On February 27, 2026, ACC Senior Services was filled with vibrant color, joyful music, and the warmth of community as we gathered to celebrate Lunar New Year. This FREE community event welcomed residents, families, staff, and neighbors for an afternoon that beautifully honored tradition, culture, and togetherness.
Pickleball enthusiasts at ACC have even more to celebrate thanks to the generosity of Peter and Ruby Chin, who recently donated four brand-new, high-quality pickleball nets to the ACC Senior Services Campus. Designed for durability and easy setup, these nets will be enjoyed by players for years to come.
After spending five minutes with Kaori Sakauye, you feel her energetic spirit and compassion for helping senior adults in our community. She retired from the City of Sacramento in 2019 and still maintains a busy schedule.
Kaori loves her role as a Friendly Visitor for ACC’s Friendly Visitor/In Home Respite Program. Nationwide, Friendly Visitor programs connect older adults with volunteers for regular social interaction.
She explains why she volunteers, “There’s a similar program in Japan that’s helping my 93-year old mother. I signed up two years ago to be an ACC Friendly Visitor volunteer.” She spends two hours, once a week with her program participants. “One of my seniors is a retired attorney and loves to chat about politics while we stroll through her garden. My other senior has a progressive disease, and we play board games during weekly visits.”
In between her senior visits, the rest of her week is consumed with teaching and performing taiko drumming. Kaori was born in Saitama, Japan, but didn’t take up taiko until she moved to California and joined the Sacramento Taiko Dan in 1993. “One day, my Sensei, Tiffany Tamaribuchi, asked me to help teach taiko at Koyasan Temple. She suggested I train with a professional instructor in Japan. I studied there for two years.”
Kaori also leads a Drum Circle for memory care residents at McMahon Terrace twice a month; and teaches taiko at the Hart Senior Center twice a week.
She learned that taiko drumming could be beneficial to individuals living with Parkinson’s. She approached the Parkinson’s Support Group at ACC with the idea of introducing drumming to their members. The Tuesday afternoon class only started six months ago, but it’s already popular with participants like Dennis Wong. He adds, “As a recently diagnosed person with Parkinson’s, I understand the importance of physical activity. I’m glad that ACC offers this special activity for us. Kaori exudes patience and warmth as she teaches us the fine art of taiko.”
Kaori also teaches two other taiko classes at ACC on Wednesdays.
Her longtime passion is Hello Kitty. Kaori shared an interesting factoid with me: the cat doesn’t have a mouth. The design choice is deliberate, allowing people to communicate through their heart rather than words.
She loves the outdoors. “In my younger days, I completed 10 marathons and more than 70 half-marathons. Now I just walk around my Pocket neighborhood. We try to fit in standup paddle boarding at Lake Natoma when we have free time,” says Kaori.
Kaori is devoted to her family. She met husband David during their years of performing taiko. They married in the Koyasan Temple in 2002. Their son, also David, will soon graduate with a degree in Anthropology from Sacramento State. Kaori makes an annual trip to Japan to see her relatives. Kaori adds, “I appreciate the help my mother gets in Japan. I’m happy to do the same for others in our ACC family.”
If you or someone you know would like to volunteer for ACC’s Friendly Visitor program, call 916-503-5386 or send an email to: resources@accsv.org to get more information.
On the evening of September 30, 2025, ACC Senior Services was filled with the sounds of harmony and the warmth of community as guests gathered for a very special concert featuring Asian Pair. This lively event was not just about beautiful music—it was also about giving back.
On Friday, September 12, 2025, the ACC Senior Services campus was filled with laughter, strategy, and friendly competition as players gathered for the 2nd ACC Mahjong Tournament. Following the resounding success of the last inaugural event, this tournament was even bigger, drawing participants from across Sacramento and beyond.
The very first “ACC Mahjong Tournament” was held on Wednesday, May 21st, 2025. There were 48 players that participated in a fun filled morning of competition, culture, and community. There were prizes awarded for categories such as: most points, most wins, most losses, and the “Legacy Player” (the oldest player, which in this case was 101 years old!). The feedback was positive, and we hope this is the first of many Mahjong tournaments in the future.
On Saturday, 33 cheerful volunteers showed up with tools in hand and spent a sunny Saturday morning outside of the Care Center freshening up the planters behind the garden gazebo. Powered by donuts from Manley’s and BBQ pork buns from Dim Dim Bakery, these volunteers pulled weeds, pruned rose bushes, tilled the soil, laid mulch, and planted geraniums, marigolds, begonias, lemon thyme, and pineapple basil donated by Green Acres Nursery and Supply in Elk Grove.
Recently, volunteers and participants gathered together at the ACC Senior Services campus to celebrate a milestone for the program. The Senior Escort Program has coordinated over 2500 individual walks throughout the Sacramento region.
On November 14th, 2024, ACC’s Home & Community-Based Programs held a community wide Open House event that resulted in an amazing turn-out! Attendees learned more about all of ACC’s Home & Community-Based programs from classes and events to caregiving resources and support. Learn More: accsv.org/services
This September, ACC’s Senior Escort Program is not only celebrating its second year, it’s also spearheading a community event in honor of United Against Hate Week (UAHW). UAHW is a week-long effort promoting local civic action from various communities to combat hate and promote safety and inclusivity in our neighborhoods, towns, and cities.
This year, UAHW is from September 21-27. Leading up to UAHW, the Senior Escort Program is hosting monthly trainings on important topics such as Bystander Intervention, Situational Awareness, and Cultural Sensitivity. Building a more equitable and safe community begins with educating our communities by giving them tools to face and prevent various forms of hate – physical and emotional.
Over the past two years, ACC has acquired funding from the California Department of Social Services under the Stop the Hate grant to support the Senior Escort Program. To kickoff UAHW, we’re collaborating with other grantees, Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP) and Asian American Liberation Network (AALN).
We’ll also be joined by some of our other community partner organizations – highlighting the crucial work we’re all doing to “Stop the Hate.” Together we stand united against hate by creating a safe space for community celebration and understanding. Our hope is that attendees can learn about our communities through cultural performances, food, art, and conversation.
Hate impacts everyone – regardless of age, gender, race, or culture. Our goal is to reach across generations and cultures, and provide resources and visibility to unite against hate.
If you’re interested in being a part of this movement and joining the effort against hate, we encourage you to take part in one (or all) of our trainings, attend our event, and become a Senior Escort Program Volunteer! More information on these topics can be found on ACC’s website under the Senior Escort Program.
