Angelina Preschool starts providing free grab-and-go meals
With the holiday season upon us, we reflect on how grateful we are for you, our supportive community and the clients we serve. During these challenging times, we’ve witnessed the overwhelming goodness in our community with so many people coming forward to help others.
In this issue, we want to express our gratitude to all those who create positive change in our community.
The shop sells Japanese housewares, crafts, gifts, and more
Bunkado is a Little Tokyo gem that’s served the community since 1946. The shop sells Japanese housewares, crafts, gifts, and more and is housed on the site of the very first Japanese owned business in Los Angeles. We’re thankful to have such a long-standing legacy business in the community.
Like many other small businesses, Bunkado was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since it’s part of LTSC’s mission to contribute to community revitalization, we support small businesses in the neighborhood. This year, we’ve been working overtime to help Bunkado and others stay open in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Our business counselors Mariko and Megan, along with their incredible team of volunteers, have spent countless hours free-of-charge with Bunkado’s owner, Irene, to go over digital marketing strategies, social media training and more.
Bunkado is a Little Tokyo gem that’s served the community since 1946
The tireless efforts of LTSC staff culminated in a new and improved Bunkado website with a streamlined look that appeals to users of all ages. These efforts also helped Bunkado launch an Instagram account and revamp its Facebook presence.
“LTSC does so much for the entire community. For a business like mine, I can’t imagine a group that does more for us. What I’m most impressed with is the incredible talent and brains they have over there, and we benefit from it. Thank you, Little Tokyo Service Center,” said Irene.
“Since the pandemic started, we’ve provided hands-on technical assistance to 20 Little Tokyo small businesses. Our LTSC team is two people; we’ve relied on a committed team of volunteers. Without the hard work of Dane Ishibashi, Sylvia Wakana Gunde and Sophia Chang assisting, there is no way we would have gotten up the new Bunkado website in under three months. Just in time for the holiday gift-giving season,” said Mariko Lochridge, LTSC Small Business Consultant.
Working with Bunkado is another step towards historical and cultural preservation in Little Tokyo and helps legacy businesses adapt to the 21st-century marketplace. We want to ensure that Bunkado and places like it can resist gentrification and acclimate to an ever-evolving retail landscape. It’s important that the small businesses preserving culture in Little Tokyo are given a chance to thrive.
Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday is a worldwide effort for people to stand together and celebrate how nonprofit organizations like Little Tokyo Service Center help communities prosper. Giving Tuesday started in 2012 and takes place every Tuesday following Thanksgiving.
Help us reach our goal of $10,000 to provide holiday meals and gifts to residents in our affordable housing buildings!
We are hoping to provide:
- Dinner, drinks and dessert for 285 residents
- $50 grocery gift cards for 100 low-income families
- $25 holiday gift cards to online shops for 50 teen residents
- $25 holiday gift cards to Little Tokyo markets and restaurants for 50 senior residents
Donate to our Giving Tuesday campaign!
*All food and gift distribution will be done according to CDC guidelines
Go For Broke National Education Center (GFBNEC)
As we celebrated Veteran’s Day this month, we reflected on the sacrifices and bravery of our nation’s service members and yet how many unhoused veterans exist in our community.
That’s why we’ve partnered with Go For Broke* to build 74 affordable housing units for veterans in Little Tokyo. We believe housing is a right – and a debt owed in gratitude to our veterans. In September of this year, the Los Angeles City Council approved a lease on the grounds to be used in the project and an education center to be built on the ground floor! This news takes us one step closer to making this project a reality.
*The Go For Broke National Education Center (GFBNEC) is a nonprofit whose goal is to inspire new generations to embody the Japanese American veterans’ core values of courage, sacrifice, equality, humility and patriotism.
Limited edition Terasaki Budokan hoodies
Limited Edition Budokan Apparel
Make sure you order your limited edition Terasaki Budokan t-shirts, long sleeves, crew neck sweaters or hoodies BEFORE midnight on Monday, November 30! All orders will be shipped on December 5 just in time for the holidays.
LTSC has partnered with Navidad en el Barrio,
Holiday Volunteers Needed
For several years, LTSC has partnered with Navidad en el Barrio, to distribute holiday meals to families in need. On December 12, 2020, we’ll give food and toys to 150 families living in our affordable housing units. We’re looking for holiday helpers to support our food and toy distribution! All volunteers must adhere to the CDC guidelines for social distancing.
October Donors
Thank you to all our supporters for your contributions last month!
Add your name to the list by making a DONATION today.
