LTScene MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

September 2018 Issue

Previous raffle winners Debbie Ng Kazama, Jason Kazama and family

For the past two years, LTSC has raffled off a Highlander SUV, generously donated by Toyota, to raise money to build the Paul I. Terasaki Budokan gymnasium in Little Tokyo. This year—the final installment of the contest—offers the chance to win a 2019 Hylander Hybrid.

The Budokan Toyota raffle is also an opportunity for other nonprofit organizations to partner with Budokan and earn $4 for every $10 Toyota raffle ticket sold (minimum 10 tickets sold with no maximum).

The Toyota Raffle drawing will be held on Nov. 5, 2018. The winner need not be present at the drawing to claim the prize. Tickets must be postmarked by Oct. 29, 2018 to guarantee entry.

Thanks to all the LTSC supporters and Budokan volunteers who have helped us sell raffle tickets over the past three years. Contact us at TeraBudo@LTSC.orgcreate new email or call 213-473-3030 for more information.

Sustainable Little Tokyo program at 341 FSN

LTSC’s 341 FSN is an experimental space on Little Tokyo’s First Street, intended to advance community control and self-determination. LTSC owns and operates 341 FSN, which provides a unique asset for promoting neighborhood and community engagement.

Community organizations will partner with LTSC to activate the 341 FSN space in the coming months. In August, organizers for the Sustainable Little Tokyo (SLT) community initiative launched a program entitled “ART@341 FSN.” ART@341 FSN highlights the community’s vision for First Street North by transforming 341 FSN into a community art space.

In addition to “Ibasho: Arts Activism in Little Tokyo,” an ongoing exhibit that traces the long history of arts-based activism in Little Tokyo, SLT’s activation of 341 FSN has featured free events ranging from neighborhood bike tours to youth art workshops and jazz performances.

ART@341 FSN programming will continue until Sept. 29. A full list of events is available here.

Young Leaders Organize ‘Paint Night’ for Mental Health

On Aug. 11, Changing Tides—a mental health partnership initiative between a youth/young adult outreach group and LTSC—held its first outreach event. The paint night event gathered 38 young people ages 14-24 to explore art as a positive mental health practice.

To kick off the evening, Associate Marriage and Family Therapist Matthew Shima spoke about the importance of self-expression and self-awareness. Next, artist and art educator Brian Rojas led a painting workshop. Participants recreated Vincent Van Gogh’s Almond Blossom, and though they were each given the same instructions, the results were diverse and unique. Event organizers were pleased to create an inclusive, relaxing and fun environment.

Thanks to partner Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute, which hosted the paint night. The Changing Tides initiative hopes to continue healthy discussions within the Asian American community on mental health with future events.

To stay up to date on Changing Tides events, visit the initiative’s website and follow it on Instagram.

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A3M Annual Luncheon

Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches (A3M) will have its first Giving Hope Luncheon at Los Verdes Golf Course on Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018 at 11 a.m.

A3M has always been about second chances and giving hope to patients in search of a marrow donor. Our patients, in turn, give us the strength and inspiration to continue our mission of increasing and diversifying the Be the Match registry.

Join us in celebrating the first meeting between patient and donor. Our patient was diagnosed with a genetic blood disorder shortly after birth. Nearly a decade later, A3M registered the potential donor who became a match. On this day, we will also be celebrating Dr. Auayporn Nademanee as she continues to be a huge supporter of A3M and bone marrow patients. For over 15 years, she has directed Matched Unrelated Donor program at City of Hope’s Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, which includes the Toni Stephenson Lympoma Center, Gehr Family Center for Leukemia Research and Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research.

Your support keeps our patients and their families strong!

Please join us at our Hope Luncheon. To register, please go to Giving Hope First Annual Luncheon.

LTSC Holds Legal Clinics in the South Bay

LTSC and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) partner to provide free legal clinics in Little Tokyo on the third Friday morning of each month.

Starting in August, LTSC and LAFLA also began hosting legal clinics at LTSC’s South Bay Office, located on the second floor of the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute (1964 W. 162nd St, Gardena). The South Bay legal clinics will take place on the fourth Friday morning of each month.

Legal clinics are free, 30-minute, individual consultations with a LAFLA attorney. Reservations are required in advance. Please call 213-473-3035 (Little Tokyo) or 310-819-8659 (South Bay) for more information or to make a reservation.

Tenzo

LTSC is partnering with the Sustainable Little Tokyo community initiative to give up-and-coming entrepreneurs the chance to use free retail pop-up space in Little Tokyo. Small business incubator program @LASmallBizcubator makes use of the LTSC’s 341 FSN property and allows small businesses to connect with the neighborhood’s rich entrepreneurial history.

The program kicks off in September, when Jeffrey Ozawa of Tenzo and Darin Maki of Crft by Maki will utilize the pop-up space for short stints on Sept. 5-8 and Sept. 19-23 respectively. Entrepreneurs will also use the 341 FSN space for longer periods in December 2018 and January 2019.

“This neighborhood once boasted the most robust small business economy in Los Angeles but through waves of displacement has shrunk significantly in size,” said Mariko Lochridge, program director for @LASmallBizcubator and small business counselor at LTSC. “Not only is this an opportunity for entrepreneurs to test market their product in a high traffic area but also for them to be a part of the legacy of Little Tokyo’s small business community.”

For more information, contact Mariko Lochridge at 213-473-1658 or mlochridge@ltsc.orgcreate new email.

