Andrea Maoki for J-Sei

After over two years on the board at J-Sei, I continue to be impressed by the dedication and creativity of our staff and volunteers working together to serve seniors in our community.

In-person senior lunch has recently resumed on a small scale at J-Sei, in addition the delivery of hundreds of meals each week to seniors in the Richmond-El Cerrito area, Berkeley-Oakland, south Alameda County, and more recently, in Alameda and East Contra Costa County.  After years of caution and confinement due to the pandemic, it is so gratifying to how many senior classmates from zoom come to enjoy time together in person.  The nutrition program is great example of how J-Sei has engaged younger generations as well as older to care for our most vulnerable community members. 

I am also so excited to share about a new partnership between J-Sei and Daruma no Gakko, a Nikkei heritage school for elementary-aged kids.  Through this collaboration, we will be launching a new middle school service and leadership program this summer.  We hope that it will be a way for our students to learn about the richness of our community from J-Sei staff, volunteers, and seniors participants, while also developing a deeper commitment to service, advocacy, and social justice.

So many Japanese-American organizations are struggling to redefine themselves as founding Issei and Nissei communities are becoming more diverse and integrated.  J-Sei has agilely navigated these shifts, maintaining its mission while expanding to build connections across our diversity.  It has given me so much hope to see how younger members of our community have stepped up to volunteer, continuing a longstanding tradition of service and care in the local Japanese-American  and API community.  I am so grateful for the chance to contribute to J-Sei.  I hope you will join me.