January 2018 Issue

Front row from left: Changes in the Community members Garrett Sasaki, Janelle Doi, Jordyn Morimoto, Kelsey Tochihara, Kyla Kikkawa, Aidan Kosaka. Back row from left: Sansei Legacy Giving Circle members and parents Jerry Nasu, John Nakaki, Sheldon Kuwahara, Lance Hama, Danny Haramoto, Gene Kanamori. Not pictured: Kirk Tanioka, Mark Doi, Scott Hiji.

Continuing a longstanding tradition, LTSC’s Resident Services program held holiday celebrations at the organization’s Angelina Apartments and Casa Heiwa affordable housing communities. Numerous families enjoyed food and festivities and nearly 300 toys were distributed at the two events.

For the fourth consecutive year, a high school student group called Changes in the Community (CiTC) organized a successful toy drive for the Angelina Apartments event. The students collected toys, games and gift cards and distributed them at the Angelina Apartments party. CiTC, which is currently composed of six service-oriented 9th and 10th-graders, is part of a national giving network supported by Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP). The students receive support from their parents and the Sansei Legacy Giving Circle.

LTSC was also honored to welcome a representative from the office of Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, who delivered presents and holiday wishes, at the Casa Heiwa event.

LTSC Senior Bingo Event

Every holiday season for the past 20 years, the Nikkei Basketball Association and LTSC’s Resident Services department have held a bingo party for seniors. At last month’s event, seniors played bingo, won gifts and enjoyed a bountiful holiday buffet. Singer Dr. Gary Moriquchi also treated attendees to impressive renditions of several Christmas carols.

Mark Kimura, a strong supporter of LTSC who runs the Nikkei Basketball Association, started the bingo party tradition as a way to celebrate seniors and bring them together for a fun holiday experience. Held at LTSC’s Casa Heiwa, the event draws residents from the different LTSC affordable housing communities. Many seniors attend the bingo party year after year. A few have participated since the first event in 1997. Organizers for the event are also happy to welcome new faces each year.

Mayor Eric Garcetti signs the linkage fee measure.

Every holiday season for the past 20 years, the Nikkei Basketball Association and LTSC’s Resident Services department have held Last month, the LA City Council voted to approve an affordable housing linkage fee, strongly supported by LTSC and a broad coalition of community organizations and affordable housing advocates. The measure promises to double the city’s annual affordable housing production, helping to address a growing homelessness crisis and a desperate need for safe housing among lower income residents.

LTSC applauds the Coalition for a Just Los Angeles, Councilmember José Huizar, Mayor Garcetti and numerous allies for their leadership and efforts in support of the linkage fee measure.

Yasunori Kawasaki

After losing his business, Yasunori Kawasaki found himself homeless and with declining health. En route to the hospital, Kawaski suffered another setback when most of his belongings were taken at gunpoint. In March of last year, Kawasaki reached out to LTSC’s Social Services department for assistance. Read his inspiring storyopens PDF file in the Winter edition of the LTSC Social Services newsletter Through the Seasons (p.3).

From left: LTSC’s Margaret Shimada and Jade Yamada at The Bandai Foundation’s Time for Giving Celebration.

Thank you to The Bandai Foundation for supporting LTSC’s program for disabled children and their families. The Bandai Foundation is committed to assisting charities that improve the environment in which American families and children live and play. Since its inception, The Bandai Foundation has contributed over $7.8 million to various charitable organizations.

The Bandai Foundation’s grant will fund LTSC’s efforts to help children with autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, muscular dystrophy and other disabilities gain stability in their family life and school.

We appreciate the support of The Bandai Foundation.

Prudential Lighting Event at Angelina Preschool.

In December, LTSC was pleased to host holiday events put on by generous supporters Navidad en el Barrio (NEEB) and Prudential Lighting.

NEEB, an organization dedicated to distributing Christmas meals in marginalized communities, joined LTSC to share food baskets and toys at Angelina Apartments. The toys came to LTSC courtesy of the Asian Pacific American Community Holiday Toy Drive. In total, NEEB and LTSC were able to provide breakfast, toys, and food baskets to 84 families. In addition, 16 food baskets were given to LTSC’s Jumpstart Grandparent volunteers who help out at Angelina Preschool.

Prudential Lighting also paid a special visit to Angelina Preschool during the holidays. Preschool students eagerly lined up to meet Santa Claus at the event and Prudential Lighting also provided a delicious lunch for the families.

LTSC’s intergenerational gardening program, a collaboration with Asian Pacific Islander Forward Movement (APIFM), officially begins in January. The program will bring together seniors, youth and other residents of LTSC’s Casa Heiwa affordable housing community to nurture a garden at the building. Through the program, LTSC seeks to support relationships between seniors and youth, so younger participants can learn from their more experienced cohorts.

In November, participants gathered for the first time to learn about healthy meals and to plant seeds in the Casa Heiwa garden. Eventually, those seeds will produce vegetables and fruit, which will be used by local chefs to put on healthy cooking demonstrations for Casa Heiwa residents.

#February – #April #2018 – Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Season

Make sure the lint screen on your dryer is clean. Built up lint makes the dryer work harder.

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

December 2017 Donors

Anonymous
Dennis Arguelles
Avalon Bay AVA Little Tokyo
Consulate General of Japan
Yas and Nancy Gohata
Noriko Goto
Kazunori Hattori
Mimi Ho
Takahiro Ide
Jessica Kanai
Raymond Kawamoto
Combined Federal Campaign of Greater SoCal
Michi Lew
Liferay Foundation
Sharon Lopez
Robert and Teresa Matsushima
Kaoru Nakagawa
Erica Namba
Office of Supervisor Hilda L. Solis
Jacqueline Rice
Kayoshi Shoda
Tokiko Sugimoto
Stacey Tanaka
Steven Tani
Keith Umemoto
United Way California Capital Region
Carolyn Wong
Gerald and Anne Yee
Nolan Young
Masayo Young