“One day, the doctor told me I was legally blind,” says Leonard Williams, aged 62. “I had no idea, because my vision loss happened so slowly.”
With his big smile and warm “hello,” Leonard makes his rounds at ACC Care Center delivering laundry to residents and several linen supply closets around the facility. I met him in the laundry room at ACC Care Center to hear his unusual story.
As a young man, Leonard was the picture of health. He was a runner and he loved to play basketball. He had tremendous physical energy and an irrepressible personality to match. But that changed.
“I got glaucoma when I was 35 or 36. I didn’t feel anything when this was happening,” says Leonard. He worked for 15 years, including a job in construction, until he was declared legally blind. “My left eye has only 9% vision, and I only see 30% in my right eye.”
Leonard became a statistic. The labor force participation rate for working-age people with no disability was 76% in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For people with disability, the rate was 37%. Employer bias is a big factor in this discrepancy.
Last fall, Leonard entered ACC’s paid job training program (see next story below) and was assigned to work in the laundry room at ACC Care Center. At first, I couldn’t tell he had a disability because he seemed to function like anyone else in that job. Leonard hauls laundry from the washing room to the folding room without missing a step. He folds the laundry fast and with machine-like precision.
“I have to turn my head to see through the narrow part of my right eye that still has some vision. So, right now, I can’t see you,” Leonard tells me. Then his turns his head slightly. “Now I can see your face, but I can’t see your hands or any other part.”
Fortunately, the sliver of vision Leonard still has is enough to get around ACC. “I’ve pretty much adapted to the space here. I don’t have to count steps or use my blind stick. When I fold laundry, I look and feel my way through the task. Most of the clothes are repetitious like towels, face towels, sheets, blankets, fitted sheets, flat sheets. They showed me how to fold them and I picked it up pretty good.”
Marissa Belmes, the Billing Manager, works next door to the laundry room. “Leonard has such a positive attitude,” she says. “It’s my honor to meet him, knowing that his disability doesn’t stop him from doing his work and other activities of daily living. He gives me the inspiration to come into work every day.”
When I began hosting the ACC Writing Your Life Story Zoom Workshop last year, I had no idea whether anyone would sign up. But we have had a Spring, Summer and now a Fall series and wonderful participation.
Jean Iyeki
Jean Iyeki, who is in her 90s, has been a faithful weekly participant in the Workshop since we began, and she shared childhood remembrances of her family’s time at the Topaz Internment Camp during WWII in the ACC Spring 2021 Newsletter. She continues to be a weekly participant.
This summer, Jean asked if she could invite her friend, Sada Hatanaka, to join the group although she noted that Sada was traveling during most of the summer and moving to live with family members in Kentucky in the Fall. I talked with Sada by phone and sent her the Writing Guide. She told me she was 94 and she really wanted to write the story of her family’s internment at Heart Mountain because she had not talked about it with her children or grandchildren but now feels that “it’s really important that they know what happened and I’m not getting any younger!” Honestly, it was hard for me to imagine that she would have the time to settle into writing her experiences given the travel and transitions she was going through and that our class meets during dinner time in her new time zone.
Sada Hatanaka
Nonetheless, Sada has been a regular participant in our weekly Zoom group and has begun writing and sharing her family’s experiences from that infamous December 7, 1941 morning, to their temporary settlement at the Pomona Fair Grounds, and then on to Northern Wyoming where they were interned until the end of the War. Since Sada is a few years older than Jean, and was a teenager when her family was interned, she has more detailed recollections of having to leave their Los Angeles home, the initial internment processing, and the long train trip to the Heart Mountain Relocation Camp. Her sharing often leads other workgroup participants to ask questions and provide supportive feedback–all of which can be helpful to her in imagining what additional questions her family might have as they begin reading her story.
The Writing Your Life Story Guide includes a variety of topic areas. Some weeks Jean and Sada have share reminiscences of their time living here in the Sacramento Valley, starting back in the 1990’s. Recently, when our writing topic focused on our hobbies, leisure time activities, and other things we look forward to doing, Jean shared what she had written about the wonderful times she and her husband had with a group of friends that included Sada and her husband. This group would go to each other’s homes throughout the year for dinner parties. They were memorable times that were great fun and that they both still remember vividly.
