LTSCene Monthly Newsletter
January 2021 Issue
January 2021 Issue
After a tumultuous 2020, LTSC is kicking off the new year with some good news about upcoming work and ways you can get involved!
Maria Cabildo
LTSC is honored to welcome Maria Cabildo to our Board of Directors! Maria is a long-time friend of LTSC and comes to us with a rich career in nonprofit, private, and government sectors working on various affordable housing, homelessness, and racial equity initiatives.
About Maria:
Maria G. Cabildo is a Senior Advisor at Advancement Project California. Before joining Advancement Project California as a Senior Fellow in 2019, she was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University. Maria has held positions in the nonprofit, private, and government sectors. She co-founded the East LA Community Corporation in 1995 and served as its president and CEO from 1999-2015. Maria worked in LA county government from 2015-2017, first as Chief of Staff to Supervisor Hilda Solis and later as Director of Homeless Initiatives at the Los Angeles Community Development Commission-now the Los Angeles Community Development Authority. She has served as an appointee on state and local boards, including Los Angeles’ City Planning Commission and the California Housing Partnership board, where she served as its vice-chair. Maria has served on many nonprofit boards of directors, including the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Housing California, Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing, and A Community of Friends. She currently serves on the board of directors of Inclusive Action for the City and LA Voice Action.
She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Urban Studies from Columbia University, a master’s degree in Urban Planning from UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs, and a Certificate in Advanced Environmental Studies from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. She is Chicana, born and raised in East Los Angeles.
An Interview with Maria:
You’re no stranger to LTSC and the Little Tokyo community. How were you first introduced to LTSC and how have you stayed connected?
I was first introduced to LTSC a very long time ago. As many folks know, I was Kathy Masaoka’s babysitter! So I learned of LTSC through Kathy. I became more connected to LTSC when I served on the board of SCANPH with Dean Matsubayashi. Later he and I worked very closely to develop the Coalition of Neighborhood CDCs and to organize a response to lenders following the foreclosure crisis of 2008.
You have an impressive career in nonprofit, private and government sectors working on various affordable housing and homeless initiatives. We’re excited to bring your knowledge and expertise to our Board! What are some areas of LTSC’s work that you’re excited to engage with?
All of the work is so important, so it is hard to say one thing is more exciting than the other; however, I am particularly interested in efforts to expand affordable housing opportunities and preserve Little Tokyo’s history, culture, and legacy businesses.
Why is serving on LTSC’s Board of Directors meaningful to you?
I have long admired LTSC’s work, especially its range of programs and services. When I served as ELACC’s Executive Director from 1999-2015, I had the opportunity to work with many LTSC staff. I admired their camaraderie and collective approach to community development. In short, it’s an honor to become part of an organization that impacts the lives of so many people and whose values align with my own. Furthermore, Dean Matusabayashi asked me to consider joining the LTSC board several years ago, but the timing wasn’t right. Dean was a very dear friend of mine. I miss his wisdom and friendship. It is meaningful to me to join the Board of Directors and to support the organization that my friend loved so much.
What are some of your favorite Little Tokyo businesses/institutions?
I spent a lot of time in Little Tokyo when I was teenager. It was one of the few places I could easily visit from my home in East LA. Many of the businesses I used to enjoy don’t exist anymore. but thank goodness Suehiro and Bunkado are still around. I also love the Chirashi lunch special at Mitsuru Grill on First Street!
LTSC received a 3-year grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living to assist informal caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias and support adults living alone with dementia. LTSC will also increase the community’s knowledge about dementia by partnering with Alzheimer’s Los Angeles to provide dementia education programs in various Asian languages. With this generous grant LTSC will be able to reduce the stigma surrounding dementia and improve the quality of life of those with dementia and their caregivers.
