LTScene MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

April 2018 Issue

Participants engage in an activity at the GVJCI-LTSC event.

In March, Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute (GVJCI) and LTSC co-hosted an event entitled “Normal ‘Senior Moments’ or Early Stage Alzheimer’s?”

Often we hear people asking themselves this question as more things manage to escape their memory. The seminar focused on the six pillars of Alzheimer’s prevention: regular exercise, social engagement, healthy diet, mental stimulation, quality sleep and stress management.

The event featured a number of distinguished speakers with different perspectives on reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s and other dementia as well as practical health tips for lifelong brain health. The speakers included: Kimiko Kelly, community education manager at Alzheimer’s Greater Los Angeles (ALZGLA); Joyce Nakashima, registered dietitian; John Zarchen, vice president and senior private client advisor with Bank of the West’s Wealth Management Group and volunteer for ALZGLA; Nicole Sato, program manager at GVJCI; Tim Toyama, a certified yoga teacher; and Iku Kiriyama, a lifelong educator and community member who first brought the presentation request to LTSC in response to community concern.

Event participants were also invited to engage in activities to reduce stress and strengthen their physical and mental health.

Budokan construction is on going

For Terasaki Budokan, there could not be a saying more apropos than​, “We’ve come a long way. Yet, we have a long way to go.”

What began as a dream of the community in the 1970s and became a concrete goal for LTSC in 1994 is starting to take shape, as construction is underway. The multipurpose sports and community center on Los Angeles Street in Little Tokyo that we dubbed “a home court for all” will feature a gymnasium with two basketball courts and an outdoor plaza. The projected completion date is the end of 2019.

While we have launched construction, more fundraising is necessary. Construction costs have risen sharply, even within the last year. “We always saw Budokan as a community-wide effort that will have a tremendous benefit for all of us, especially for children. We need you to play a part to close the financial gap,” said Budokan Campaign Director Mike Murase.

Please consider an additional donation, introduce us to new donors, volunteer, buy Toyota raffle tickets or come to our events. Together we can build Terasaki Budokan.

Click Terasaki Budokan to donate to the  campaign.

A3M’s 1st Annual Super Duper challenge announcement

Every year, more than 12,000 patients are diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. It can happen to anyone, at any time. But so can a cure—a marrow or stem cell transplant.

Help patients receive life-saving marrow transplants by joining Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches (A3M)’s Super Duper Swabstacle Challenge, an obstacle course fundraiser that will be held on Saturday, June 2 at the Los Angeles State Historic Park.

All proceeds from the fundraiser will support A3M’s mission to grow and diversify the marrow donor registry and significantly increase a patient’s chance of finding a marrow donor and getting a transplant.

Click Super Duper Swabstacle Challenge for more details about the event.

If you have any questions, please email Jo Ellen at jearagon@a3mhope.orgcreate new email.

CHAMPs youth and mentors

For the last 20 years, youth living in LTSC’s affordable housing communities, Casa Heiwa in Little Tokyo and Angelina Apartments in Echo Park, have been waking up early on Saturday mornings for the CHAMPS mentoring program. Mentors from UCLA arrive at the building and are ready to engage the youth in tutoring and fun activities like play days, field trips and basketball. CHAMPS, the Casa Heiwa Angelina Mentoring Program, helps youth succeed in school and life.

LTSC would like to thank the Dwight Stuart Youth Fund for its support of CHAMPS. The mission of the Dwight Stuart Youth Fund is to support organizations that provide direct services and experiences to underserved children and youth so they may gain the skills, values and confidence to achieve their potential.

“With the generous support of the Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, CHAMPS has become an integral part of our youth program,” said Nancy Alcaraz, LTSC’s director of Resident Services.

LTSC would like to thank the Dwight Stuart Youth Fund for its continuing support of our efforts to improve the lives of youth living in and around Downtown Los Angeles.

Microsoft Japan President Takuya Hirano

LTSC will hold a seminar, “Community Building: Nikkei Businesses and Corporate Social Responsibility,” at the Toyota Meeting Hall in Torrance on Monday, April 30, 2018. The seminar will focus on Japanese and Japanese American business perspectives on corporate social responsibility and local community building. Speakers will discuss how Nikkei businesses can engage in local community building programs and activities to strengthen diverse Nikkei communities as well as to promote U.S.-Japan relations.

