and how grateful some of them are. That means the most, especially TEAM and CHANGES.
JS: What makes TEAM and CHANGES special?
SS: I think because everybody that does the program really wants to help people and occasionally, you have someone who really, really needs that help. There was a woman with a special needs son who didnât have money to replace a broken heater in the middle of winter. I called the ESAP and they replaced it at no cost.
JS: Well, Susan, Iâm going to miss our late afternoon chats. All of us at ACC will miss Buster, who charmed everyone with his jaunty walk and no-nonsense attitude. Thank you, Susan, for 12 years of service. Your legacy will endure for many years to come!
SS: Thank you, Jeri!
Tributes to Susan
Bill Tom: “I have accompanied Susan on many outreach visits in the community promoting ACC. She was always a great advocate promoting ACC with the utmost professionalism. I will cherish the outreach visits I worked with her on and hope she will find time to volunteer with ACC.“
Jo Fong: “I will miss the cute holiday favors you gave to the staff and volunteers and definitely will miss Buster asking for his daily snacks and then taking his afternoon potty-walk.â
Nora & George: “It was a pleasure to work with you as your Japanese interpreter, going to the Japanese Buddhist Church to help Japanese speaking Nisei with bills. We know Nisei appreciated your hard work very much. Yes, it was a hard work, but we also had fun, didnât we? Wherever you go and whatever you do, may sunshine follow you.“
George Connor: “The music scene at ACC thrived and flourished, largely due to Susanâs encouragement and support. Being one of the many musicians who grew and developed under that loving support, I will miss Susan immensely. Please stay in touch, Susan, and visit often. Your warm smile lifts us up.“
Susan and Buster
Alfred Yee: “Happy trails to you, until we meet again.Happy trails to you, keep smiling until then.Who cares about the clouds when weâre together? Just sing a song, and bring the sunny weather. Happy trails to you, until we meet again.” (These are the lyric of âHappy Trails,â the closing song from the Roy Rogers Show broadcasted on TV in the 1950s. Happy Trails to Susan!)
Krystal and Joanne: “Your work ethic inspires us to go above and beyond. You have blessings and appreciations from numerous clients you have helped. It may now be the time to just doing something for yourself and your family! Donât bother to spend the time even on your own utility bills, bring them in!”
Haroon Abasy: “Thank you for everything youâve done for me directly and indirectly; itâs much appreciated. The few cases that I worked with you for TEAM, I learned a valuable lesson, which I am grateful for. Best wishes for a very happy retirement; and never give up on your physical activity.”
Mary Nakamura: I hope youâll enjoy retirement with the knowledge of the ways you have helped me and countless others over the years, from reviewing phone plans to supporting the ACC Lifelong Learning program, especially the music clubs that met at night. Take care!
Robert Nakashima: “Congratulations to Susan on her well-deserved retirement! I know that we are all deeply appreciative and grateful for her outstanding efforts on behalf of the ACC and the larger Asian community which it proudly serves. Hereâs wishing Susan (and Buster!) clear skies and smooth sailing in all their adventures yet to come.”
Jeri Shikuma: “Hereâs to long walks with Buster (and maybe new furry friends too), conquered home improvement lists, and time for whatever comes next. Hereâs to you! Congratulations, Susan, and salud!”
The Rides Team: “The JILL of all TRADES! Congratulations, Susan“
Pickleball Program: We would like to thank Susan for her leadership, input, guidance and patience in developing a system that satisfied government and ACCâs requirements during uncertain times to re-open the Pickleball program on June 25, 2021. We want to wish Susan a well deserved retirement.
There Will Never Ever Be Another Susan
Lyrics modified by Ted Fong from âThere Will Never Be Another Youâ written by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon
There will be many other days like this, And weâll be standing here with someone new, There will be programs in the spring, Like yoga class and other things, But there will never be another you.
There will be other dogs that hate me too, But they wonât growl like Buster used to do, Weâll miss his nights at ACC, How will the moon stay blue? If there will never ever be another you?
There will be other livestreams we can do, With Dani, Krystal, Sean and Soojin Yoo, Wieneke has the Rides team, And Shikuma has Haroon, But there will never be another you.
There have been special people just like you, Like Linda, Khonnie, Chia, and Anna Su, But one thing Susan you should know, We all agree itâs true, That there will never ever be another you!
ACC Senior Services is the Sacramento County office for the NAPCA Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), a federally funded program that assists low-income seniors with job training and finding employment.
Last October, we started a job club to provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop job search and networking skills, resulting in employment opportunities. There are two groups serving a total of 12 people. Each group meets two hours a week in the ACC Computer Lab.
Our activities include resume-building workshops, mock interviews, and job searching. Since our participants are older adults, we also include discussions about how the pandemic has impacted their lives, discuss ageism in the workplace and provide supplemental technology training. The pandemic has disproportionately affected older adults in the workforce, as they were the first to leave positions, be put on medical leave or furloughed indefinitely due to their high risk of contracting COVID-19. Despite this risk being mitigated with vaccines and improved safety measures, older adults are finding it difficult to reenter the workforce.
Ageism is the root cause of many barriers our participants encounter in their job search. Beliefs about the productivity and skills of older workers are based on outdated views of aging that create negative stereotypes. The most common stereotype is that older workers are not able to use technology. In job club, our participants learn how to navigate the internet and other forms of office software that are needed in the modern job market. Being in a group setting helps motivate program participants and provides much needed networking that can lead to a job opportunity.
We are excited to work with our partners, including American Job Centers, to support our senior job seekers in all possible ways to exit for unsubsidized employment. We are also grateful for the financial support of Bank of America and the RBC Foundation.
While you may be familiar with Maeley Tomâs beautiful rendition of many favorite standards at ACC concerts, she has also written and published a well-received memoir, Iâm Not Who You Think I Am: An Asian American Womanâs Political Journey. Maeley will be sharing her writing techniques and tips as the keynote speaker at the Our Life Stories Virtual Conference on Saturday, April 30, 2022.
Since 2007, the Sacramento Hart Senior Center and Cosumnes River College (CRC) have co-sponsored a very well attended annual one day intergenerational writers conference at CRC. Last year, ACC also became an event sponsor. The conference workshops, readings, and panel discussions focus on encouraging individuals of all ages, but particularly older adults, to create their memoirs. While some attendees have been actively writing for years, many more are just getting started. The Conference is an outgrowth of the ongoing Our Life Stories workshops that the Hart Center has hosted for years and ACC is also now offering.
This event will be held again virtually this year via Zoom to ensure everyoneâs health and safety. Enrollment is limited so we encourage you to register soon. For presenter information and further details please visit www.OurLifeStories.org.
Lora Connolly is an ACC Board member and the instructor for ACCâs Your Life Story Workshop.