LTSC received a 3-year grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living
“In LA County, where there are more Asian American older adults than any other county across the nation, the rapid growth in older adults living with dementia will grow tremendously as will the need for culturally and linguistically appropriate care. The funding and support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living (ACL) is both timely and meaningful as it expands LTSC’s ability to address those growing needs of dementia care among API older adults and within marginalized communities,” said Margaret Shimada, LTSC Director of Social Services.
In December 2020, Terasaki Budokan received LEED Gold Certification for excellence in water conservation, sustainability and energy efficiency.
In December 2020, Terasaki Budokan received LEED Gold Certification for excellence in water conservation, sustainability and energy efficiency.
“Because we primarily serve youth and families, Budokan is committed to sustainability to ensure that our community is here for generations to come. We want to set an example for the next generation, and being LEED certified is another step towards respecting and preserving our community by leaving a smaller carbon footprint,” said Ryan Lee, Director of Terasaki Budokan.
Project Manager Minako Shirai-Ferrante shared, “We had LEED certification in mind throughout the entire process from the design phase through construction all the way to maintenance and operations. It’s something we prioritized and I’m proud of the accomplishment.”
Some of the green features at Budokan include: stormwater capture planters, drip irrigation, drought-resistant landscaping, energy efficient LED lights and HVAC system, renewable energy solar panels, regionally sourced construction materials, and EV chargers in the parking garage.
As a leader in the Sustainable Little Tokyo initiative, Budokan’s LEED Gold certification is the latest example of LTSC’s commitment to create cultural, economic and environmental sustainability in Little Tokyo. “We’re committed to the larger vision of a sustainable future for our neighborhood.” said Grant Sunoo, Director of Community Building and Engagement.
LTSC is proud to add Terasaki Budokan to its list of recent LEED certified projects dating back to 2013.
LTSC received a generous capacity building grant from Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC.) LISC is a longtime partner of LTSC and has helped develop our leadership and capacity to advance our work together.
The current grant will increase LTSC’s work in Little Tokyo with an emphasis on helping the community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. LTSC will help small businesses adapt and survive, enable members of the downtown communities to voice their vision for their neighborhoods and participate in achieving a just economic recovery for everyone.
LTSC would like to thank LISC for their ongoing support, especially during the pandemic.
A3M is helping Paul find a match! Paul Goodman, 29, is seeking a life-saving bone marrow match as he battles a recurrence of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Since Paul is biracial, the ideal match would be a donor who is of mixed Japanese and Caucasian ancestry, like Paul, or of similar heritage(s). Specifically, Paul is of Japanese and Jewish ancestry. YOU can help patients like Paul by registering to be a donor!
Paul Goodman
‘A Greener World’ Un Mundo Mas Verde
Read the latest publication of our in-house collaborative zine! This issue is filled with art submissions from our residents (stories, recipes, artwork, etc.) stemming from inspiration from their communal garden space at Casa Heiwa.
“I met Manda late at night. She was picking roses in the Casa Heiwa community garden and said that she had just remembered that it was New Year’s Eve and she wanted to bring some flowers to celebrate the Chinese New Year before midnight. I remembered her from Senior Club meetings, and started talking to her in Mandarin, one of my native languages…”
Creative strategies like this publication have helped our residents stay socially connected and creatively engaged during this time of isolation. Your generous support can help keep programs like this afloat!
Fellow LA nonprofit The People Concern is hiring!
“The People Concern believes no one should have to live on the street or in a violent household. Our staff, volunteers and those we serve work together to address the effects of homelessness, poverty, mental and physical illness, abuse and addiction. Our programs empower the most vulnerable among us to improve their quality of life – housed, healthy and safe – and become active participants in the community.”
If you are interested, please check out their career page and apply for open positions today!
Here are some messages we received with recent donations:
December 2020 Donors
Thank you to all our supporters for your contributions last month!
Add your name to the list by making a DONATION today.
Toshie and Syed Ahmed
Aihara & Associates Insurance Services Inc.
