LTSCene Monthly Newsletter
December 2021 Issue
Dear Friends,
As we close out 2021 and look forward to the new year, I’d like to take a moment to thank all our donors and supporters for your continued generosity and support. Because of you, we are able to work towards our mission of creating positive change for people and places.
Looking back at the past year, we faced many challenges, but celebrated achievements as well. When times were tough, we were able to lean on our network of friends and supporters to help push us through challenges, and for that we are extremely grateful. Together, we reached major milestones in our real estate projects and created new programs to support our community. We will carry that momentum into the new year, as we look forward to putting the worst of the pandemic behind us, and keep our focus on finding more solutions to create positive change.
Once again, thank you to our donors, volunteers, supporters and employees, for your dedication to LTSC and making a difference in our community. I hope you all enjoy a safe and wonderful holiday, and I look forward to seeing you (in person!) in 2022.
Building Affordable Housing
- The ground lease for LTSC’s First Street North Apartments (formerly ‘Go For Broke Apartments’) tripled in size after Councilmember Kevin DeLeon’s City Council motion was approved. This increased the project’s affordable housing units from 77 to 248 units.
- LTSC acquired an 11-unit multi-family apartment building in East LA in partnership with Fideicomiso Comunitario Tierra Libre (FCTL). LTSC will work with FCTL to make renovations and manage the property, with the eventual goal of turning over ownership to the tenants. This partnership is part of LA County’s pilot Community Land Trust (CLT) project, which LTSC helped to create.
Assisting People in Need
- LTSC continued meal deliveries into 2021, to help address food insecurity brought on by the pandemic. The LT Eats program wrapped up in June after 65 weeks, serving over 18,900 meals to seniors with the help of over 40 volunteers. The South Bay meal program also ended in June, with over 5,800 meals served. Our resident services team continues to deliver pantry items to families in need, with over 3,500 bags of fresh produce and shelf-stable items provided throughout the pandemic.
- Changing Tides (CT) launched a new therapy stipend program this year called CT Stream. This program prioritizes Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) young adults in need of non-acute therapy, such as mild to moderate anxiety or depression. CT Stream strives to make mental health accessible by covering the full cost of 6-10 therapy sessions.
Strengthening Little Tokyo
- In partnership with Wesley Health Centers, LTSC brought mobile vaccine clinics to Little Tokyo, providing 529 COVID-19 vaccine shots to seniors and essential workers. The recent booster clinic, funded by Keiro, provided 137 booster shots.
- The ‘Little Tokyo Neighbors Community Outreach Team’ was formed! This team of LTSC residents in Little Tokyo came together to create positive change in the community. Their first project was organizing a neighborhood event to showcase resident artwork and gather input on community improvements.
- The Small Business department supported over 50 small businesses, receiving over 5 million dollars in loans and grants.
Nurturing Families
- 2021 was Terasaki Budokan’s first full year of operation! With a variety of programs and rentals, Budokan reached new milestones and impacted over 20,000 visitors. See Budokan’s highlights here: https://mailchi.mp/ltsc.org/budokan-eoy-2021
- Mi CASA, LTSC’s after school program, held its first summer program in 2021. This 5-week hybrid summer camp, hosted at Terasaki Budokan, served a total of 52 youth (ages 6-18) from local low-income families.
As one of LTSC’s three original staff members, Evelyn helped shape the organization’s spirit.
Evelyn Yoshimura joined Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) on October 15, 1980 as one of the organization’s three original staff members. Her retirement comes after almost 40 years at LTSC and decades of work in the Little Tokyo community. As LTSC’s Director of Community Organizing, Evelyn’s social activism and grassroots organizing helped steer LTSC’s mission and values over the years. Her wisdom, moral compass and moxie will be sorely missed–but her vision and legacy continues on in LTSC’s work.
Click the button below to read Evelyn’s full retirement piece!
“I first met Evelyn Yoshimura in the mid-1970's when I got involved with the Little Tokyo People's Rights Organization that was organizing residents and stakeholders to fight evictions of low income residents and small businesses back then. Evelyn was a ``veteran`` activist and I was a young kid who didn't know much. But she took the time to take me under her wing and helped me understand the history and significance of Little Tokyo. As a child, my family would come to Little Tokyo for festivals and shopping–but Evelyn's wisdom and experience built a deeper connection and commitment to preserving and fighting for Little Tokyo in me - something that has stuck all these years. While I was off to college up north, Evelyn worked very closely with my parents - Bert and Lillian Nakano - throughout the redress and reparations movement. She was a great friend and source of support to them. And so when I was able to start working at Little Tokyo Service Center, and was able to work with Evelyn again, it was like a homecoming. She is one of our unsung heroes, and while she may not be as widely recognized through awards, by public officials and in the media as she deserves–if you talk to generations of people involved in the community, she is deeply respected and loved.”