Having Jean and Sada sharing their stories is very special to all of us who are participating in the Writing Your Life Story Workshop. And while I know many of us wish we could get back to in-person group gatherings, it’s Zoom that’s made it possible for these longtime friends now over 2,000 miles away from each other to be writing and sharing their stories with each other and all of us. And for that we are grateful.
The next ACC Writing Your Life Story Workshop will begin on January 26. You can sign up at accsv.org/online.
ACC runs two programs that have helped seniors and non-native English speakers in the greater Sacramento region with their phone, internet, and other utility bills. Funded by the California Public Utilities Commission, Telecommunications Education and Assistance in Multiple-languages (TEAM) and Community Help and Awareness of Natural Gas and Electricity Services (CHANGES) help older adults sustain their independent and lifestyle. Or more simply, save money and avoid unwanted charges.
Our programs provide a wide range of services, ranging from as simple as setting up a new phone to resolving complicated disputes with utility companies. We also hold utility education workshops in different languages to educate consumers.
On resident at ACC Greenhaven Terrace was very happy with ACC for the help received in setting up and using his brand new smartphone. He is now an expert. Another client was shocked to discover a “Core Transport Agent” charge on his PG&E bill. He was overpaying his gas bills for five years without realizing it! Many people are happy to enroll in our assistance program that helps them reduce their monthly utility bills.
Utility bills are part of everyday life and paying them is an “activity of daily living.” However, everyone has the right to fully understand what they are being charged and question anything that does not make sense.
According to the TEAM and CHANGES 2019-2020 annual reports, over 2,700 consumers received assistance for issues related to telecommunication and over 5,400 consumers received assistance for issues related to utilities from June 2019 to May 2020 in California.
ACC’s utility assistance program protects the rights of consumers including those with limited English literacy. Our staff works hand in hand with interpreters of different languages to ensure the highest quality of service.
Looking forward to a new year of 2022, we continue to serve as many people in need as we can. It has been announced that 3G wireless network is scheduled to shut down in 2022. This not only impacts older cell phones but also certain medical devices, life alert systems, and security systems.
Are your cell phones or other devices part of the 3G network? Our utility assistance program offers free consultation if you are worried about being impacted by this 3G network shut down. You can schedule an appointment with us if you have questions about your phone service or have other utility bills you don’t understand.
Mr. and Mrs. Chow learned about ACC utility assistance program from one of the virtual education workshops ACC hosted. They found it useful and have referred the program to many of their friends in need.
“All my friends are grateful for our referral. They all said the program staff is helpful and friendly.” said Mrs. Chow. “We will continue recommending this program to those in need for utility assistance!”
By Jeri Shikuma, Administrator, ACC Home and Community Based Programs
July marked the beginning of our Home and Community Based Programs’ Welcome Back Summer, and all indications are that summer was in full swing…. Laughter on the pickleball court, people groovin’ to aqua aerobics in the GT pool, expressions of consternation, then delight in iPhone and computer classes in our redesigned computer lab, plus a myriad of participants tuning in to a full slate of online classes like Zumba Gold with Linda Taylor and creative programming like The Mystery of Willmina Sloppye. In one way or another, people are getting fit, staying active, and having fun.
Unfortunately, though, the uptick in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant is making our reopening go a little slower than we hoped. This is frustrating for all of us, but especially for folks who are feeling the mental and physical impacts of nearly 18 months of COVID-related isolation.
The link between social participation (for example, church, sports, cultural, recreational, and volunteer activities) and good health is intuitive and well-documented. It’s no wonder that recent studies have shown that older adults experiencing social isolation during pandemics are likely to report increased levels of anxiety, depression, poor sleep quality and physical inactivity.
Maeley Tom and Tony Waterford performed at ACC Greenhaven Terrace.
