The Little Tokyo Nutrition Services (LTNS) community program has served the Little Tokyo and Boyle Heights communities for 47 years. Despite being an important pillar in the community for many years, delays in government funding and current economic conditions are now impacting the continued existence of LTNS.
In 1976, recognizing the need for nutrition and supportive services for senior communities in the 9th Council District of the City of Los Angeles the late Councilmember Gilbert Lindsay championed a motion to create funding for these important services. This motion gave birth to the LTNS, which has served seniors in the Little Tokyo and Boyle Heights communities with an unparalleled and fierce commitment.
LTNS provides critical nutrition and supportive services daily to 130 seniors who are part of an extremely vulnerable population. Food insecurity and isolation greatly impacts the lives of the seniors serviced by LTNS. Through the home delivery meal program, LTNS staff and volunteers have developed personal relationships the seniors and their caregivers.?
In numerous instances, they are the only consistent daily contact the home bound senior receives. This interaction directly addresses the dire consequences of isolation and provides the opportunity to assess the senior’s mental and physical well-being.
In essence, the daily interactions constitute ongoing and active welfare checks for the seniors. If a problem or issue is identified, the participant’s caregiver and/or family member are immediately contacted.
Prior to the COVID pandemic, LTNS offered both congregate and home delivery meals. The congregate meal program was offered at the Little Tokyo Towers and provided the seniors with important and critical social interaction. This directly addressed the issues of isolation and loneliness.
During the challenges presented by the pandemic, LTNS continued to provide our home delivery meals and pick-up meals. LTNS recently restarted the congregate meal program.
Setsuko Nakama has been the executive director for LTNS for the past 39 years. She has dedicated her personal and professional life to this program.
LTNS staff and volunteers have strong cultural, community and age-related ties with the seniors in the program. They are dedicated and committed to ensuring that the needs the seniors are met in all aspects of their lives.
Over the past 47 years, LTNS has served and improved the lives of thousands of seniors. It has built a reputation of excellence and personal commitment to the JA/AAPI communities in Little Tokyo and Boyle Heights.
LTNS primarily depends on government funding from the City of Los Angeles to support its services. Unfortunately, the funds do not come on a timely and consistent basis. With the current economic challenges that are greatly impacting all underserved communities, there’s an even greater unmet need for a program like LTNS.
Anyone willing to support LTNS can donate funds by accessing http://LTSNS.org or by sending a check to:
Little Tokyo Nutrition Services
244 S. San Pedro St., Unit 408
Los Angeles, CA 90012