The event will feature an onstage interview of Mr. Takuya Hirano, president of Microsoft Japan, by Ms. Kaori Iida, Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK) Los Angeles bureau chief. The interview will be followed by a discussion with panelists Mr. Hirano of Microsoft Japan; Ms. Yayoi Sato, manager for International Partnerships and Client Services with the Los Angeles Dodgers; Mr. Mitsuyasu Shigeta, founder and owner of the Shin-Sen-Gumi Group; and Mr. Yoichi Komiyama, CEO and chairman of Lighthouse; and moderator Ms. Iida of NHK.

Click Corporate Responsibility for more information and to purchase tickets.

Federal Spending Bill Boosts Funding for Housing

Last month, Congress approved and President Trump signed into law a $1.3 trillion bill to fund the operations of the federal government. The bill included significant increases for affordable housing and community development programs. The legislation expanded the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program and increased funding for critical US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. This funding could help provide significant resources to address growing needs in LA and nationwide.

Click Enterprise Community for analysis from the housing nonprofit Enterprise.

Yukari Sakata

Japanese artist Yukari Sakata visited Little Tokyo as part of an exchange program, participated in by Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC) and LTSC. Yukari has a strong interest in the Japanese American/Nikkei experience, particularly for seniors. Yukari spent 30 days volunteering at Little Tokyo Towers’ meal program, attending community events, meeting many Little Tokyo stakeholders and living at the Daimaru Hotel on First Street. At the conclusion of Yukari’s visit,  she presented on her experience and shared the stories of friends she met in Little Tokyo.

Yukari plans to use these stories as research for a play she will write in the coming year.

You can read in the Spring editionopens PDF file of the LTSC Social Services newsletter Through the Seasons (p.1) as well as some of Yukari’s work on her blog, in English or Japanese.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

What is sexual assault? What do I do if I have been sexually assaulted? How do I help? Read more in the Spring edition of the LTSC Social Services newsletter Through the Seasonsopens PDF file  (p.8).

Events

Ongoing – April 14 – Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Season

April 30 – Community Building: Nikkei Businesses and Corporate Social Responsibility

Green Tip

Save paper and file your taxes electronically.

Donors

Thank you to all our supporters for your contributions last month!

March 2018 Donors

Anonymous
Dennis Arguelles
Elizabeth Burton
Jeffrey and Lorraine Dohzen
Paul Jay Fukushima
Glenn Hamanaka
Lisa Hasegawa
Dee A. Hayashi
Maya Hayashi and Michael Taila
Frank and Betty Hiji
Tomiko Hooper
Dick and Pauline Kaku
Jessica Kanai
Keith Kishiyama
Steve and Akemi Kayleng Knight
Kelvin Lee
Laura Shiozaki Lee
Yuet Lui
Dr. Jon and Stephanie Matsunaga
Diana and Yoshi Matsushima
Robert and Teresa Matsushima
James and Patsy Matsushita
Walter and Carrie Morita
Richard and Masako Murakami
Tetsuo Murata
Erich Nakano and Sandra Viera
Alan and Yvonne Nishio
Nishiyamato Educational Inc.
Steven and Shirley Ogata
Taeko Okada
Tadao Okui
Janice Osumi
Sam and Kimie Otsuji
Kitty Sankey
Carol Sato
Haruko Shimabukuro
(Chor Chai Tan), Marie Tan and son, Gregory Tan
George Tanaka
Mike Tanaka and Jill Ishida
Wes Tanaka
Setsuko Tanaka
Glenn Togawa
UBS
Keith Umemoto
Mark and Vivien Usui
Dr. Alex Wai
Marsha and Gary Watanabe
Gordon Yamamoto

In Honor of Dick Kaku
Katie Tanijiri

In Memory of Mitsuo Inouye, MD
Lily Ann Inouye

In Memory of Judy Ota
Kaz Ota

In Memory of Jeannette Kyoko Sanderson
Emily and Dan Weaver

In Memory of Maryann Ito Yoshihiro
Suzy Katsuda
May and John Nosse

Terasaki Budokan
Anonymous
Akemi Arakaki
Laura Blosser and Chris Argyros
Scott Ito and Nan Lee
Aiko Kawaratani
Brent Mori and Jessie Kikuchi
Mike Murase and June Hibino
Brian Okuhara
Grant Sunoo and Emily Maeda
Joe and Chizuko Yamagawa

Bill and Ruth Watanabe Director’s Office Campaign
Jeff and Christine Murakami

In Honor of the Ito Family
Lisa Okamoto

Vehicle Donations
Christina Lay
Joyce Hori

In-kind Donations
Baby2Baby
Adina Mori-Holt and Whitman Holt
Shelter Partnership
Marsha and Gary Watanabe