Natsuko Akiyama
Nancy Alcaraz
Eiko and Young Amano
Ronald Amate
Mikako and Ali Amini
Anonymous
Dennis Arguelles
Barbara Arita
William Asato
Atsushi Ashizawa
Karoline Bain
Marjorie Berkel
Sandra Berry
Joseph Biderman and Richard Holbrook
John Blackman
Elizabeth Burton
Maria Cabildo
Tomoko and Ty Carter
Shirley Chami and Daniel Kerson
Audrey Chan
Changes in the Community
Jennifer Chen
Bernice Chu
Consulate General of Japan
Courthouse News Service
Phyllis D’Ambra
Samantha de Castro
Liz Doomey
Rubén Guevara
Chantal Denny
Jeffrey and Lorraine Dohzen
Terrie Doizaki
Edison International
Mark and Sharlene Hirai
Adele Elliott
Everett and Gladys Endow
FIA Insurance Services, Inc.
Robert Fields
Sumi and John Foley
Kaz and Chris Fong
Raymond Fujii
Akemi Fujimoto
Akira and Atsuko Fujimoto
Hiroshi and Misako Fujisaki
June Fukuhara
Masami Fukuhara
Alex Fukui
Linda Fukunaga
Steffi Fukunaga
Paul Jay Fukushima
Regina Furumoto
Sandee Furuta
Joey and Jenny Furutani
Maggie Galle
Michael Golamco
Ana Guevara
Yas Hagihara
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn 4th District
Jeffrey Hamamoto
Geraldine Hamane
Merilynne Quon
Jo Ann Hamasaki and Brian Hamasaki
Masami and Shinko Hanabusa
Michelle Hanabusa
Masako Hane
Chris and Ken Hankawa
Shashi Hanuman
Sharon Harada
Mieko Harrington
Lisa Hasegawa
Mark Hashima
Sande Hashimoto
Cory Hayashi
Dee A. Hayashi
Ken and Colleen Hayashi
Ava Herbrick
Emily Hertzberg
Kerin Higa
Robert and Harriet Hiji
Alison Hino
Marsha Hirano-Nakanishi
Duane and Joy Hirayama
Joyce and Dale Hirayama
Janet Hiroshima
Grace S. Hiura
Miwako Hoshi
Yoko Hozumi
Suzie Hsi
Christine and Denny Huang
Peter Huang
Joy and Ralph Hutter
Brian Ikeda
David and Kathy Ikeda
Kelley and Cliff Ikeda
Douglas Ikemi
Sharon Im-Lee
David Inoue
Brenton Inouye
Yoneo and Yuriko Inouye
Dr. Kenji Irie
Norma Ishigo
Sabrina and Darin Ishimatsu
Seiji and Nell Itahara
Barbara Ito
Leslie Ito and Steve Wong
Paul H. Iwahashi
Bruce Iwasaki and Evelyn Yoshimura
Lori and Pat Kesslak
Hisamori Iwashita
JANM Volunteers
Friends Japanese Women’s Society of Southern California
Gerald Kado
Miyako Kadogawa
Carole Kakita
Alice Kaku
Gregory Kame
Minao Kamegai
Sharon Kamegai Cocita
Toshio Kamei
Ed Kamiyama
Gene and Vickie Kanamori
Cindy and Henry Kato
Jean Kato
Janice Kawagoye
Jane and Harry Kawahara
Rosalyn Kawahira
Dr. and Mrs. Iwao G. Kawakami
Jean and Karl Kawakami
Raymond Kawamoto
Yukio and Lilian Kawaratani
Shin Kawasaki
Marlene Kikuchi
Bang Soon Kim
Helen Kim
Yuka Kimbell
Christine Kimura
Dennis and Lorraine Kimura
Sadao and Faye Kimura
Iku Kiriyama
Keith Kishiyama
Dawn and Alan Kita
Toni and Gary Kitazawa
Steve and Akemi Kayleng Knight
