Published
Congratulations to all the recipient organizations of the 2021-2022 cycle of Keiro’s Grants Program! Keiro looks forward to working with all 27 organizations to reduce social isolation among older adults and caregivers in Our Community. In response to the pandemic, programs that focused on outreach to isolated older adults were prioritized during this funding cycle.
(Recipients listed in alphabetical order)
Cerritos Baptist Church (CBC) is home to a congregation with many Japanese American older adults and caregivers. CBC provides fellowship and activities to its older adult and caregiver members.
- Funding from Keiro will support CBC’s efforts to keep its members connected through monthly meal deliveries, porch visits for those in need, and transportation assistance due to growing numbers of non-driving older adults to keep their most in-need older adults and caregivers connected through social opportunities.
Continuing Education for the Nikkei Widowed, Inc. (CENW) was established to provide support to Japanese American and Japanese older adults who have lost their spouses. The group, of which 95% are over the age of 80, met monthly pre-pandemic to provide educational opportunities and support to its members.
- Funding from Keiro will support CENW’s ability to keep its widow/widower members connected through a monthly newsletter, grab & go meal program, and a future Holiday Gala to support members and their ability to socialize with each other and stay involved.
East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center (ESGVJCC) has provided programs and services that promote the Japanese American culture and heritage since 1961. ESGVJCC’s “Senior Wellness Program” offers nutritious lunches, social activities, exercise programs, and educational seminars for its older adult members now through virtual classes.
- Funding from Keiro will support supply costs, a lunch program, transportation, technology to keep members connected, and staffing costs to support these needed services.
Faith United Methodist Church (Faith UMC) has been in the community for over 60 years and is home to different groups supporting older adults and caregivers in the community.
- Funding from Keiro will support Faith UMC’s ability to continue their twice-monthly meal program.
Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute (GVJCI) has served the Japanese American and Japanese community living in the South Bay for over 50 years through educational, social, and cultural programs for all ages. They offer a variety of programs throughout the week and now offer virtual classes.
- Funding from Keiro will support GVJCI’s initiative to provide services for local older adults through program implementation including speaker honorarium, printing, staff support, and supply costs for this newly developed program to engage with older adults and provide socialization opportunities to outreach to the Japanese-speaking and Japanese American communities.
Hearts of Lavender (HoL) serves those in the community afflicted with loneliness, depression, and isolation by delivering and arranging flowers for these individuals both in their homes and at residential care facilities.
- Funding from Keiro will support supply costs to enable HoL to continue with promoting wellness among the community’s older adults and caregivers in residential care facility and community settings.
Little Tokyo Nutrition Services (LTNS) has provided daily hot Japanese lunches and referral services to older adults living in Little Tokyo and homebound individuals within the surrounding area for over 40 years. Currently, LTNS delivers lunches to homebound older adults five days per week.
- Funding from Keiro will support LTNS’s ability to provide residents in and around Little Tokyo with meals and social engagement. Keiro will support staffing costs to allow for increased capacity to ensure community members receive additional support, including wellness checks, with their meals.
Long Beach Buddhist Church (LBBC) is dedicated to sharing the teachings of the Buddha and serving as a positive presence in their local community. They strive to honor and continue the traditions of their founding members as they aim to provide services and activities to ensure that Buddhism remains a way of life.
- Funding from Keiro will support LBBC’s outreach project, which includes meals, costs of the care packages, printing, supply costs, and a monthly newsletter to keep members engaged and connected.
Long Beach Japanese Cultural Center/Long Beach-Harbor Pioneer Project (LBJCC/LBPP) has focused on improving the quality of life for older adults in the local Japanese American and Japanese community for over 60 years.
- Funding from Keiro will support the Long Beach Senior Meal Program to provide nutritious meals and wellness checks for their members.
Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple has been providing weekly religious and spiritual services for Japanese American and Japanese families since 1905. The temple continues to offer services virtually for its members.
- Funding from Keiro will help fund the popular Tai Chi and Qigong class for older adults, including the costs of instructor fees and supply costs to allow participants to stay physically and mentally engaged in the programs while promoting an active lifestyle and commitment to continually learning.
Los Angeles Men’s Glee Club (LAMGC) has been supporting Japanese American and Japanese older adults in the community through special choral performances and concerts for the past 20 years as the only Japanese men’s chorus in Southern California.
- Funding from Keiro will support the group’s core operations and allow them to continue remaining engaged in activities that promote their wellness and staying socially active through practicing together as a group.
Makoto Taiko is a Pasadena-based arts organization that teaches and performs Japanese taiko drumming as a musical, physical, and spiritual practice.
- Funding from Keiro will support start-up staffing costs to allow the group to promote a new taiko program specifically tailored to older adults, that involves outreach, socialization, and physical activity exercises to contribute to their overall wellness.
NALC USA (NALC USA) is a volunteer, membership-based non-profit organization in California that builds a safe and vibrant network of communities through knowledge, skill, and time.
- Funding from Keiro will support their core operating start-up costs for their meal program, van transportation, and ability to access programs with technology to allow NALC USA to enhance their wellness programs that serve its members in the Japanese community.
Nikkei Choral Federation of Southern California (NCFSC) brings together almost 100 older adult singers in the Japanese-speaking community and provides opportunities for them to stay connected with each other and to create a sense of community.
