March 2018

March 1, 2018

Marching to New Beats (Read on…)

(Photo by Bryan Zaragoza, From the “Rise Up, Speak Out” Art Workshop on Feb. 10, 2018)

What’s New

Quarterly Director’s Letter

 

Hello KYCC,

It’s been an incredible experience coming back to KOA and joining the KYCC-family! I first began my work in community engagement with California State Assemblymember Mike Gatto and most recently, serving as District Director for Assemblymember Sebastian Ridley-Thomas. During my tenure as District Director, I firsthand witnessed the power of public-private partnerships (P3) to create positive change in our diverse communities. KYCC exemplifies the P3 model with successful projects and services to our underserved population across the County of Los Angeles.

Koreatown is experiencing a renaissance of exponential growth and I’m excited to bring my government and nonprofit experience to further elevate our programs to better serve the needs of our community. As we grow together, KYCC will serve an essential role of providing a bridge between our residents and community stakeholders.

Johng Ho reminds us that “we are in the business of helping people,” and KYCC empowers our community to prosper. I look forward to working with you to advance our mission.

-Steve Kang

Employee Spotlight

Grace Park
Clinical Services Program Manager

Please tell me about yourself?
I’m a Korean American social worker raised in the suburbs of L.A. I went to school in the Bay Area (Go Bears!) and New York (Go Lions!) and spent one life-changing semester abroad in Seoul (Go Eagles!). I’ve been with KYCC for about 10 years total. I started my career here as a clinician but left for about a year due to relocating to New York (for love). I couldn’t stay away for long and returned as the Korean ISM Coordinator. I’m currently the Manager of the Clinical Services Unit and couldn’t be happier with my decision to come back to L.A. I’m a wife and a first-time mommy to an active 10-month-old baby girl.

Can you share with us something most people don’t know about you?
I’m a tomboy and I grew up playing soccer and recently became obsessed with flag football, but secretly I wish I could be a ballerina. I have actually attempted to learn beginning ballet on three separate occasions as an adult and I think I should just stick to sports.

What do you do in your free time?
I feel like I don’t have much free time these days but when I do I like taking my baby to our local dog park. She loves dogs and we don’t have one, so we go and look at other people’s dogs. This week we went to PetSmart and watched dogs getting groomed (see below).

What do you love the most about your job, and what is the most challenging?
I like that my position allows me to do a little bit of everything. I help staff with problem-solving, work on data and systems, brainstorm and coordinate outreach events, teach interns, and do some advocacy. I haven’t been a manager for very long but I like that it’s a position where ten years into my career, things feel fresh because I am learning new things and being stretched professionally. What’s challenging about my job is constantly feeling spread thin. I have many projects that I hope I will get to someday, but struggle to find the time to make it happen. I wish there were more hours in a day.

What inspires you to do the work you do?
I do this work because people are suffering and I hope in some small way to help alleviate their suffering. Personally I feel committed to serving the Korean community as a Korean American. When I first started working with Korean clients I developed a strong sense of duty to work with this population because there are such few Korean American social workers out there.

What is your fondest memory to date at your time at KYCC?
Although I have walked away from direct client work, my fondest memories are when I had strong connections with the kids and youth I was treating. I cherish the moments when my clients had breakthroughs and got better through the work we did together. There are many clients and situations that I will remember forever. One of my first clients was an artist and requested that we paint for our final session. She wouldn’t let me see what she was working on but she painted a portrait of me and wrote me a note thanking me for saving her life. This was really meaningful for me as a new clinician because I wasn’t sure whether or not my work was making a difference.

Where do you imagine yourself to be 10 years from now?
Professionally, I hope to still be with KYCC. I would like to continue to learn as much as I can about being a manager.

Do you consider KYCC a special place? If so, why?
Absolutely. KYCC has managed to attract and bring together incredibly talented individuals with common goals and vision. I am inspired every day by the good work happening throughout our agency.

Quickfire Questions

Where is your hometown?
Walnut, CA. Where’s Walnut? About 20 miles east of L.A.

What is your relationship with Koreatown?
Although I grew up in the suburbs, my church was in Koreatown and my dad was a pastor so I spent every weekend of my childhood in K-Town. I’ve been working in Koreatown since 2007!