Karen and Frank Kobashi
Jon Kobashigawa and Carol Kawata
Kiku Yamada
Dennis Kobata and Jan Tokumaru
Carolyn Kobayashi
Ryoko Koga
Neil and JoAnn Komai
Kumiko Kondo
Reiko Kondo
Raymond and Noriko Kong
Julie Koning
Thomas Kracauer
Gregory Kubo and Alyson Mizuno-Kubo
Kathleen Kubota
Kubota Mortuary
Jenni Kuida and Tony Osumi
Moet Kurakata
Ford and Frances Kuramoto
Leland Kurisu
Amy Phillips Kushigemachi and Scott Kushigemachi
Masao and Peggy Kushigemachi
Mitsuo and Keiko Kushigemachi
Emily Kuwahara
Vien Le
Kelvin Lee
Laura Shiozaki Lee
Oliver Lee
Phillip Lee
Liferay Foundation
Sharon Lopez
Tim Lounibos
Adelle Lutz
Lori Magallanes
Susan Maki
Kathy and Mark Masaoka
Asao and Kim Masumiya
Morley and Sue Matsuda
Aya Matsudaira
Carol Matsunaga and Steve Ogasa
Dr. Jon and Stephanie Matsunaga
Diana and Yoshi Matsushima
Robert and Teresa Matsushima
Yuhi Matsushita
Jennifer Matsuura
Laraine Matsuyama
Judy Matsuzaki
Tyler McFadden
Microsoft Rewards / Give with Bing
Lorene and Mark Miller
Joyce Miyabe
Amy Miyakawa
Victor and Meriko Miyamoto
Gail and Thomas Miyasaki
Mike and Wendy Miyashima
Emiko Miyoshi
Kyle Mizumoto
Sandie and Dean Mochinaga
Terrie Monaghan and Brian Coleman
Josefina and Michael Monahan
Katsuko Morita
Masaharu Motoyama
MUFG Union Bank
Roy Mukogawa
Nancy and Mark Munekata
Grace Murakami
Michiko Murakami
Yukio Murakawa
Mike Murase and June Hibino
Tak and Grace Murase
Terry Ikeda
In Memory of Tetsuo Murata
Paul Murata
Hiroko Higuchi
Nicole Murph
Eiko Muto
Thomas Nagano
Jeffrey Nagasaki
Tatsuo Nagashima
Nancy Nagayama
Alexander Nakagawa
Roy and Setsuko Nakahara
Ann Nakahira
Timothy Howe
Kiyomi Nakano
Mari Nakano
The Kenichi and Takayo Nakase Family Foundation
David and Lily Nakatani
Takeshi and Patricia Nakayama
Daryl Narimatsu
Kazuhito Naruse
Yoshi Naruse
Eileen Nawa
Netflix
Carol and Henry Ng
Chikashi and Sayoko Niizawa
Nisei Week Foundation
Jean and Kenneth Nishihara
Gail and Robert Nishinaka
Amy Niwa
Brian Noguchi
Hideko Noriyuki
Sumie Numaguchi
Takashi and Suzuko Oda
Susan Omori
Dianne and Richard Odagawa
Steven and Shirley Ogata
Yoshi Ono
Susan Oka
Sharon Okada
Jeri Okamoto
Mike and Kay Okamoto
Shirley Okayama
Hiroko Okazaki
John Okita and Michiko Yamamoto
Stacey Okutake
Muneaki Okuyama
Fred and Yumiko Ong
Ryan and Denise Onishi
Christopher Ono
Glenn and Lillian Osajima
Ronald Osborne
Janice Osumi
Kaz Ota
Koyu Ota
William Ota
Alan Pabalan
Brian Pagano
PayPal Giving Fund
Kyoko Peters
Justen Quan
Agnes Regeczkey
May Ma and Patrick Ross
Lloyd Kajikawa and Silvina Rubinstein
Yoshiko Sakamoto
Michiko Sakimoto
Tadashi and Geri Sakuma
Kitty Sankey
Emiko Selapack
Senshin Buddhist Women’s Association