- Funding from Keiro will provide core operating support for five different choral ensembles to rehearse together for their annual concert with a goal of reducing isolation and promoting wellness among the members through practicing and staying socially connected.
OPICA Adult Day Program and Counseling Center provides support for older adults with memory disorders and their families, including programs specifically for Japanese American and Japanese older adults in a now-virtual manner.
- Funding from Keiro will support OPICA’s community education sessions, including supply costs for all the classes allowing for health education support for caregivers in the community.
Orange County Buddhist Church (OCBC) serves families of all ages and hundreds of older adult members through various programs and events.
- Funding from Keiro will allow OCBC continue the Tomodachi Bento Project’s support for homebound older adults with wellness checks taking place during each meal delivery.
Orange County Friendship Choir (OCFC) is a Japanese-speaking choir group founded in 2009 comprised primarily of members over the age of 65. OCFC’s mission is to participate in chorus and cultivate friendship among their diverse choir and audience members, enhancing the quality of life for elderly Japanese American and Japanese nationals residing in Orange County.
- Funding will support OCFC’s core operating costs that include staffing and the group’s ability to access programs with technology to allow OCFC members to continue to stay engaged and socially active.
Orange County Japanese American Association (OCJAA) serves over 1,500 individuals in the Japanese-speaking community of Orange County and promotes various social services and Japanese cultural activities through virtual events, programs, and educational seminars.
- Funding from Keiro will support staffing and core operating costs to provide support for older adults to stay connected with technology, support for caregivers, and program supply costs for the Japanese community of Orange County.
Oxnard Buddhist Temple (OBT) serves over 100 older adults through Japanese culturally-sensitive services, seminars, and conferences to support its aging congregation. Since its founding in 1929, OBT has remained one of the few organizations that serves the Japanese American and Japanese community in Ventura County.
- Funding from Keiro will allow OBT to renovate their women’s and men’s restrooms in the social hall to be ADA compliant, which will increase the older adults’ ability to participate in activities and maintain their social connections with each other and their community.
Pasadena Buddhist Temple (PBT) has served the community for over 60 years as a spiritual center for members as well as a gathering place for cultural, social, athletic, and other local community events.
- Funding from Keiro will support PBT’s efforts to keep older adults connected through support for meals, care packages, and small gatherings with lunch and activities to allow members to safely stay engaged while promoting health and wellness through socialization.
Pasadena Nikkei Seniors (PNS) was established as a completely volunteer-run organization with the goals of enhancing the quality of life of and providing a comfortable social environment for older Japanese American and Japanese members. PNS sponsors a variety of social activities and events that promote both physical and mental wellness, bringing together a group of around 70 individuals during monthly lunches and trips that help bridge the Nisei and Sansei generations.
- Funding from Keiro will support the continuation of the lunch program and transportation costs for programs to keep the older adult and caregiver members of PNS socially engaged.
Sakura Chorus was founded in 1982 as a female choral group and has been providing concerts for the residents of the former Keiro facilities in addition to performing in the Los Angeles/South Bay area. Sakura Chorus is one of the oldest local Japanese choir groups.
- Funding from Keiro will support core operations, transportation for rehearsals, and an annual concert that will allow members to maintain their social connections.
Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple (VHBT) was established over 50 years ago to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. VHBT provides a number of programs to meet the needs of its aging membership.
- Funding from Keiro will support VHBT’s initiatives to support older adults and caregivers including the monthly care package delivery program, caregiver support, group support, and senior outreach programs, which includes supply/technology costs, and support for speakers, instructors, and volunteers to provide the activities to keep older adult members and caregivers engaged.
Venice Japanese Community Center (VJCC) was founded over 100 years ago and continues its mission to preserve, share, and promote Japanese American and Japanese culture. The center provides many activities for multiple generations and has a large population of older adult members.
- Funding from Keiro supports VJCC’s efforts to keep the local community connected and active. This includes support for a monthly meal program providing a nutritious, culturally sensitive meal for its members while engaging and staying connected with the local older adult community members. Funding from Keiro will support staffing including coordinator support and supply costs that will allow program participants to stay involved in health and wellness educational and interactive programs.
Ventura County Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) educates the local community about Japanese and Japanese American culture while promoting civil rights of all.
- Funding from Keiro will support core operating start-up costs to allow Ventura County JACL to pilot a new program that will provide outreach and socialization opportunities to Ventura County older adults and their caregivers, including health and wellness education and social engagement.
West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple (WLABT) is a community of people joined together to revere the teaching of Shinran Shonin. Members seek to share wisdom and compassion to work towards the realization of a society in which everyone is able to live a life of spiritual fulfillment.
- Funding from Keiro will support WLABT’s programs to keep its older members connected, including weekly meal delivery and care packages, and providing opportunities for engagement, wellness check-ins, and socialization for older adult members, most of whom are over 80 years old.
Zenshuji Soto Mission has served the Japanese American and Japanese community through spiritual support and regular programs since 1922. Zenshuji continues to develop new activities to best serve its aging congregation.
- Funding from Keiro will support the instructors and assistant’ costs, ability to access programs with technology, supply costs, and advertisement for the class, allowing participants to continue staying connected and educated, as well as participating in wellness classes weekly.