{"id":12951,"date":"2021-02-23T21:59:03","date_gmt":"2021-02-24T01:59:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/uncategorized\/presidents-message-mar2021\/"},"modified":"2021-02-23T22:35:41","modified_gmt":"2021-02-24T02:35:41","slug":"presidents-message-mar2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/jss-newsletter\/presidents-message-mar2021\/","title":{"rendered":"President\u2019s Message"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/span>
\nBy Yuka Sato-<\/span>Atiyota<\/span>
\nIt has<\/span>\u00a0already<\/span>\u00a0been\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a year<\/span>\u00a0since we started using the word \u201cpandemic\u201d. I am strongly hoping everyone is\u00a0<\/span>staying safe<\/span>\u00a0despite the extraordinary challenges and hardships imposed by th<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0situation.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
\nFirst<\/span>, I would like to express my\u00a0<\/span>sincere<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>appreciation for\u00a0<\/span>your support\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0the 2020 Holiday Drive<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>I am very happy to inform you that it\u00a0<\/span>w<\/span>as a\u00a0<\/span>huge<\/span>\u00a0success<\/span>\u00a0this year again<\/span>!\u00a0 Please\u00a0<\/span>see<\/span>\u00a0\u201cBig Thanks from Holiday Drive 2020\u00a0<\/span>(<\/span>\u00a0https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/2020holidaydrive_thankyou\/<\/a><\/span>)<\/span>\u00a0for more details<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
\nAs announced at the Annual General Meeting in August 2020, David Ikeda, our long-term president,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>retired<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I am honored to inform you that I was appointed as<\/span>\u00a0the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>new president\u00a0<\/span>of the Japanese Social Services\u00a0<\/span>(JSS)\u00a0<\/span>as of January 14, 2021.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
\nThough\u00a0<\/span>I became a board member of\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>JSS in June 2019<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>m<\/span>y first formal participation in\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>JSS operational support goes back\u00a0<\/span>earlier<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>when I started providing clinical service supervision\u00a0<\/span>along\u00a0<\/span>with\u00a0<\/span>my\u00a0<\/span>co-supervisor<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0Ms. Akiko Okamoto. Like Akiko, my professional\u00a0<\/span>background<\/span>\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span>social work, with 20 years of professional experience in healthcare. After immigrating to Canada and started my new\u00a0<\/span>career<\/span>\u00a0as a new graduate, it was here, at\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>JSS, where I met other young professionals and great mentors with\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>same passion. It was here<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in\u00a0<\/span>the craft club at\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>JSS<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0where I found some comfort and sense of community when my first job search wasn\u2019t going smoothly.\u00a0<\/span>Since then, I have\u00a0<\/span>always want<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0to give back to\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>JSS\u00a0<\/span>someday<\/span>. It\u00a0<\/span>was<\/span>\u00a0quite humbling to\u00a0<\/span>be invited to\u00a0<\/span>serve as a\u00a0<\/span>board member of the organization, and now\u00a0<\/span>to be<\/span>\u00a0appointed as the new president.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
\nGiven my background as a social worker without strong knowledge\u00a0<\/span>or\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0experience in business, I have a great favor to ask all of you. Please kindly continue supporting\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>JSS financially through membership<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0donation<\/span>. As you know,\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>JSS is a registered charity which largely rel<\/span>ies<\/span>\u00a0on funding\u00a0<\/span>from governmental<\/span>\u00a0agencies, fundraising,\u00a0<\/span>donations<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0membership fees. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we did not have<\/span>\u00a0the<\/span>\u00a0liberty of organizing fundraising events this past year. In order for JSS to continue providing much needed support services to the community, we need your help.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