Michael and Jill Setsuda
Gail Sharp
Raymond and Sharon Shibata
Janice Shigaki
Diane Shigekawa
Doris Shimabukuro
Haruko Shimabukuro
Margaret and Ken Shimada
Ellen and Alan Shimamoto
Bruce and Diane Shimano
Joyce and Randy Takahashi
Spencer Shimizu
Jane N. Shimotsu
Alan and Jean Shinseki
Barbara Shirota
Kayoshi Shoda
Skanska
Jane Smith
Kayko Sonoda
Joe Soong
Southland Credit Union
Andrea and John Spolidoro-Marshall
Ken and Lily Sugino
Lisa Sugino and Jay Rosenthal
Walter Sumi
Chiyoko Sunabe
Cooke and Elaine Sunoo
Grant Sunoo and Emily Mayeda
Sushi Gen
Richard and Noriko Suzuki
Scarlet Sy and Eric Olson
Izumi Tachiki and Mark Jones
Kathy and Russell Tagawa
Esther Taira
Kelly and Rintaro Takasu
George Takei
Roy and Judy Takemura
Yuka Takeuchi
Diane Tan and King Cheung
Marie Tan and Gregory Tan, in memory of Chor Chai Tan
Richard and Cathie Tanabe
Arlene Tanaka
Bessie Tanaka
Cathy and Masaru Tanaka
Gail Tanaka
George Tanaka
Mike Tanaka and Jill Ishida
Wes Tanaka
Linda Tanamachi
Michi Tanioka
Kathleen Thurn
Tony Tolbert
Nancy Toyota
Kevin and Sandy Tsujihara
Stuart Tsujimoto
Carole and Howard Tsujimura
Kaz and Cynthia Uemura
Keith Umemoto
Gary Uyekawa
Alden and Teruko Uyemura
Fabiana Velo
Louise Wada
Mariko Wada
Momoyo Walters
Mia Wassink
Karen Watanabe
Marsha and Gary Watanabe
Weingart Foundation
Allyne Winderman and Glenn Wasserman
Gordon Wong
Jackson Wong
Judith Wong
Lesley and Russell Wong
Logan Wong
John Wright
Carole Yamakoshi
Geoffrey and Denise Yamamoto
Karen Yamamoto
Kathleen R. Yamamoto
Patty Yamano
Yamasa Kamaboko Ent. / Frank Kawana
Laura Yamashiro
Richard Yamashita
Sally Yamashita
Linda and Gary Yamauchi
Gary and Akemi Yano
Allison Yasukawa
Carolyn Yatomi
Donald Yee
Catherine Yen
Steven and Candice Yokomizo
Linda Yokoyama
Julie and Terry Yoneda
Margaret Lynn Yonekura, MD
Robbie Yoshikawa
Brett and Susan Yoshimura
Eileen and Dan Yoshimura
Cheryl Yoshioka
Leonard and Marsha Young
Scott Yun and Evelyn Mar
In Honor of Chris Aihara
Lloyd Inui
Gonsaku and Mine Ito Family
In Honor of Daniel and Staci Kent
Craig and Cindy Ogawa
In Honor of Mitch and Mary Kitayama
Janet and Keith Gillespie
In Honor of Tae Kang and Claire Kitayama Kang
Janet and Keith Gillespie
In Honor of Alan Kosaka Family
Robert and LaVerne Cohen
In Honor of Mike Murase
Mark Borenstein
In Honor of Frank & Kaoru Nakamura
Eric Nakamura
In Honor of Stephen Sato
Karen Higashi
In Honor of Tom Sogi
Edward Imwinkelried and Cynthia Clark
In Honor of Andrew Stranahan
David Stranahan
In Honor of Ty Tanioka
Michi Tanioka
In Honor of Yuka Yamamoto
Yoko Naka
Susan Shimazu
In Honor of Fred & Patty Yamano
Craig and Cindy Ogawa
