Wish Book: Asian Americans for Community Involvement gives seniors a new lease on life
With the painful memory still vividly etched in her mind, 75-year-old Mabel Yuen achingly recalled facing aging and loneliness during one of the most isolating periods in recent history: the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her husband had been dead for 33 years and she had retired early due to an injured shoulder and needed surgery. During the pandemic, Yuen couldn’t go out with people and did not get to see her children often since they lived far away. She also couldn’t travel, which was one of her favorite activities.
“At that time, I had a surgery during COVID and then I tried to get help from people,” said the Cupertino resident. “I called people. I knocked the door for a neighbor, none of them responded because of COVID. People (were) scared of me.”
After speaking with a Christian counselor, she called Eunice Cheng, Senior Wellness Program manager with Asian Americans for Community Involvement, a nonprofit that provides health services, like primary care, dental and mental health help, and programming that promotes a healthy life.
It turned out to be a godsend.
Yuen said Cheng got her involved in the nonprofit, delivering her hot meals and talking to her on the phone like a counselor when she felt alone.
“We do not charge them money. We know they are immigrants. We try to make (it) easy (for them) to receive information, to communicate in (their) language, support them, providing all these cultural celebrations they might be missing,” Cheng said.
With donations to Wish Book, the nonprofit can help serve even more people and continue its efforts.
The organization was formed by a dozen Asian Americans in 1973 who wanted to support Southeast Asian refugees who were resettling after the Vietnam War. The Senior Wellness Program was established a year after AACI’s formation and now serves over 900 older adults who have low incomes, recently immigrated to the U.S. or speak little English. It has been around for 50 years, offering culturally responsive fitness classes, educational workshops like computer literacy programs and hot, nutritious meals. They also provide multilingual resources and host cultural events.
Yuen said Cheng encouraged her at the time to join AACI’s online senior activities. One of the classes was Armchair Travel, which was taught by ESL instructor Gracia Del Rosario.
Del Rosario put together a booklet of different countries and wonders of the world with interesting facts to spur discussions among the attendees. And if someone had visited a place she featured, Del Rosario would invite them to share their experience with the group.
“To go on a vacation, you need time, money and physical strength,” Del Rosario said. “Some people have all three, and then they can go, but some people don’t have that. So I thought, maybe I could bring the countries of the world through Zoom to people who cannot travel outside the country, and I feel good about it because I also learn with them.”
It was through this class that Yuen began to form meaningful connections and rediscover joy and adventure after the COVID-19 pandemic. Yuen met her friend Claudia Hau, 80, from Fremont. Hau knew Del Rosario through her ESL classes in Milpitas. Del Rosario then encouraged Hau to join AACI. Yuen and Hau traveled through Peru and Asia together this year.
“I should give the honor and the credit to AACI. (They) really take care (of) the seniors. We are not young, and especially for the immigrant people, we did not know a lot of channels how to get the (resources). So, I really appreciate that,” Hau said.
Cheng emphasized that one of the Senior Wellness Program’s goals is to help older adults live more independently. To do so, she had to build trust with residents. Cheng described the attitude of people when they first come to AACI. They are usually shy and isolate themselves because they feel like an outsider in a group of people who already know each other. But that’s where staff comes in, helping guide new faces to people who might connect with them through similar countries of origin or cultures. Through this, AACI helps their clients understand that they are here to help and provide a variety of services and resources, from transportation to signing up for health insurance to finding housing.
“With the network here, everyone (is) coming here with the same difficulty or dealing with the same problem all the time. (There) might be a better sense of like, ‘Oh, I can share my challenges here with somebody,'” Cheng said. “So I think it’s the most important contribution that our agency (is) providing that space for the people.”
Cheng noted that if clients do ask for resources or services, their families are informed of their loved ones’ situation. AACI also helps guide their clients’ adult children through how to let their aging parents be independent living alone.
“If they don’t have family support, they will not be independent,” Cheng continued.
This year, however, has been, particularly difficult for the nonprofit due to federal funding cuts from HR1, a tax bill President Donald Trump signed into law in July. Cheng said the federal funding the nonprofit receives for its disease prevention program has been reduced by around 18%. In addition, the agency is serving 20% more meals — funded through the Santa Clara County Senior Nutrition Program — than budgeted for, and were notified by the county that anything over budget wouldn’t be covered unlike in the past.
Thus far, she said, they have had difficulty securing funding from other resources to cover the growing demand.
Additionally, 30% of seniors that go to AACI receive food stamps, but some rely on their family caregivers. And if their their loved ones are impacted by qualification changes, it may indirectly affect these older adults. Cheng said the main concern was that older Asian American adults are typically more reserved about change and often hesitate to ask questions or advocate for their needs, so many of them may not be familiar with the Medi-Cal redetermination process or income and asset requirements to receive full Medi-Cal coverage.
“A lot of the time, people have difficulties just because no one understands them, so we also spend time with them and talk to them and (help) them understand resources,” Cheng said. “We (are) building up a strong network with many other organizations because we also understand it’s not a one-man show here in the community. We have to be together.”
ABOUT WISH BOOK
Wish Book is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operated by The Mercury News. Since 1983, Wish Book has been producing series of stories during the holiday season that highlight the wishes of those in need and invite readers to help fulfill them.
WISH
Donations to Asian Americans for Community Involvement will allow nearly 200 older adults, especially those with limited English proficiency, to access social engagement activities at the center through their Senior Wellness Program. Goal: $25,000.
HOW TO GIVE
Donate at wishbook.mercurynews.com/donate or mail in this form.
ONLINE EXTRA
Read other Wish Book stories, view photos and video at wishbook.mercurynews.com.