Episode 1: The Homelessness Crisis & Its Impacts
Thursday, April 7, 2022 | 12:00PM-1:00PM
Episode 2: Compassionate community responses to homelessness
Thursday May 5, 2022 | 11:30AM-1:00PM
Episode 3: LTSC’s approach to combating the homelessness crisis
(Date TBD)
Episode 2: Compassionate Community Responses to Homelessness
How are communities of color in LA addressing homelessness? What do compassionate community solutions look like? What can Little Tokyo learn from our neighboring homeless service organizations?
With help from our partners at Wesley Health Centers, Downtown Women’s Center (DWC) and Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN), we’ll explore some of the creative grassroots solutions to homelessness taking place in communities of color in LA, discuss the importance of centering compassion as we respond to the homelessness crisis, and touch on values that might guide LTSC’s approach to homelessness in Little Tokyo.
Dr. Keith Terasaki (he/him)
Chair, Board of Directors
opens in a new windowWesley Health Centers
Dr. Keith Terasaki was born and raised on the west side of Los Angeles, the son of Paul and Hisako Terasaki. He attended UCLA for college and medical school, and received further medical training in interventional radiology at LA County-USC Medical Center and Stanford University.
After his medical training, Dr. Terasaki worked in Northern California for 8 years, then moved to Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood. He was the chief of radiology there for 10 years, and is currently assistant chief of radiology at Kaiser Sunset.
Dr. Terasaki is on a number of non-profit boards, including Little Tokyo Service Center, Colburn School of Music, Wesley Health Clinics, Metropolitan YMCA, UCLA Life Sciences and UCLA Japan Center. He also serves as chair of the Terasaki Family Foundation and Terasaki Research Institute.
Dr. Terasaki met his wife, Cecilia, while at Stanford University. They live on the west side and have two grown children, Paul and Susie.
Amy Turk, LCSW (she/her)
Chief Executive Officer
opens in a new windowDowntown Women’s Center (DWC)
Amy Turk, LCSW, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC). Amy has held leadership positions in the field of social work and homeless services since 2001. Amy began her tenure at DWC in 2013 as the Chief Program Officer, where she administered all DWC’s programs and social enterprise. In 2018, Amy served as DWC’s Chief Innovation Officer, providing leadership in the development and implementation of new organizational projects, and fostering vital relationships with community partners in efforts to end women’s homelessness. Appointed as CEO in early 2020, Amy has grown revenue by 15%, created a new three-year strategic plan, and is deepening DWC’s focus on social justice. In the 12 years prior to joining DWC, Amy progressively took on more responsibilities to assist women experiencing homelessness from case management to serving for seven years as Director of Daybreak, a project of The People Concern. Amy holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Pepperdine University and a master’s in social work from California State University, Los Angeles.
Steve Diaz (he/him)
Deputy Director
opens in a new windowLos Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN)
Episode 1: The Homelessness Crisis & Its Impacts (Thursday, April 7 2022)
What causes homelessness? Who are the unhoused? How does homelessness impact communities?
With help from our partners at Inner City Law Center and People Assisting the Homeless, we’ll discuss causes of homelessness, dispel myths and stereotypes, hear experiences from a formerly unhoused person, and acknowledge the variety of impacts the homelessness crisis has on communities.
How you can help:
- We need your help opens in a new windowgathering signatures for the opens in a new windowUnited to House LA ballot initiative. The initiative would generate revenue to build affordable housing and reduce homelessness within Los Angeles. It would fund the construction of 26,000 affordable homes within the first 10 years, and help 475,000 renters stay in their homes each year. Together, we can reduce homelessness, build more affordable housing and keep people housed.
More resources on the homelessness crisis:
Deon Turner (he/him)
Public Policy Advocate
opens in a new windowInner City Law Center
Recently earning his Master’s in Education, Deon yearns to explore passions at the intersection of public policy and law. Given Deon’s dynamic educational and experiential trajectory, he seeks to employ a social and economic justice framework aimed at sparking civic engagement at the grassroots’ level. Thus, he has become well-versed in federal, state, county, and city policy analysis while assessing how program implementation affects our diverse communities and constituencies. He is thrilled to launch his career in public policy with Inner City Law Center in hopes of leveraging a platform to construct an authentic, inclusive, and collaborative Los Angeles community. In his spare time, Deon is enthusiastic about fitness – perpetually searching for different hiking or biking trails. He finds his spark and inspiration through nature. You can often find him enjoying a good read along the shorelines of Santa Monica or Manhattan Beach.
Bibiana Rosalia (she/her)
Philanthropy Associate
opens in a new windowPeople Assisting the Homeless
Bibiana Rosalia is a Casa Heiwa resident, serves on Little Tokyo Service Center’s Board of Directors, works as a Philanthropy Associate for PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) and is a sound healing practitioner. Her sound healing practice is called The Sacred Sounds. Additionally, she has been a soprano in The Urban Voices Project choir ensemble for almost 3 years, currently serves on their Board, and is an alumnus of the Street Symphony Daniel Chaney Voice Fellows program. She is passionately dedicated to sharing the healing power of music with others and with helping our neighbors experiencing homelessness.
Grant Sunoo (he/him)
Director of Community Building & Engagement
opens in a new windowLittle Tokyo Service Center
Grant Sunoo is the Director of Community Building & Engagement for Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC). He oversees LTSC’s creative placekeeping, community planning, and community organizing efforts. Through this work, Grant and his team partner with other Little Tokyo stakeholders to advance the community’s vision for their neighborhood. Prior to joining LTSC, Grant was Deputy Director at Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRCD), an organization that focused on housing, workforce development, education, and supportive services for transition-aged youth in the Vernon-Central neighborhood of South Los Angeles. In nearly 20 years of working in Los Angeles’ non-profit sector, he has extensive experience in affordable housing development, coalition building, leadership development, program implementation, and organizational development. Grant earned an MA in Urban Planning from UCLA and a BA in Asian American Studies from CSUN.
