April 2019
Newsletter
Nine members of NAPCA's leadership and staff attended the 2019 American Society on Aging (ASA) Aging in America conference, the premier educational and networking event for organizations working in fields related to aging. NAPCA staff provided information through panels and presentations on workforce development for aging adults, dementia, diversity in aging, and providing support for caregivers.

Joon Bang, President and CEO, participated several panels, including the diversity summit and a discussion on the need for culturally relevant support for elders and caregivers.


NAPCA looks forward to working with our partners in serving the aging community.
Last month we shared our first 40 for 40 video, an introduction with CEO Joon Bang. We have shared additional stories through April, including Kwong Sun Man and Ninfa Cook. Keep an eye on our 40 for 40 Campaign page for regular updates!
Advocacy in DC
As budgets are debated and passed, NAPCA has been vigilant in seeking support for the continuation of programs that support our seniors, such as NAPCA's SCSEP. Together with SER, NCOA, Goodwill, Capitol Hill Partners, and Easterseals, NAPCA has petitioned our Congresspeople to continue to show support for SCSEP through the upcoming Appropriations Bill votes. You can see the letters to the Senate and and the House.

Additionally, NAPCA has signed on with the LEAD Coalition to request that our congresspeople increase support for NIH Alzheimer research, aging and dementia research as well as initiatives through the Older Americans Act, such as family caregiver support, meal programs, and health and safety programs.

NAPCA will continue to advocate for services and programs that support the quality of life for AAPI seniors across the nation.
Every May, the Administration for Community Living leads our nation’s observance of Older Americans Month . The 2019 theme, Connect, Create, Contribute, encourages older adults and their communities to:

Connect with friends, family, and services that support participation.
Create by engaging in activities that promote learning, health, and personal enrichment.
Contribute time, talent, and life experience to benefit others.


How We Serve
Senior
Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)
SCSEP is the nation’s only job training program that promotes self-sufficiency with permanent employment for low-income, unemployed job seekers who are 55 years and older. Click here to learn more about SCSEP .
Senior
Environmental
Employment (SEE)
The Senior Environmental Employment Program, also known as SEE, assists the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal, state, and local agencies in meeting their environmental mandates by using the talents and experience of workers 55 years of age and older. Click here to learn more about SEE .
National Resource
Center on AAPI
Aging
The National Resource Center on AAPI Aging is the nation’s first and only technical assistance resource center dedicated to building the capacity of long-term service and support systems to equitably serve AAPI older adults and their caregivers. Click here to learn more about NAPCA's Resource Center .
Recognition of Service
The NAPCA board recognized over 75 years of combined service from our exiting board members at the March 2019 board meeting. Many thanks to retiring members Deborah Ching, David Cohen, Matt Shiraki, Pablo Wong, and Sylvia Yuen for their guidance and support.
Curtis Hom joined NAPCA's Board of Directors. Curtis is the founder of Innova Legal Group, an adjunct law professor at UW, and also serves as a board member for the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.
NAPCA Spotlight
April is Parkinson's Awareness Month. As we close out April, you can read more about how to live vibrantly with this often misunderstood condition that impacts 1 in 90 AAPI seniors over age 60.
May is Asian Pacific Heritage Month
Did you know that the first Asian Pacific heritage observance began the same year as NAPCA began operations? Established by a joint resolution of Congress and signed into law by President Carter to be celebrated in 1979, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month was established in May to commemorate the first Japanese immigrants to the US and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad by a largely Chinese immigrant workforce.

As part of Asian Pacific Heritage Month in Saint Louis, NAPCA's Board Chair, Anna Crosslin, will be presented with an award at the first-ever Asian Pacific American History celebration at Saint Louis City Hall. Congratulations to Anna and the International Institute of Saint Louis.

Visit our website for more information on our history and to see the stories shared by our participants as we celebrate 40 years of service and honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage and culture.
Donor Spotlight: Normita Rodriguez

Normita Rodriguez, (center) pictured with NAPCA staff, returned to support NAPCA with a donation. Normita was a 2011 SCSEP enrollee who took her skills into the job market in 2012. The goal of our SCSEP program is to see our enrollees successfully obtain employment with the skills and experience they gain; Normita is a great example of that goal. Her desire to help support the program that helped her achieve sustainable employment reminds us of the direct impact that NAPCA's work has for our seniors.