In Memory of May Arakaki
Joyce Chan
Paul Inafuku
Christopher and Jeanne Au Sakuma
In Memory of Luna R. Diel
Johann Diel
In Memory of Hiroshi Isago
Chris and Janet Taga
In Memory of Harumi Kajiyama
Kristine Mizutani
In Memory of Dean Matsubayashi
Reina Fukuda
Noelle Ito
Heidie Joo Burwell
Cindy and Kenji Oda
Kevin Rodin
In Memory of David Y. Miyashita
Marivic A. Miyashita
In Memory of Lillian Nakano
Kay Ochi
In Memory of Mitsue Nishio
Suzy Katsuda
Kay Ochi
Jacqueline Trejo
In Memory of John and Trudy Nishizu
Westmont Corporation
In Memory of Miwako & Henry Nishizu
Anonymous
In Memory of Mr. and Mrs. Hiroshi and Hideko Ota
Anonymous
In Memory of Jeannette Kyoko Sanderson
Emily and Dan Weaver
In Memory of Louise and Jim SooHoo
Paul Ong
In Memory of Miyoko Takagishi
Irene Rowe
In Memory of Tadashi Yoshimura
Armanino LLP
Terasaki Budokan
Anonymous
Akemi Arakaki and Takao Suzuki
Marisa Calice
Rémy De La Peza
Miwa and Gordon Emi
Thomas Espineda
Chris and Ken Hankawa
Janet Hasegawa-Chu and Cliff Chu
Allison Hirata
Melvin Honda
Cynthia Hozaki and Ron Okuda
John and Helen Sun
Hideko Kane
Marlene Kikuchi
Eric Kurimura
Carol Matsui
Don Matsumoto
Mica Miyamoto
Susan Nakaoka
Craig and Cindy Ogawa
Victor Okada and Candace Lao
Sean Okamoto
Yumiko Okazaki
Ali and Erik Olsgaard
John and Irene Ota
Jason and Rachelle Samson
Ellen and Alan Shimamoto
David Shimasaki
Taryn Shimizu
Alan and Jean Shinseki
Sara Tabita
Aaron Takahashi
Marie Tan and Gregory Tan, in memory of Chor Chai Tan
Mucci Taylor
Ray and Estela Uchima
Loana Valencia
Emily and Dan Weaver
Stacie Williams
Frank and Joyce Yada
Valerie and Rodney Yee
Steve Yee and Silvia Yoshimizu-Yee
Brett and Susan Yoshimura
In Honor of the Hon. Akemi Arakaki
Dahni Tsuboi and Pete Manzo
In Honor of Andy K. and Keiko Fukui
Alex Fukui
In Honor of Joyce Mitsuhashi
Justin and Sharon Kurashima
In Honor of Susan Ogawa
Craig and Cindy Ogawa
In Honor of Bill Watanabe
Suzanne and Henry Borenstein Family
The Kenichi and Takayo Nakase Family Foundation
In Memory of May Arakaki
Dahni Tsuboi and Pete Manzo
In Memory of Hisashi and Fudeko Ikeda
Dahni Tsuboi and Pete Manzo
In Memory of Lillian Ito
Alan and Barbara Hamane
In Memory of Aki Komai
Carolyn Komai
Michael Komai
Gail and Thomas Miyasaki
In Memory of Momo Nagano
Dan K Kwong
In Memory of Joe Yamagawa
Taryn Tatara
Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches (A3M)
Christine Chang
Korean American Music Academy
Michael Patterson
William and Ida Sugahiro
The Unka Solanki Foundation
In-kind Donations
B & B Toy Maker Inc.
Sharon Lopez
Colleen Seto-Gee and Douglas Gee
Shelter Partnership
Marsha and Gary Watanabe