“Evelyn was my 'go to' person, my 'sounding board' who would jump in when things had to be done quickly. She played important roles in struggles like the Rafu Shimpo Workers Support Committee, NCRR and redress, anti-apartheid and the Free South Africa Movement to name a few. She was the person I checked in with about responding to the attacks on Muslims and Arab Americans after 9/11 which guided NCRR leadership to plan the vigil in Little Tokyo.”
“Evelyn brought thoughtful, level headed perspective to difficult conversations while clearly advocating for ideas and principles she believed in. She worked with people as one of them, not as someone who stood apart from ordinary folks. That was her strength. Her contributions can be measured by the number of hearts and minds she touched, from the elders living in Casa Heiwa and Little Tokyo Towers, to the family-owned businesses, to the young people from various campuses that sought her guidance.”
LTSC Hosts Booster Shot Clinic to Protect Little Tokyo Seniors and Essential Workers
Partnering with Wesley Health Centers and funded by Keiro, LTSC hosted a COVID-19 booster clinic at Terasaki Budokan last month, administering 137 doses to essential workers and seniors in Little Tokyo. The clinic was conveniently located within walking distance for both seniors and essential workers, with language support available in multiple languages, making the booster clinic accessible to all. With the new variant and case numbers rising again, we urge our readers to stay safe this holiday season!
After 30 Successful Years, A3M Program Closes
2021 marks a pivotal year at A3M, as we celebrated 30 years of life-saving work on November 19th. We are sad to announce that we are also preparing for the closure of A3M at the end of this year. In an effort to centralize all marrow donor registration activities, the Be the Match Registry will not be continuing their partnership with recruitment centers such as A3M, with the intention that their recruitment work will continue through the Be the Match organization. To address the need of finding marrow donors for patients of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) ancestry, Be the Match is in the process of creating an API program which will be spearheaded by Susan Choi, A3M Executive Director.
Over the last 30 years, A3M is very proud to have added more than 330,000 donors to the marrow registry, creating more than 9,000 marrow and stem cell matches. These life-saving matches were possible because of the generosity and passion of supporters like you. As A3M closes its doors, we’re left brimming with gratitude and pride for all the miracles we created together. The A3M team would like to extend a huge thank you to all of their patients and our supporters.
For a look back at A3M’s 30 years of life-saving work, watch our 30th anniversary video here:
LTSC Spreads Holiday Cheer to Residents with Navidad en El Barrio
LTSC hosted its annual holiday event for our residents and Angelina Preschool families. As a Navidad en el Barrio distribution site, LTSC distributed 120 food baskets filled with pantry items, fresh produce and poultry. We also spread holiday joy with toys for the kids and blankets and socks for the families. Thank you to Baby2Baby and the APA Toy Drive for your generous donations!
We’d also like to extend our gratitude to our volunteer groups: students from Brio College Prep, the Canadian Consulate General’s Office, US Bank and LTSC volunteers. Yocelinne, a student from Brio College Prep, explained, “I chose to do my high school volunteer hours here [at Angelina Preschool] because it looked fun and I wanted to help families in need. I want to volunteer at LTSC more because it feels good!”
If you are interested in volunteering with us at a future event, please check our VolunteerMatch page by clicking the button below!
Changing Tides Host their 3rd Annual Gala
Changing Tides’ third annual gala was on November 28th, 2021 at a beautiful ocean-side estate in Palos Verdes. This year’s event theme was “Gratitude“. Guests and generous sponsors enabled Changing Tides to raise much-needed funds to expand therapy stipends for youth and young adults and to support ongoing outreach activities to reduce the stigma around mental health. Speakers included friends and supporters of Changing Tides, and Dr. Timothy Fong, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. We are so grateful to our supporters, our event host, guest speakers and volunteers for making the event an overwhelming success!
YOU can help seniors thrive into the new year! With booster shots on the way and the pandemic lingering on, we still need your help.
Donate now to make a difference for our seniors and the Little Tokyo community.
