Volunteer Spotlight: Chisa Fujita
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 Chisa Fujita's first experience volunteering was many summers ago at the Franciscan Chapel Center where she and a friend cleaned the library and indexed the card catalogue. The young women were so good at what they did, the priest managing the center hired them on the spot. Thus began a lifetime of volunteering. For the past ten years, Chisa has worked actively with the College Women's Association of Japan (CWAJ) coordinating the Non Japanese Graduates scholarship committee, escorting the visually impaired to the CWAJ print show, and helping at the English circle for Japanese children who have returned from living abroad. She also volunteers with a small dog rescue group walking and exercising the dogs and occasionally fostering them before adoption.
Chisa was born in Tokyo but lived in Vienna, Austria for about ten years. After graduating from the American School in Japan, she attended college in California, and today works at home as a translator for the Sogetsu ikebana magazine. Chisa is married with a fifteen year-old son "who thinks he is this generation's Thomas Edison" and an aging female Welsh Corgi adopted from the dog rescue group.
As busy as Chisa is, last fall she found time to volunteer with Hands On Tokyo at the Sakuragawa Senior Home and Second Harvest. Just like the Franciscan priest, we recognized her talents right away and invited her to join HOT's board. Since becoming a board member, Chisa has not wasted a minute, working diligently to move forward HOT's application for Japanese NPO status and serving as an experienced advisor to our still young organization. Chisa says, "I enjoy volunteering because it broadens my horizons - getting to know wonderful people, making new friends, challenging new things".
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Partner Spotlight: Second Harvest Japan
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 Second Harvest Japan (2HJ) is familiar to many Hands On Tokyo volunteers. As Tokyo's first food bank, the organization has been providing hot meals to the hungry in Tokyo's parks and distributing food to soup kitchens, orphanages, the elderly, emergency shelters, migrant workers, and others in need since early 2000. Originally founded under the name Food Bank Japan, the organization changed its name to Second Harvest Japan after being established as a Japanese NPO in 2004. International schools, multinational corporations, churches, and many civic groups in Tokyo work with 2HJ organizing food drives, picking up and delivering food and manning 2HJ's Saturday soup kitchen in Ueno Park. 2HJ's Executive Director Charles McJilton is a familiar face in the media where he advocates on behalf of the more than 650,000 people in Japan lacking access to safe and nutritious food and draws attention to the enormous amount of food thrown away every day. Hands On Tokyo's partnership with 2HJ was our very first, established in February 2007. Since then HOT volunteers have donated over 270 service hours to 2HJ. While 2HJ works with a number of different organizations to staff its weekend soup kitchen, HOT volunteers fill a specific need identified for help on weekdays. According to HOT project coordinator, Jill Grooms, "Every Thursday, 4-6 volunteers go to Second Harvest to help take the burden off the full-time staff who dedicate themselves to helping the hungry of Tokyo. We do a variety of jobs that directly and indirectly help this needy population. Some weeks we sort donated food to make it easier to distribute. Sometimes we organize donated food into packages that get sent to people in crisis, other times we stuff envelopes to help Second Harvest get the word out about the services they provide. Whatever we are working on, I so look forward to my time on Thursdays with the volunteers. Although we all work really hard, I honestly think we all enjoy the chatting and comradery that goes on. We leave there with a sense of accomplishment and that we were able to make a small contribution to an agency that does so much in our community."
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| Sponsor Spotlight: State Street
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 When volunteers are needed for any project in Tokyo, employees from one of the five State Street entities here are likely to be enthusiastic participants. In 2007, a total of 523 employees, family and friends participated in 31 different volunteer projects, including HOT's September Day of Service when a team of State Street volunteers delivered food to the hungry along Sumida River and helped refurbish the nursery playground at Saiseikai Hospital.
State Street's support for the Tokyo community is just one example of the Boston-based organization's philosophy of "supporting and strengthening non-profit and charitable organizations where State Street operates". It does so by providing funding to organizations engaged in programs related to human services, education, or community improvement and development and by contributing employee volunteers to community service organization projects.