What are your thoughts on Koreatown?
For children growing up in Koreatown, I think historically there were a lot of risk factors and those risk factors still remain today. I hope that we as an agency can provide protective factors to the children who are growing up here. It will be really interesting to see how things change in the near future.

Where is your favorite place in Koreatown and why?
Mijoo Peace Church. This is where I spent most of my time in Koreatown (outside of work) and I have so many fond memories of growing up in close-knit immigrant community. Some of my closest friends today are people that I have known since Sunday school. This place and the people there have shaped a lot of who I am today.

 

10 Habits for Wellness in 2018

Glesteree “G” Blades
Human Resources Manager

These techniques can help keep you free from illness!:

Improve memory and focus through a good night’s sleep.

Jump start the day by eating a healthy breakfast.

Stay hydrated by drinking water versus sugary drinks.

Take short exercise breaks throughout the whole day.

Try yoga or tai chi to improve balance and avoid injuries.

Reduce time spent on electronic devices during free time.

Soak up vitamin D by spending time outdoors in green spaces.

Keep the brain healthy by learning something new.

Reduce stress and improve mood by practicing mindfulness.

Quit smoking.

Chip & Dip, Anyone?

March 23 is National Chip and Dip Day! Look out for the crazy HR duo – G & Moon – they may be swinging by your unit with a surprise.

 

 

Miguel’s Voice

Did you know…

Snoopers might have access to your emails right now without you knowing about it. Once you find out, it might be too late.

By changing your password on a regular basis you ensure the security of your data and dollars.

Make sure to use a different password for each of your accounts. If this sounds overwhelming, consider getting a password manager.

Using the same password for your email, bank accounts and Snapchat is risky and might let Russia steal the next election.

Now you know!

-Miguel

 

Birthdays and KYCC Anniversaries

Birthdays

  • Feb 1 – Iesha Smith
  • Feb 3 – Oscar Solano
  • Feb 7 – Melanie Villasenor
  • Feb 11 – Alice Lee
  • Feb 11 – Isaac Kim
  • Feb 18 – Edna Cedillos
  • Feb 18 – Kyungoei “Kay” Moon
  • Feb 18 – Seung Yoon
  • Feb 26 – Marla Roque
  • Feb 26 – May Kim
  • Feb 26 – Vince Leus
  • Feb 27 – Euriah Lee
  • Feb 28 – Peaches Chung
  • Mar 3 – Jamie Loh
  • Mar 3 – Sehwa Yoon
  • Mar 3 – Nayoung Seo
  • Mar 5 – Julio Barahona
  • Mar 8 – Rudy Fortiz
  • Mar 9 – Sungbok Lee
  • Mar 10 – Sarah Ko
  • Mar 18 – Louis Pineda
  • Mar 27 – Hana Leuze
  • Mar 28 – Regina Clark

Work Anniversaries

  • Feb 4 – 5 years – Joanne Kim
  • Feb 21 – 1 year – Ginny Kim
  • Feb 22 – 1 year – Sarah Ko
  • Feb 27 – 1 year – Euriah Lee
  • Mar 15 – 1 year – Wayne Sugita
  • Mar 16 – 2 years – Jenny Park
  • Mar 20 – 15 years – Lisa Kim
  • Mar 26 – 2 years – Yancy Mauricio
  • Mar 27 – 1 year – Deisy Gutierrez

Open Positions

Have some talented and driven friends? Let them know about our open positions.

  • Administrative – Community Research & Program Evaluation Coordinator
  • Clinical – Clinical Supervisor
  • Clinical – Counselor III (Bilingual English-Korean)
  • Clinical – Counselor III (Bilingual English-Spanish)
  • CED – Economic Development Specialist
  • CED – Retail Store Manager
  • Environmental – Clean Streets Specialist
  • Environmental – Environmental Services Specialist I (1 Temp., 2 Full-time)
  • Kids Town – Preschool Teacher
  • Substance Use Disorder Services – Substance Use Disorder Services Manager
  • Youth Services – Youth Prevention Specialist

Take Note!

“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.”

– Neil Peart

 

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