“LTSC does vital work in the community, providing resources to people in need–like affordable housing, mental health services, and aid to small businesses. Especially with this past year’s spike in anti-Asian hate, it is important to support organizations like LTSC who empower and uplift the Asian American community. If you have the means, I would encourage you to volunteer or make a donation to LTSC. Whether you’re part of the Asian American community or not, your support will help strengthen communities of color in LA!” -Olivia, LTSC Donor
Omicron Variant and Vaccines
Scientific studies are underway to learn if Omicron is more contagious, causes more severe diseases than other variants, and how effective vaccines are against Omicron. The best way to protect yourself from this variant is to get fully vaccinated and boosted, combined with continuing to practice prevention methods such as wearing a mask and minimizing large gatherings. For more information on the Omicron Variant click here.COVID-19 Booster Vaccines
Anyone age 16 and older in LA County is eligible for a booster dose.
- This includes people who got their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna at least six months ago. This also includes people who got their J&J dose at least two months ago.
- Boosters are especially important for people 65 and older and people with underlying health conditions.
- Boosters are also one of our best ways to slow the spread of the new variant of concern, Omicron.
- Children 5-15 are not currently eligible for booster doses.
LTSC Thanksgiving Turkey Distributions
This November, LTSC distributed 70 turkeys and food baskets to families in our buildings. Thank you to the offices of Councilmember Kevin De Leon, Assemblymember Miguel Santiago and Councilmember Gil Cedillo for their generous donations!
Thank You Baby2Baby and APA Toy DriveLTSC would like to extend a warm thank you to Baby2Baby and the APA Toy Drive for helping us make the holidays bright!! With toy donations from these two organizations, LTSC was able to distribute toys to our residents and students of Angelina Preschool.
Thank You Ares Management
Thank you to the AAPI Employee Resource Group at Ares Management for spreading holiday cheer! They provided and distributed 54 meals, purchased from a local small business, to low income seniors in Little Tokyo last week. The seniors were extremely grateful to receive the wonderful meals. Thank you!
Daimaru Now Leasing!
Daimaru is now leasing rooms! Located on First St. in the heart of Little Tokyo, across the street from the Japanese Village Plaza, Daimaru is walking distance from restaurants, nightlife, public transportation and more. For more information, click here to visit the Daimaru website!
Go Little Tokyo for the Holidays
Still looking for some last minute gifts? Shop small and support Little Tokyo small businesses! If you’re looking for some inspiration or ideas for some good gifts, check out the holiday gift guide curated by our friends at Go Little Tokyo!
- Rafu Shimpo (12/07/21) LTSC, Wesley Health Centers, Keiro Partner to Provide Covid-19 Boosters
- LA Artcore (12/07/21) LA Artcore Welcomes Partnership with Mi CASA in Little Tokyo; Interview with Jacklyn Waight
- Senator Padilla Newsroom (12/10/21) Padilla, Wicker Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Revitalize Small Business
For more articles and news stories featuring LTSC, visit the “In the News” section of our website.
November 2021 Donors
Thank you to all our supporters for your contributions last month!
Add your name to the list by making a DONATION today.
NOVEMBER 2021 DONORS
Janee Allsman
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
Anonymous (24)
PayPal Giving Fund
Dennis Arguelles
AT&T (2)
Ron Baca
Karen Bronson
Alicia Burr
Elizabeth Burton
Ryan Caldera
Karen Cameron
Diana Cardenas and Ben Segura
Shirley Chami and Daniel Kerson
Charles Schwab
Yi Bing Chen and Ming Shan Liang
Ben Chida
Samantha de Castro
Jeffrey and Lorraine Dohzen
Lan Nguyen, Esquire Consulting Inc.