As a supporter of Hands On Atlanta, State Street was familiar with the Hands On philosophy and receptive to fostering Hands On Tokyo's mission. In addition to donating numerous volunteer hours to HOT projects, last fall Hands On Tokyo received a generous donation of 1.3 million yen from State Street specifically to develop a volunteer project with a children's home. As a result, we are pleased to announce our new project with the Wakaba-ryo Children's Home. Each month beginning in April, 15 HOT and State Street volunteers will play games, do crafts and enjoy the company of children living at the home because they are unable to live with their parents. Hands On Tokyo is proud and honored to have been selected by State Street to implement this new project. Other Tokyo organizations receiving grants from State Street in 2007 included YMCA Free Schools, Nonohana no Ie (foster home), Second Harvest Japan (also a HOT project partner), Japan Guide Dog Association, Oxfam, and the Saito Kinen Festival in Matsumoto.
State Street's philanthropic work in Japan is directed by Kayano (Kay) Mizuno, Officer & Chairperson of State Street's Community Support Program Committee. According to Kay, "State Street supports HOT because more volunteers can work in the community efficiently through it. The charitable organization and volunteers are both secure in the work because of HOT's sincere efforts as a bridge for both sides. I plan State Street volunteer projects and I can send volunteers to HOT's projects because they protect volunteers and give guidance for the work and make sure volunteers enjoy their work. I hope HOT will grow and provide more secure volunteer opportunities in the community."
After volunteering at the Sakuragawa Senior Home in December with HOT, State Street employee Caroline Seo had this to say about her experience. "I felt a new surge of energy and felt that I found a new source of happiness by just talking with the elderly. It has brought back my fond memories of my grandmother when I was a little girl - those wrinkled smiles, delicate hands and kind loving voice. I would like to go again because I can forget all earthly cares when I am with the elderly people at the Sakuragawa Home." "Thank you, HOT!", says Kay. Thank you, State Street, from all of us at HOT.
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 Hands On Tokyo Fundraising Dinner and Auction
"A Taste for Volunteering"
Friday, April 18, 2008
City Club of Tokyo
6:30PM-9:30PM
Tickets are going fast for this memorable evening tasting different cuisines, wines and desserts from around the world. Where else will you have the chance to bid on a private fashion consultation from the Miss Universe Japan stylist, an insider's Tsukiji fish market tour and lunch with one of Japan's finest sushi chefs, a Chiba Lotte Marines baseball game and meeting with star manager Bobby Valentine, a private running lesson with Japanese Olympic medalist Yuko Arimori, a deluxe Hawaii vacation, private dinners with ambassadors, luxurious hotel stays, gourmet meals at internationally acclaimed restaurants and much more! Join us for a night of great food, fabulous wine and good company all to benefit Hands On Tokyo and our continued work towards providing quality volunteer opportunities for Japanese and foreign nationals in Tokyo.
Reserve your tickets now by e-mailing to: info@handsontokyo.org with your name and number of guests.
Please pay in advance ¥20,000 per person by bank transfer to: Account Name: Hands On Tokyo Program Coordinator Takahashi Yuko
Bank Name: Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi-UFJ Bank
Branch: Toranomon
Account #:3092896 (ordinary account)
Registration and payment deadline is March 31, 2008.
Register today!
Once payment is received, guests' names will be at registration table, no tickets will be mailed. Map will be e-mailed as confirmation of your registration.
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Volunteer Opportunities
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Upcoming Opportunities:Sakuragawa Senior Home 3/31, 4/7, 4/21 from 2:00-3:00 (up to 8 volunteers each day; babies and children are welcome) Second Harvest Food Pantry Thursdays from 1:00-3:00 (for 3-4 volunteers) Special Olympics Basketball 4/6 from 3:00-5:00 (for 4-6 advanced players; will play real game) Special Olympics Bowling 3/29, 4/12 from 10:00-12:00 (for 2 volunteers each day; must be high-school age or above) ***New Project sponsored by State Street***: Wakaba-ryo Children's Home 4/5 from 10:30-Noon (for 15 adults and children 8 years old and above)
To volunteer for any project, e-mai us at: info@handsontokyo.org
or call: 03-5404-3563
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