\nOn<\/span>\u00a0a personal\u00a0<\/span>note<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>it was\u00a0<\/span>through the\u00a0<\/span>JSS<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I<\/span>\u00a0was able to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>find<\/span>\u00a0an<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>amazing\u00a0<\/span>housekeeper<\/span>\u00a0when my friend,\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>young Japanese woman<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>was fighting\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>terminal<\/span>\u00a0illness<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>It was\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>\u00a0small<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>but an essential support this friend\u00a0<\/span>needed, in<\/span>\u00a0o<\/span>rder for her to live the rem<\/span>a<\/span>inder of her life with dignity<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>When I\u00a0<\/span>t<\/span>hink of this<\/span>\u00a0friend,<\/span>\u00a0I\u00a0<\/span>am reminded of the<\/span>\u00a0huge impact<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that JSS has been making<\/span>\u00a0on people\u2019s li<\/span>ves<\/span>. Many of us in this community, including myself, immigrated to Canada from Japan and live far away from the support\u00a0<\/span>of<\/span>\u00a0immediate family\u00a0<\/span>and relatives.\u00a0<\/span>While\u00a0<\/span>I am mindful that JSS cannot\u00a0<\/span>possibly\u00a0<\/span>replace them<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0I would like to try my best to be of at least some help to all of you who\u00a0<\/span>are\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0in need of help, with the<\/span>\u00a0talented and dedicated JSS team<\/span>, comprised of\u00a0<\/span>my\u00a0<\/span>fellow board members, staff, and volunteers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
\nI truly hope JSS remains\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0place where all of you can come to\u00a0<\/span>seek<\/span>\u00a0support, casually and without thinking twice.\u00a0<\/span>Whether f<\/span>or\u00a0<\/span>school or work<\/span>–<\/span>related matters,\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>relationship<\/span>\u00a0matters<\/span>\u00a0with friends or family members,\u00a0<\/span>or for something else<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>almost<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>everyone\u00a0<\/span>will\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0have a moment or two\u00a0<\/span>in their life\u00a0<\/span>when counselling support becomes needed. I had my moment when I was struggling as a university student \u2013\u00a0<\/span>with\u00a0<\/span>language, interpersonal issues, and\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>demand<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0of school work<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0I sought counselling<\/span>, and it<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>steered\u00a0<\/span>me\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0the right direction. It is not<\/span>\u00a0a sign of weakness\u00a0<\/span>to receive counselling or other support services<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>On the contrary,<\/span>\u00a0it is a sign of strength<\/span>\u00a0to\u00a0<\/span>recognize the\u00a0<\/span>need<\/span>\u00a0and seek<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>help. I also hope, with\u00a0<\/span>great optimism, that JSS will continue to offer a space for all of you to share your knowledge, passion, talent, time, and compassion\u00a0<\/span>with<\/span>\u00a0others<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and achieve\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>sense of great fulfillment together.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
\nI am looking forward to meeting each of you,\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>through\u00a0<\/span>our\u00a0<\/span>various\u00a0<\/span>activities and discussions\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>contribute to\u00a0<\/span>mutually enhanc<\/span>ing\u00a0<\/span>everyone\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>personal growth<\/span>, as well as<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0strengthening our<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>wider<\/span>\u00a0community together.\u00a0<\/span>Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have ideas to share.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I would appreciate your feedback and guidance.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Yuka Sato-Atiyota It has\u00a0already\u00a0been\u00a0\u00a0a year\u00a0since we started using the word \u201cpandemic\u201d. I am strongly hoping everyone is\u00a0staying safe\u00a0despite the extraordinary challenges and hardships imposed by this\u00a0situation.\u00a0\u00a0 First, I would like to express my\u00a0sincere\u00a0appreciation for\u00a0your support\u00a0to\u00a0the 2020 Holiday Drive.\u00a0I am very happy to inform you that it\u00a0was a\u00a0huge\u00a0success\u00a0this year again!\u00a0 Please\u00a0see\u00a0\u201cBig Thanks from Holiday Drive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":12952,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[318,280,244],"tags":[285,313],"class_list":["post-12951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-jss-newsletter-vol-9-no-1-march-2021-en","category-news","category-jss-newsletter","tag-president-en","tag-jss-report"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12951"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12951\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}