COVID-19

 

sUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY

A collection of food from BentOn
A man wearing a mask outside of BentOn

COVID-19

As a result of the New York City quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we closed our JAA offices and community hall on March 19, 2020. We continue to stay connected to our members and our community through several initiatives:

  • Each day, JAA Executive Director Michiyo Noda emails updated information from the mayor’s office and Consulate General of Japan in New York to our members and supporters.
  • We call seniors who don’t have access to the internet in order to check on their health and safety, making sure they know our priority is their well being.
  • Volunteers created more than 1,500 masks and donated them to Food Bank of New York, Bowery Mission, the Coalition of Homeless, and to seniors and others in need.
  • We launched Project Bento on May 4. We have been delivering more than 180 bentos a week to seniors and people with disabilities in Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn. More than 60 volunteers from the entire community are connected to this project.
  • We are able to provide support to people who are food insecure and in need by providing them with gift cards that we’ve purchased through our fundraising efforts.
  • Free consultations on legal matters and other topics of concern within the community are available by telephone.
  • We are offering ZOOM lectures on various topics including health and employment insurance as well as classes on Japanese culture, music, and general well being.