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Little
Tokyo Service Center News - February 2012 |
| An Office With a Great View by Bill Watanabe |
In January of 1980, I became the Executive Director of the Little Tokyo Service Center. Even though at that time LTSC had no office, no budget (except a small start-up grant from a funder called JACS), and no real program, we did have a most important ingredient in preparation for the future - we had a vision and a goal. The goal was to someday establish a comprehensive multi-purpose community service agency. This was quite audacious considering the agency only comprised of an eager but untested Board of Directors and an eager and even more untested Executive Director.
Bill and Dean in front of Casa Heiwa. |
In January of 2012, the LTSC Board selected a new Executive Director to take my place (I will be officially ending my term at LTSC in June of 2012). The Board interviewed two well-qualified candidates (one external to LTSC and one internal) and has selected Dean Matsubayashi to be the next LTSC Executive Director. During the selection process, the Board's focus and guiding perspectives was on important considerations such as the changing needs of the community, the challenges of our current environment, and the positive impact that LTSC can make in the years to come. I was heartened by the fact that even though fundraising is an important aspect of any organization's health, that was not the primary consideration of the Board's review of the candidates but rather the future vision and goals of LTSC. As it was back in 1980, so it is still true that the most important ingredient in preparation for the future is a clear vision of the mission and goals of the organization. Dean personifies new leadership and new dreams for LTSC.
Dean has been a part of the LTSC staff for over 13 years, and for the past five years has directed LTSC's housing and community economic development programs. As the son of noted Rev. and Mrs. George Matsubayashi, Dean grew up in the Japanese American community, but he has also lived and worked on the east coast while getting his Masters at Harvard's Kennedy School, and working in Washington DC and New York City's Chinatown. He and his wife Kim and daughter Emma have been a part of the LTSC family and LTSC is fortunate to have someone like Dean to be the next Executive Director. |
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| Did You Know |
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2012 is the Year of the Dragon. The first day of Lunar New Year was on January 23. The Dragon is the fifth out of 12 signs in the cycle of Chinese Zodiac. The dragon is a bringer of good fortune and a master of authority. People born in this year of the dragon are associated with the element of water. |
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| How Your Support Makes a Difference |
We All Have a Story
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DIY Media is returning to Central High to teach Digital Media to continuing education students in South LA. In this course, students meet twice a week to learn the basics of storyboarding, filming and editing in order to create group and individual films. This year our focus centers on the students’ individual voices and struggles. We started the year with two PSAs about the power of education and self-esteem and will end the course with the creation of individual films with student-selected topics. Maria, a current student, says, “It’s kind of a privilege. This class gives you an opportunity to interact with people in a smaller group to make a film. You get to know people by their individual film/stories.” Juan, a returning Digital Media student adds, “I like this class a lot. It’s my own video. I get to make it the way I want it to be.” |
Theresa Wu, LTSC’s Digital Media Program Coordinator, teaches this class. “I tell the students, ‘This is your opportunity to speak your voice and be heard. We all have a story. What is yours?’” The class concludes with a screening on March 30th, so soon enough, we will all find out. |
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| Mochitsuki Recap |
LTSC’s Honor Grove members started off the New Year right with a Mochitsuki Lunch on Saturday, January 7. Generously sponsored by AT&T, this donor appreciation event featured traditional “mochitsuki” (pounding cooked, sweetened rice into “mochi” rice cakes) and a lunch buffet including “ozoni” (mochi soup).
A group from Orange Coast Optimists led the mochitsuki process and guests were encouraged to help, first with pounding the hot rice with large wooden mallets in a concrete mortar, and then with molding pieces of mochi into rounded cakes. The resulting mochi was then either added to the ozoni or enjoyed with an assortment of condiments.
This year, in addition to traditional mochi condiments such as sato shoyu (sugar and soy sauce) and kinako (soy powder), LTSC’s Social Services department created some new “fusion mochi” such as kimchi mochi, natto mochi, and “cheese moffle” (mochi and cheese waffle).
It is said that by participating in mochitsuki and eating ozoni on New Year’s Day, you will have good luck, longevity, and happiness for the rest of the year. We hope this holds true for all of our supporters and for LTSC as well!
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| Mizuho USA Foundation |
Mizuho USA Foundation of Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd. has been supporting LTSC’s efforts to increase affordable housing since 2003 with grants totaling over $67,000. With the Foundation’s support LTSC’s Asian Pacific Islander Housing Collaborative has completed affordable housing projects throughout Los Angeles’s API neighborhoods. In addition, the Collaborative has provided one-on-one technical assistance to over 10 organizations to help them improve their affordable housing development programs. These organizations serve neighborhoods in Chinatown, Koreatown, South Bay, Thai-town, Historic Filipinotown and the San Gabriel Valley.