Shizu Lane
Dante Federici
Sumi and John Foley
Fred Fujioka
Susan Fujisaki
Jan Fukuhara Dyck
Robert Guffin
Glenn Hamanaka
Lisa Hasegawa
Kerin Higa
Frank and Betty Hiji
Alan Hino
Mark and Sharlene Hirai
Duane and Joy Hirayama
Bang Hoang
JD Hokoyama
Meghan Holtan
Melvin Honda
Iida Family
Randall Imai
Brenton Inouye
Dick and Pauline Kaku
Minao and Meera Kamegai
Jean Kato
Alan Kawa
Gary Kawaguchi
Rosalyn Kawahira
Corey Kawamoto
Raymond Kawamoto
Adam Kawasawa
D.K. Kazahaya
Randy, Audrey, Kristen, and Kevin Kiehm
Dennis and Lorraine Kimura
Sadao and Faye Kimura
Steve and Akemi Kayleng Knight
Carolyn Kobayashi
Elaine Kokubun
Joan Stonehouse
Ford and Frances Kuramoto
Emily Kuwahara
Elisabeth Lassanyi
Kelvin Lee
Oliver Lee
Seol Lee
Lori Magallanes
Susan Maki
Haley Marsh
Cynthia Masada
Ayako Masada
Gary and June Masada
Kathy and Mark Masaoka
Charlotte and Vince Matsudaira
Traci Matsumoto
Bob and Teresa Matsushima
Diana and Yoshi Matsushima
Microsoft Rewards / Give with Bing
Amy Miyakawa
Marcus Mizushima
MUFG Union Bank
Mike Murase and June Hibino
Nicole Murph
Coleen Nakamura
Reine Nakamura
Debra Nakatomi and Bob Miyamoto
Sharon and Robin Nakazaki
Netflix
Patricia Nicholson
Jon and Janice Nishimori
Steve and Karen Nishimori
Takashi and Suzuko Oda
Cindy Ohara
Hiroko Okazaki
John Okita and Michiko Yamamoto
Mei Ong
Ryan and Denise Onishi
Susan Osa
Masanobu Oshiro
Agnes Regeczkey
Eve Reynolds
David Sakamoto
Tadashi and Geri Sakuma
Margaret and Ken Shimada
Jeff and Christine Shimane
Paul and Kay Shishima
Spotify (4)
Grant Sunoo and Emily Mayeda
Michael Suzuki
Esther Taira
Edwin Takahashi
Hayahiko and Sumiko Takase
Kelly and Rintaro Takasu
Yuka Takeuchi
Bessie Tanaka
George Tanaka
Diana Tani
Michi Tanioka
Chelle Tateishi
Craig and Cheryl Tateishi
Kathleen Thurn
Marc Tsukahira
Dr. Grant and Debbie Uba
Russell and Susan Uchiyama
Keith Umemoto
Mark and Vivien Usui
Lori and Yoshi Usuki
Naomi Uyeda
Marsha and Gary Watanabe
Lesley and Russell Wong
Stacy Wong
Janet Yamamoto Concannon
Kai Yamamoto
Catherine Yen
Margaret Yonekura
Jeff Yonemura
Tribute Gifts
In Honor of George
Jessica Chang
In Honor of Hillary’s birthday fundraiser
Genevieve Carpio
Scott Carter-Eldred
Xiomara Forbez
Jenks
Hillary Jenks
Alanna Kilty-Heck
Belinda Lum
Bill and Ruth Watanabe
Kathee Yamamoto Fleming
In Honor of Merilynne Quon
Richard Quon
Memorial Gifts
In Memory of May Arakaki
Paul Inafuku
In Memory of Toki Hirai
Anonymous
In Memory of Terry and Bob Hulse
Anonymous
In Memory of William Ishibashi
Anonymous
In Memory of Fred (Tadashi) Kato
Todd Fujimoto
In Memory of Edward Kotani
Leonard and Marsha Young
In Memory of Dean Matsubayashi
Leslie Ito and Steve Wong
In Memory of Pattie Haines McDonald
Jeanne Nelson
In Memory of S. Stephen & Sally Nakashima
Anonymous
In Memory of Fuji, Mas and Sally Okabe
The Okabe Family
In Memory of Judy Nishimoto Ota
Kathy and Mark Masaoka
In Memory of Jeannette Kyoko Sanderson
Emily and Dan Weaver
In Memory of Kiyoshi and Chieko Shimokaji
Michael Shimokaji
In Memory of Sally Shoji
David and Debbie Endo
In Memory of Dr. Walter Sumi
Karen Bronson
Terasaki Budokan
Akemi Arakaki and Takao Suzuki
Anonymous
Eric Hernandez
Leslie and Travis Honda
Hoops for Friends
Bak Jong
Gregory Kame
Aiko Kawaratani
Helen Kim
Norman and Mardy Maehara
Don Matsumoto
Judy Matsuzaki
Art and Margie Mio
MUFG Union Bank
Richard and Masako Murakami
Mike Nitake
Craig and Cindy Ogawa
Jason and Rachelle Samson
Asaki Shinada
Joanna and Kevin Su
Don and Jocelyn Tahara
Linda Tanamachi
Nancy Toyota
Scott Umemoto
Loana Valencia
Stacie Williams
Evelyn Hori
Jayne and Gideon Young Family
Terasaki Budokan Memorial Gifts
In Memory of Dean Matsubayashi
Dee Montealvo
In Memory of Pam Nakano
Tim Nakano
Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches (A3M)
Anonymous
Avon Protection
Susan Carrier
Patricia Hirata
Diane Honda
A3M Tribute Gifts
In Honor of Krissy Kobata
Patricia Nomura
In-kind Donations
Hosoda Bros. Inc.
Innovative Skincare
Hiro Watanabe
Marsha and Gary Watanabe
