Volunteer Spotlight: Chie Endo
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 For Chie Endo, like many HOT volunteers, the Day of Service was her first experience volunteering with HOT. Chie was inspired to serve after seeing a call for volunteers posted on her company intranet. She works at AFLAC Japan, where HOT Advisory Board Chairman Yoshiki Otake serves as founder and chairman. Since that first day in October when she volunteered at the children's home project, Chie has continued to volunteer most months at Wakaba-ryo. While new to HOT, Chie was not new to volunteering. One reason she was drawn to AFLAC after college was because of the company's commitment to community service. By its very nature as an insurance provider, AFLAC is helping people in need every day, and it actively supports programs related to cancer, health and other issues. Chie sees her volunteering with HOT as a way to carry that desire to be of service to others outside of the company. "If I do my very best at helping others when I can, my small efforts will build and grow and eventually become a big effort," says Chie. She especially enjoys the children at Wakaba-ryo because they are full of energy and so pleased to play with the volunteers. She derives as much pleasure from the day as the children do. In addition to her regular volunteering for HOT, Chie sings in a chorus which frequently performs traditional Japanese popular songs at senior citizen homes. Over the months since Day of Service 2008, Chie has become both a valued volunteer and an advocate for HOT by sharing her volunteer experiences with colleagues and friends and encouraging them to join HOT projects. Fellow AFLAC volunteer Takemi Taguchi is pictured with Chie above. "There are many people in Japan who would like to volunteer, but just do not know how to get started," she says. We are grateful for the wonderful work Chie is doing as a volunteer and ambassador for HOT. |
Event Spotlight: Day of Service, October 3, 2009
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 Plans are well underway for the third annual Hands On Tokyo Day of Service. This one-day event engages volunteers, primarily from our corporate partners and their families, in larger-scale service activities that may be more permanent or provide a deeper connection to partner agents than our ongoing projects. The event also serves as a showcase for volunteerism, promotes Hands On Tokyo as a vehicle to provide meaningful service opportunities, enables both foreigners and Japanese nationals to give back in a tangible way to local, underserved populations and raises funds to support Hands On Tokyo's year-round service projects. This year's event will feature 6 projects: a crafts festival at a senior citizens home, a photography project at a children's home, an international festival for blind children, a Special Olympics bowling tournament, a Hitachi Consulting-sponsored Special Olympics sports festival for children in the motor skills development program, and a comprehensive painting and refurbishing project at Saiseikai Central Hospital's home for infants and toddlers. The painting project will be done over two weekends beginning September 26 in collaboration with California-based environmental designer and founder of With A Brush of Love, Lauren Henry. Lauren designs and remakes spaces for  children with special needs, and her work has received much acclaim throughout the U.S. Lauren's ideas for the Saiseikai nursery are inspiring, and we know this project will be a highlight among our volunteers. During August and September HOT staff will be visiting our corporate partners to conduct orientations and registering volunteers. Look for us in your offices soon, and be sure to save October 3. We also have spaces for volunteers to serve as project coordinators for the day and help on the After Party Committee. To sign up or for further information on HOT Day of Service 2009, please contact Yumiko Tategami or Marjorie Dewey Chiba at info@handsontokyo.org |
Sponsor Spotlight: Teradata
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 Teradata, the global leader in data warehousing, is also a strong proponent of community service in the United States and throughout the world. Through its Teradata Cares program, the company helps build strong and vibrant communities, improve quality of life and make a positive difference where employees live and work. The program is designed to enable employees to give back to their communities through community partnerships and giving initiatives in three key areas: youth education, caring for the environment, and strengthening neighborhoods and communities. To encourage employees to volunteer, Teradata provides them four working days a year to serve their communities.
When Teradata's U.S. Community Relations office sought to launch a volunteer program in Tokyo, they came to HOT by way of an introduction from corporate sponsor State Street. Since becoming a HOT sponsor in December 2008, Teradata Japan's human resources department and HOT have worked together through orientations and the company's intranet to familiarize them with volunteering in general and the HOT model of flexible, project-based volunteering. For many Teradata Japan employees, serving with HOT is often their first experience volunteering. The momentum for community service is gradually building within the company with employees participating in HOT projects at the Wakaba-ryo children's home, Special Olympics basketball, tennis and English conversation for the blind. In October employees will have their first opportunity to join in the Day of Service.
About his day at the children's home, HR director Takuya Matsuura says, "I enjoyed the visit to Wakaba-ryo and got refreshed. Honestly, I am not sure if the children enjoyed sharing my old experiences in crafting clay work, however, I got energy from them." We are certain the children appreciated Matsuura-san's expertise and look forward to serving with many more Teradata Japan employees as HOT and Teradata continue to build our long-term partnership.