The staff at ACC understand the importance of social participation; that’s why from the very beginning of the pandemic, we have made it our business to support older adults living alone in the community by providing safe opportunities for being active and engaged, for learning, and having fun, all at no cost to participants. The Delta variant is causing us to be cautious and prudent in our reopening efforts, but we are still moving forward!
Our Rides trips taking seniors to their appointments, shopping, and field trips have increased by 200 rides since May. Participants in our Senior Employment Program are returning to in-person training at their host agencies and provided over 2,700 hours of community service in July. As part of a Senior Safety Collaborative, we launched a new Senior Escort Program in June to help seniors feel comfortable and more confident to be out and about exercising, doing errands, and going to appointments.
The Senior Escort Program, as well as our Friendly Visitor Caregiver Support program, needs more volunteers to keep serving seniors in need, and many of our classes and services are open for new participants, so if you want to get more active (and maybe do something that might improve your own physical and mental health too!), call us or visit our website at accsv.org for more information on how to get involved.
We are pleased to share that the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine has enabled a handful of in-person activities, classes, and visits to resume at ACC Senior Services. The light at the end of the tunnel is shining brighter as people in the ACC community connect once again.
That being said, this is not the time to relax our diligent efforts to protect our staff, volunteers, residents, and our community. With the spread of the Delta variant, we have continued to employ best practices and follow guidance from the CDC and health department. We have successfully vaccinated over 90% of our current staff and require new employees and volunteers to be fully vaccinated. In doing so, we have joined the growing number of companies, educational institutions, and government agencies determined to win the battle against COVID-19 once and for all.
The data has shown that vaccines are extremely safe and effective in preventing sickness and death. Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine received full FDA approval, and the others are not far behind. Please get vaccinated if you have not done so already.
The pandemic has led to staffing shortages across many industries, including healthcare, retail, transportation, and restaurants. ACC Maple Tree Village and ACC Care Center have been hit especially hard because we are required to maintain specific staffing ratios. When these cannot be met, we have to limit new admissions and forego revenue.
To improve our competitiveness, ACC recently approved equity and retention pay adjustments for staff members who are currently working at our skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. We are also developing new recruiting messages and tools. You might have seen Jay Sloan, our Talent Acquisition Specialist, in a new video describing why ACC is a great place to work, focusing on how healthcare workers can develop their professional connections and advance their careers.
ACC continues to explore the home and community-based services. Lynda Tanner, President & CEO at VNA Health in Santa Barbara, and Judy Thomas, CEO at Coalition for Compassionate Care for California gave a special presentation on hospice and palliative care, services that are commonly delivered at home. This quarter, we are meeting with an expert from an investment firm to discuss the declining demand for institutionalized care and new business models for providing assisted living and skilled nursing services in-home. ACC had been studying these trends well before the pandemic began. The pandemic only made them more important and underscored the urgency to act.
One type of in-home service is ACC online programs. Thanks to the work of Jeri Shikuma, Susan Sarinas, Ted Fong, and Krystal Wu, we have held more than 415 virtual concerts, classes, and workshops in the last 12 months! In September, we asked registrants if they would like to continue with online classes or in-person classes after the pandemic. Out of 173 respondents, 63% said both, 30% said online-only, and 7% said in-person only. In other words, 93% want to keep online classes going! But to continue our online and in-person programs free of charge, we need sponsors. Our goal is to raise $250,000 per year in sponsorships to pay for instructors, production staff, and studio facilities. As you have seen, the ACC Community Room doubles as our production studio. If you or your company would like to help ACC achieve this goal, you can contact Jeri Shikuma at jshikuma@accsv.org or 916-393-9026. Jeri and her team can give you a tour of the ACC production studio and discuss ways we can recognize your gift and/or promote your business during our live broadcasts.
Welcome Betsy Donovan, new ACC Board Member!
Last but not least, we are happy to announce the appointment of Betsy Donovan to the ACC Board of Directors. Betsy was the Chief Operating Officer at Eskaton from 2010 to 2020, overseeing 30 communities and programs including affordable housing, skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care, continuing care retirement communities, home healthcare, adult day healthcare, and quality and compliance. Welcome on board, Betsy!
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!