Ted Akahori
Anonymous
Dennis Arguelles
Elizabeth Burton
California Community Foundation
Yukie Daigo
Samantha de Castro
Susan DeGracia
Jeffrey and Lorraine Dohzen
Eagle, Globerman and Kodama Foundation
Elaine and Danny Ganiko
Lisa Hasegawa
Cindy Ho
Glenn Kawahata
Rosalyn Kawahira
Iku Kiriyama
Carolyn Kobayashi
Oliver Lee
Susan Maki
Michiko Matsunami
Robert and Teresa Matsushima
Jim and Patsy Matsushita
Nicole Murph
Kazuhito Naruse
Vy Nguyen and Cameron Levin
Jean and Richard Nishimoto
Alan and Yvonne Nishio
Miguel Nunez
Mary T. Oi Trust
John Okita and Michiko Yamamoto
Janice Osumi
William Ota
Dr. and Mrs. Sam Masami Otsuji
PayPal Giving Fund
Jennifer Scully
Margaret and Ken Shimada
Mariko Shimozu
Tomoko Shiotsu
Melodee Smith
Lillian Sugita
Grant Sunoo and Emily Mayeda
Esther Taira
Kelly and Rintaro Takasu
Yuka Takeuchi
Glenn Togawa
Keith Umemoto
Naomi Uyeda
Momoyo Walters
Lesley and Russell Wong
Daniel Yaguchi
Catherine Yen
Betty Yumori
In Honor of Larry Dale Kanow
Glenn and Donna Sanada
In Honor of Claire Kitayama
Tae Kang
In Honor of Vivian Lee
Marsha and Gary Watanabe
In Honor of Ian Tomio White
Anonymous
In Honor of Yuka Yamamoto
Anonymous
Mika Aoki
Horacio Arroyo
Carolina Covarrubias
Midori Dekura
Anna Divina
Wataru Ebihara
Miwa T Emi
Cindy Fong
Janet Hasegawa-Chu and Cliff Chu
Alice Ishigame-Tao and Alan Tao
Julie Itahara and Mauricio Gutierrez
Minori Jinno
Noriko Kajiwara and Mark Montoya
Yumi Kanegawa
Mizue Katayama
Marcia Kawahara
Hongsun Kim
Anna Kim
Reiko Kondo
Lee Kuo
Solyna Ly
Sandra Mendoza
Akiko and Michael Lazare
Hidemi Mousavi
Mike Murase and June Hibino
Erich Nakano and Sandra Viera
Lily Nakao and Tadashi Nakase
Etsuko Okamoto
Shoichi and Ayumi Omoto
Michael Salazar
Glen Sato
Margaret and Ken Shimada
Andrea Spolidoro and John Marshall
Takao Suzuki and Akemi Arakaki
Harumi Takahama
Yuka Takeuchi
Maki and Richard Wallace
Bill and Ruth Watanabe
In Memory of Brandon Abo
Anonymous
In Memory of May Arakaki
Caroline Maruya
In Memory of Ike T. Hatchimonji
Anonymous
In Memory of Philip N. Ito
Barbara Ito
In Memory of Thelma Kono
Anonymous
In Memory of Dean Matsubayashi
Barbara Ito
In Memory of S. Stephen & Sally Nakashima
Anonymous
In Memory of Yukiko Negoro
Noel Kinoshita
In Memory of Judy Ota
Kaz Ota
In Memory of Jeannette Kyoko Sanderson
Emily and Dan Weaver
In Memory of Tad Yoshimura
Tammy Hannan
Terasaki Budokan
Anonymous
Akemi Arakaki and Takao Suzuki
Eagle, Globerman and Kodama Foundation
Viki Goto
Janet Hasegawa-Chu and Cliff Chu
Gonsaku and Mine Ito Family
Dolly Ito Oishi and Rick Oishi
Atsuko Kanai
Kent Komae
EunSook Lee
Art and Margie Mio
Gregg and Sandra Okada
Jason and Rachelle Samson
Kelly and Rintaro Takasu
Scott Umemoto
Loana Valencia
Emily and Dan Weaver
In Honor of Akira Komai
Barbara R. Keimi
In Honor of Lily Tsurumaki
Adina Mori-Holt and Whitman Holt
Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches
Christine Chang
John Esaki
Lynn Hosozawa and Wing Fung
Bruce Iwasaki and Evelyn Yoshimura
Susheel Mantha
Ameer Mody
In-kind Donations
Walter and Carrie Morita
Vehicle Donations
Anonymous
Yo and Setsuko Enomoto
Kenneth and Chiye Murata
David and Joyce Tanimoto