LTSC would like to thank Mizuho USA Foundation of Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd. for its long-term support of our work in the Asian Pacific Islander community. |
Palm Village Senior Apartments, an LTSC Asian Pacific Islander Housing Collaborative project, was completed in 2008.
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| Nikkei Student Union at UCLA presents 26th Annual Cultural Night Show |
Our [I]dentity -It's more than Blood
What: A solely student run performance show educating the community and campus about the Japanese American experience! This year's theme is the current and future state of the Japanese American community, specifically focusing on the concept of identity. The show will consist of a student written drama, along with performances by NSU odori, NSU modern, Kyodo Taiko, and V-TONE, our newest acapella group.
Where: UCLA Royce Hall When: February 20th, 2012 7pm-10pm Doors open 6:30pm (President's Day weekend, so parking will be free on campus) ADMISSION IS FREE; however, RESERVE tickets by Feb 6. Email nsu.cnproducers2012@gmail.com for reservations and any other questions!
Former LTSC Intern, Hiromi Aoyama, is one of the producers of this event. |
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| January Donors – Thank You for Your Support! |
Young & Eiko Amano
Anonymous
Carleton & Miyoko Burch
Sam Sit T Chan
Kwan Mui Cheung
Jerry Fukui
Paul Jay Fukushima
Warren & Lisa Furutani
Polly & Michael Green
Hiroko Hatanaka
Dean Higashiyama
Kenji Irie
Bruce & Frances Kaji
Lloyd Kajikawa
Iwao & Toyoko Kawakami
Mark Kawauchi
J. & Mariko Osada Kobata
Eric Kurimura
Lorene Miller
Jeff & Christine Murakami
Robbin Narike-Preciado
Kathy Ninomiya
Frank Omatsu
Mary Sato
Chan Hwa Shang
Robert & Eleanor Suehiro
Sharon & Raymond Sugiyama
Edwin Takahashi
Frank & Mable Takenaka
Dean Toji
John Wright
Xi Wu
Hiroshi & Yoshiko Yamaguchi
Carole Yamakoshi
Sandra Yamane
In-kind Donations
Gary & Marsha Watanabe
In memory of Janice Hibino
Richard Katsuda
Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress
In memory of Sadae Iwataki
Kuwashi Iwataki
In honor of Bill Watanabe
Louise Simon |
In honor of Bill Watanabe’s birthday
Bruce Anderson
Anonymous
Meg Cheng
Melody Cheung
Yasue Clark
Johann Diel
Mike Fong
Aiza Galdo
Jennifer Hoang
Jun Hori
Fran Ito
Cindy Iwashita
Lloyd Kajikawa
Kiyoko Kaneda
Aoyssa Kang
Larry Katata
Kim Kawasaki
Anna Kim
Joanne Kim
Traci Kiriyama
Reiko & June Kondo
Dean Matsubayashi
Hiroko Murakami
Mike Murase & June Hibino
Kei Nagao
Erich Nakano
Davis Park
Amy Phillips
Louise Simon
Lisa Sugino
Cooke & Elaine Sunoo
Honjiyo Family
Steven Wong
Jean Wong
Vehicle Donations
Anjali Amit
Tanya Gilbert
Maceo Hernandez
Mayumi Vargas & Yuki Kimura
Shin-Tse Liu
Sumiyo Nakamura
Kenzo Otsuji
Fong Chang Pai
Toshi Kuramatsu & Christopher Thomson |
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| Donate Your Old Car |
Thinking about donating your car to LTSC? Do it now and maximize your donation. Used car prices are up 30% from December 2008. (Click here to see the ABC news story about it) Higher prices mean a bigger donation to LTSC and a bigger tax deduction for you. Don’t delay donate today!
We will pick up cars in almost any condition in LA and Orange Counties. Proceeds are tax deductible for the donor and can be significant even if the car is old or not running! The call takes less than 5 minutes and contributes to helping our many clients. Call (213) 473-1613 to donate. |
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| Ways to Help LTSC |
In making a donation to LTSC, you can:
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• Make a donation in memory of a loved one
• Make a donation in honor of someone’s birthday or graduation
• Make a stock donation
• Host a fundraiser to benefit LTSC |
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Donate Online, over the phone or via traditional mail.
Call (213) 473-1613 |
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