Volunteers in line for honors

Oakland Tribune, Oct 4, 2008 by Sam Richards

A 91-year-old woman spends 10 hours a week holding down the front desk at a senior center. A man in his 80s does fix-it work at a thrift store, and then gives his "wages" to an animal rescue group. Another older man runs to raise money for the survivors of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

These people, said Chia-Chia Chien, deserve a big thank you.

"We want to honor seniors for the work they do in their communities, the volunteer work that often goes unrecognized," said Chien, the founder of the Danville-based Culture To Culture Foundation, which is sponsoring this first Senior Volunteer Awards event to be held today.

"Also, we hope that honoring these seniors will encourage more seniors to step forward and serve," she said.

Thirty-five seniors, 55 and older, have been nominated for awards, mostly by those involved with the area's senior community. At this afternoon 's ceremony, the eight semifinalists will be chosen, followed by four winners. Each of the four will receive $250 and a plaque.

The nonprofit Culture To Culture Foundation was founded in 2001 primarily to provide services to immigrant Asian seniors -- mostly from China -- who often faced major traumas and culture shock in coming to the United States with younger family members. The foundation established the Chinese American Senior Center in Alamo in 2004, to serve a burgeoning population of older immigrants from China and other Asian nations calling the Dougherty Valley area home. The center later branched out to several Contra Costa cities, including Pleasant Hill and Lafayette.

The foundation's mission has broadened, Chien said, to raise money for student scholarships, and to provide more everyday services for seniors.

As its services move to various cities, its client base has expanded. A reflection of that is that only a handful of the 35 nominated seniors are Asian, Chien noted.

The ceremony is free, and everyone is welcome. Chien hopes for a big turnout.

"We want so much for people to see these seniors, encourage them and learn the good work they're doing," she said.

Reach Sam Richards at richards@bayareanewsgroup.com or 925-943- 8241.SENIOR VOLUNTEER AWARDS

When: 2 p.m. today

Where: St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1024 Trinity Ave., Walnut Creek

Admission: Free. The ceremony is open to the public.

More information: www.culturetoculture.org