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| Buy the Book, Support HOT: Guide to International Schools in Japan Now Available |
Congratulations to Caroline Pover, bestselling author, publisher, award-winning entrepreneur and HOT supporter on the publication of her second book. This new guide is essential reading for expatriate parents, internationally-minded Japanese couples, and bicultural families. The first-ever comprehensive guidebook to international schools in Japan, it gives parents the ability to examine over one hundred schools, all in one publication. The book also features a section on "Giving Back" spotlighting HOT, among other charities and NPOs for families in Japan.
For HOT Newsletter readers Caroline is generously offering free delivery on book orders and will donate 20% of the cover price to Hands On Tokyo. Get your copy today by clicking the link below, and be sure to mention that you heard about the book through HOT. Thank you, Caroline! http://www.internationalschoolsguidebook.com/distribution
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Save the Date!
Dinner and Auction February 5, 2010
The Peninsula Tokyo
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We are looking for energetic, creative volunteers to serve on the event planning committee.
For further information, please contact Marjorie Dewey Chiba at marjorie.chiba@handsontokyo.org |
| A Call for Teen Leaders
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Beginning in September HOT will launch our teen leaders program designed to tap into the energy and ideas of Tokyo teens and increase volunteering among high school students. Teens can serve either as co-project coordinators on a regular HOT project or apply for one of the seats on our Teen Leader Board.
To learn more about the program and obtain an application, please contact Marjorie Dewey Chiba at: Marjorie.chiba@handsontokyo.org
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Upcoming
Volunteer Opportunities
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Tennis Lessons for the Blind
Aug. 22; Sept. 12 & 26 (Sat) 9:00-12:00
(for ages 15 and up; some tennis skill required)
National School for the Blind
English Conversation for High SchoolersAug. 29 ( project full); Sept. 26 (Sat) 10:00-12:00 (for ages 15 and up) English Conversation for Blind Adults
Sept. 5 (Sat) 9:45-12:00PM
(For ages 10 and up)
Hakujusou Senior HomeAug. 15; Sept. 19 (Sat) 2:00-4:00 PM (families and children of all ages welcome) Wakaba-ryo Children's HomeAug. 22 ( project full); Sept. 12 (Sat) 10:00-12:00 (For ages 10 and up) Sponsored by: 
****Special Project****
Special Olympics National Meeting
Sept. 19 (Sat) 1:15-6:00 pm
Sept. 20 (Sun) 9:30-12:00
(For ages 18 and up; volunteers will join athletes on a run/walk around Yoyogi Park and tour of NHK Broadcasting; Registration deadline-Aug. 18)
Special Olympics BowlingSept. 23 (Wed., National Holiday) (For ages 18 and up)
Special Olympics Motor DevelopmentStarting again in October Sponsored by:
Special Olympics Basketball
Starting again in October
(For ages 8 and up)
Special Olympics Advanced Basketball
Starting again in October
(Must be able to play basketball)
To volunteer for any project, e-mail us at: info@handsontokyo.org
or call: 03-5404-3563
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Sponsors
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For further information on sponsorship opportunities with Hands On Tokyo,
please contact Marjorie Dewey Chiba at marjorie.chiba@handsontokyo.org
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| Board of Directors |
Dawson Steven Lin, Chairman
Hiroshi Amemiya
Marcela Campos
Chisa Fujita
Michael Heidemann
Aya Higa
Sheree Hsu
Roger Jasek
Michael Khoo
Judith Ravia-Hajdenberg
Asha Pai Sethi
Staff
Marjorie Dewey Chiba, Executive Director
Yumiko Tategami, Program Manager
Yoshimi Hamanaga, Office Manager
Tel: 03-5404-3563
e-mail: info@handsontokyo.org
www.handsontokyo.org
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Advisors
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Deva Hirsch, Founder and President, Emeritus
Advisory Board
Yoshiki Otake, Founder and Chairman
AFLAC Japan
HOT Advisory Board Chairman
Akie Abe
Wife of former Prime Minister Abe
Tetsuya (Ted) Fujita. President
AXA Financial Life Insurance Co., Ltd.
Fred Harris, Founder and Chairman
The Design Studio
Yuichi Katoh, Chairman
Asia Pacific Land
Hideo "Joe" Morita, President
Morita Asset Management
Parker Simes, Chairman
Capital International K.K.
Paul Yonamine, President and CEO
Hitachi Consulting Co., Ltd. |
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