National Suicide Prevention Month

What would you do if a friend or family member told you they wanted to die? Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) teaches family, friends and other community members about suicide first-aid, to help a person at risk of suicide stay safe and get the help they need.

Read more in the summer edition of LTSC’s Social Services newsletter Through the Seasons (p.3)opens PDF file .

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Asian Small Business Expo

Don’t miss the FREE Asian Small Business Expo “Growing Your Business Online: Standing Out in the Digital World” on Saturday, Oct. 16 at Quiet Cannon in Montebello.

The event offers a great opportunity to connect with small businesses, market your organization and tap into a network of entrepreneurs, service providers, financial organizations, franchises and governmental and legislative representatives.

Register at: Asian Small Business Expo

Angelina Preschool Students Learn About Africa

Last month, Angelina Preschool started a new school year. The preschool also kicked off a new cultural enrichment program for students. Each Tuesday, children will participate in a cultural dance and movement class. During the first class, children learned about Africa, listened to music and practiced a traditional dance.

Angelina Preschool provides high quality early care and education services for children ages 3 to 5 years old. Located in the Temple Beaudry area of Echo Park, two miles west of Downtown Los Angeles, Angelina Preschool is a child development program of LTSC.

Angelina Preschool is enrolling now. For more information about enrollment and eligibility for Angelina Preschool and LTSC’s Family Child Care Network, contact Adriana Perez at 213-481-0227 or aperez@ltsc.orgcreate new email. For the LTSC office of Child Development, please call 213-473-1699.

Japan America Society of Southern California (JASSC)

The Japan America Society of Southern California (JASSC) created its Women’s Leadership Counts Initiative to provide a platform for women in business on both sides of the Pacific to engage in professional and leadership development.

JASSC’s 2018 Women’s Leadership Counts Conference, “Impact Leadership in the New Normal — VUCA World” will be held at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City on Thursday, Nov. 8. The conference will provide attendees with access to outstanding speakers and tools for their personal and professional development.

LTSC is pleased to join JASSC as a cooperating organization for this year’s conference. Click here for more information.

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Asian American Seniors Discover Possibilities

Far East Lounge volunteer Carrie Morita was among the finalists in a nationwide contest for the annual AARP Asian American Pacific Islander Hero Awards. The AARP contest honors hard-working staff and volunteers who dedicate their efforts to non-profit organizations that serve AAPIs who are 50-plus. Carrie has been an outstanding instructor at Far East Lounge for the past four years.

Click here to see Carrie’s video.

Events

Sept. 11, Sept. 18, Sept. 25, Oct. 2, Oct. 9 – Small Business Workshop: Create Your Business Plan in 8 Weeks

Sept. 21 – Little Tokyo Legal Clinic

Sept. 28 – South Bay Legal Clinic

Oct. 6 – Asian Small Business Expo

Oct. 14 – A3M Giving Hope Luncheon

Nov. 8 – Japanese America Society of Southern California 2018 Women’s Leadership Counts Conference

Green Tip

Switch off power strips and unplug electrical devices when you’re not using them.

Donors

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

August 2018 Donors

Anonymous
Dennis Arguelles
Elizabeth Burton
Consulate General of Japan
Jeffrey and Lorraine Dohzen
Jennifer Gammell
Lisa Hasegawa
Mimi Ho
Takahiro Ide
Scott Ito and Nan Lee
Dick and Pauline Kaku
Noriyuki and Kay Kamimura
Jessica Kanai
Machiko and Shuji Kawata
Gary and June Masada
Morley and Sue Matsuda
Toshiko Matsuoka
Robert and Teresa Matsushima
MUFG Union Bank
Mike Murase and June Hibino
Kaoru Nakagawa
Joanne and Mark Nakamura
Erica Namba
Kimberly Oda
Yoko O. Hayashi Trust
Yosuke Ouchi
Laura and Kurt Sakamoto
Diane Shigekawa
Lisa Sugino and Jay Rosenthal
Grant Sunoo and Emily Maeda
Nikki Kealalio Sutton
Jayne Takahama
George Tanaka
Stacey Tanaka
Loan Thi Tran and Ngoc Vuong
Keith Umemoto
Gary Uyekawa
Maki and Richard Wallace
Kaori Young
Nolan Young

In Honor of Mabel Fujita Harman
Elaine Nishizu

In Memory of Tsutomu Maehara
The Family of Tsutomu Maehara

In Memory of Judy Nishimoto Ota
Kaz Ota

In Memory of Jeannette Kyoko Sanderson
Emily and Dan Weaver

Terasaki Budokan

Nancy Alcaraz
Anonymous
Akemi Arakaki
Laura Blosser and Chris Argyros
Loana dP Valencia
Brent Mori and Jessie Kikuchi
Gene Matsushita
Yoshihiko Nagasaki
Maria Parocua
Shane Sato
Lisa Sugino and Jay Rosenthal
Takao Suzuki
Jeremy Yamauchi

In Honor of Jenni Kuida and Tony Osumi’s Wedding Anniversary
Lisa Washizaki

In Memory of John Ito
Joyce and Randy Takahashi

In Memory of Ted Matsuda
Arlene Shinohara

In Memory of Monica Quan
Britt Sumida

In-kind Donations

Baby2Baby
Kathleen Kubota
Adina Mori-Holt and Whitman Holt
Senor Fish Cocina Mexicana
Colleen Seto-Gee and Douglas Gee
Lisa Washizaki
Marsha and Gary Watanabe

Vehicle Donations

Gary Hiraizumi